The heat shimmered off the red earth of Icolo e Bengo Province, but under the cool shade of a large tree at the Km 44 Community Centre, a different kind of warmth was growing.  It was a hot day, but the energy of the young participants was undeterred as they engaged in a session focused on building crucial skills in trauma resilience and mental health. This was one of three sites visited by members of the Safeguard Young People (SYP) Regional Programme Steering Committee (RPSC) gathered in Luanda, Angola for the 11th Annual Steering Committee meeting on 19 and 20 February 2025. 

This meeting brought together high-level representatives from governments, bilateral agencies and UNFPA to review progress, set strategic direction, and foster knowledge sharing. 

Angola’s hosting of the 2025 steering committee meeting demonstrated its commitment to meaningful youth participation and empowerment, and the sustainable realisation of the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents and young people. The presence of high-level delegation from the Ministries of Family and Women Promotion, Pre-School and Primary Education, and Youth and Sports bore testament to the belief in and national ownership of the SYP programme.

“Our government has been responding to the indicators of the SYP programme - the calls to denounce GBV, training for health workers on SRH, and the fight against early marriage and pregnancy. The results are a reflection of the work we have been doing together. Together, we can build” said Ms. Danila Patrícia de Almeida Bragança, Secretary of State for Youth, Angola.

Participants celebrated the programme's achievements, noting that in 2024, 3.4 million adolescents and young people received integrated sexual and reproductive health services, HIV and gender-based violence services, which contributed to averting approximately nine million unintended pregnancies.  

The meeting also emphasized the importance of continued advocacy, multi-sectoral collaboration, and addressing challenges such as data access and financial self-reliance. Key themes such as SRHR self-care and the linkages between comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and SRHR services were also discussed.  

On the second day of the meeting, the committee members were invited to visit one of three implementation sites of their choice to see the SYP programme in action - the Km 44 Community Centre demonstrated Community Resiliency Model (CRM) whilst the Casequel Health Center demonstrated the health care and routine services offered for young people and adolescents in dedicated youth-friendly spaces; and the Nova Vida Primary School visit showcased CSE in action and the partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Reflecting on the school site visit, Sibongile Monareng of the Department of Basic Education in South Africa had this to say - “I loved and was impressed by the delivery of the content by the educator. He was clearly very comfortable and confident in delivering the content which is demonstrable of the high quality of training and mentorship that he has received. The content was very detailed and advanced and he delivered it with ease. He covered quite a lot in detail and with precision and I loved this”; and Trevor Oahile, AfriYan ESA board member from Botswana concurred with these sentiments adding how he appreciates the way that the school has de-stigmatised menstrual care - “both male and female learners are taught in one room and all seem comfortable to engage on the subject” This, he said was a key take away for him.   

The SYP programme, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), covers 11 countries. The programme empowers adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24 to take control of their health and well-being. It provides comprehensive support to efforts that address sexual and reproductive health, including protection against STIs and HIV, reducing unintended pregnancies, promoting gender-equitable norms, and combating early marriage and gender-based violence. 

The meeting concluded with the validation of the programme’s 2024 results and approval of the 2025 regional and country annual work plans. The committee reaffirmed its commitment to promoting SRHR, with a focus on youth leadership, service delivery, and diversifying financing resources. All left the meeting with a powerful reminder that even in the simplest of settings, vital work can take place.