Breaking the Silence: My Journey as a Positive Masculinity Champion Bikash Sah was one of the Positive Masculinity Champions under the What It Means to Be a Young Man Today project, implemented by Restless Development. Through the project, he worked with young people in Madhesh Province to challenge harmful gender norms, promote positive masculinity, and …
Thanks to the safe space program, I have regained my self-confidence and my motivation to go back to school. Like every other young woman, I can now comfortably represent myself in any space. These are the words of Mary, a vibrant 15-year-old girl from Kamabai community in Sierra Leone. Today, she is in school and …
For 11-year-old Selemani, a Grade Two pupil at Sibwesa Primary School in Kidahwe, education represents more than classroom learning. It represents stability, dignity, and the possibility of a future beyond present-day hardship. He lives with his mother in a rural household where limited economic resources often make it difficult to meet even basic needs. In …
How Education Helps Shabani Haji Mustafa Reclaim His Dreams In Kidahwe, a rural community where long distances and poverty continue to push many children out of school, 15-year-old Shabani Haji Mustafa once believed his dreams had ended before they had even begun. Today, Shabani is back in school, confident, disciplined, and full of ambition. But …
A 28-year-old Hussein Abdillah Hussein is rewriting the narrative for young men. Unlike many of his peers who dropped out of school at an early age to join harmful social circles or take up informal labor, Hussein chose a different path—one of resilience, education, and empowerment. “I Refused to Follow the Path of Many” Growing …
Lhakpa Sherpa grew up in a small village in Solukhumbu, a remote Himalayan district far from Kathmandu and the wider world of opportunity. There were no roads back then, when Lhakpa was just a teenager. Long before he knew the language of NGOs or community service, he was volunteering by lifting sick villagers onto his …
Who would have ever thought a day would come when I would think of pursuing a science related discipline ? -Umu Moyamba Town, the capital of Moyamba District in Southern Sierra Leone, has over 11,000 residents. Adolescent girls in the area face socio-economic barriers like poverty, limited quality education, harmful gender norms, and restricted access …
Across Nepal and the UK, Restless Development is working with young men to question what they have been told about masculinity and to build something better in its place. Through the project “What it Means to Be a Young Man Today,” young leaders are creating conversations in their communities, using media, dialogue, and collective action to promote equality, respect, and accountability. This is the journey of Ankit Chaudhary, a Positive Masculinity Champion from Sarlahi, Madhesh Province in Nepal.
Through Youth Voices Connect (funded by GIZ), young people in Chipili used a community score card to raise adolescent health concerns—prompting local leaders to allocate land for youth-led farming activities.
At just 19 years old, Mariam Dickson from Chamwino Ikulu Ward, Chamwino District in Dodoma Region, embodies courage, determination, and the power of second chances. Her story is a reflection of how hope, when nurtured with opportunity and support, can turn pain into purpose. Raised by her grandmother, Mariam grew up in a humble home …