“I am using my voice to speak up for my community and country”

Ahmednoor Haji is a Kenyan youth advocate who runs The KESHO Alliance, an award-winning organization that promotes and advocates for quality education, youth and women empowerment, and peace and security. This month, Ahmednoor will take part in the ECOSOC Youth Forum to be held in New York from 25 to 27 April. At this event, his strong voice is expected to mobilize youth action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1. 1. Tell us about yourself and how you are part of efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I am a young person at the forefront of advocating for quality education and community-based peacebuilding initiatives in Kenya. Through The KESHO Alliance, I promote access to education for girls in patriarchal and marginalized communities, retention of students and pupils in pastoral communities, early childhood education, and young people’s involvement in peace processes and governance. Where I come from, almost 74 per cent of the population is illiterate, a majority of them being children, youth and women. Most girls and women also suffer from gender-based violence, and most youth have fallen victim to extremism and drug use. Since 2019, through other partners and my organization, we have been supporting girls from families in need, with high school scholarships to promote girls’ education and mentorship programmes for students that aims at retention. My community-based approach to promoting principles of peace and good governance involves bringing everyone from the crossing lines and bridging the gap.

My work has seen me collaborating with partners like the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) where I worked as one of the SDGs advocates from Kenya training educators and students on how to incorporate sustainable development into the school curriculum.

Furthermore, I am also a Global Youth Ambassador where I campaign for the right to education in my community, country and beyond. My effort to promote youth participation in peace processes has gone beyond my community and I am now steering The Kenya Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, which for me is an opportunity to not only coordinate but build peace together and create different schools of thought in Kenya.”

2. 2. The ECOSOC Youth Forum is one of the largest gatherings of young leaders from around the world. What impact can this event have on you and your efforts?

“Being a community worker, I have always felt that my work at the grassroots level is not felt at both national and global levels. The ECOSOC Youth Forum is an opportunity for me to use my voice and speak up for my community and country. Mostly young people like me from marginalized communities do not get the chance to speak for themselves, hence our stories are told by other people who do not represent us. I see the ECOSOC Youth Forum as an advocacy platform where I can fight for my cause, present solutions to policymakers and hold my government accountable. More than ever, my work will have a direct impact on policy-making and decision-making related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

This is also an opportunity for me to learn and collaborate with key people working towards the 2030 Agenda and bring this expertise back home to support my community and country.”

3. 3. What would you like to say to young people around the world; what can they do to help realize the SDGs?

“Young people are key stakeholders in the SDGs. If they are not part of it then it will be impossible to achieve the 2030 Agenda. If we keep ourselves outside because we are not invited or not included we will still be marginalized. We need to see how big we are in building a sustainable and safer world for all. Fight for what you stand for, hold your government accountable for their commitment to the SDGs and use your voice to demand actions on the Goals.”

For more information: UN ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023

Ahmednoor Haji is a Kenyan youth advocate who runs The KESHO Alliance, an award-winning organization that promotes and advocates for quality education, youth and women empowerment, and peace and security. He is also steering The Kenya Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security which coordinates youth efforts in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 which urges Member States to consider ways to give youth a greater voice in decision-making at the local, national, regional and international levels.