Meet and Greet our Y-PEERers

An interview with Nirmala Prajapati, an active Focal Point in Charge and trainer in Y-PEER Nepal.

"I am so much moved by the enthusiasm of all young people. And, as a Focal Point in Charge, I have learned to work hard which has in all ways brought the best out of me." 

Can you describe your experience in Y-PEER, what challenges, barriers and successes have you faced during the period of being a Y-PEERer? How has Y-PEER influenced your life/career? 

With Y-PEER as a certified trainer, I formally started my professional career, apart having several engagements in various organizations before. My role to coordinate with different stakeholders, agencies and allies, definitely had boost up my confidence and helped me to move my career forward. Sexual reproductive health and rights have always been a stigma in the community I live, though it was what Y-PEER worked on. 

The major challenges I faced working with Y-PEER was "youth participation" in general as there has always been cultural, financial, behavioural barriers which makes difficult to mobilize them being based on the issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Also, lack of sustainable projects and limited resources have always been barriers to reach out young minds that still lack general information about their sexuality, sexual health and rights.

At a distance from challenges and barriers, I along with Y-PEER have consistently worked hard organizing various events and programs, including youth from different regions of the country with limited resources. Given the fact, I am so much moved by the enthusiasm of all young people. And, as a Focal Point in Charge, I have learned to work hard which has in all ways brought the best out of me.

What benefits does Y-PEER offer to young people?

Y-PEER has always been a renowned network, which focus on the issues related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. Y-PEER in my country works in the communities where there are religious and cultural barriers and people hardly talk about their sexuality and sexual related issues. Y-PEER has been successfully able to implement programs and events which specifically and directly involve young people. The implemented programs provide information about sexual and reproductive health and rights to engage, empower and mobilize young people to talk about the issues openly.

Moreover, Y-PEER is certainly a platform where you can develop yourself. The network does not confine you to the traditional methods of working; it has innovative ways of having people involved. Of course, with Y-PEER one can meet young people from around the globe, and thus linking to numerous opportunities of enhancing the potentialities within one.

What can young people do better to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Young people are capable to do everything for achievement of SDGs. Their engagement is major to contribute to the achievement and implementation of the sustainable development goals. Sustainable development goals can only be achieved if young people seriously start the initiation to orient about the importance of sustainable development goals for their upcoming future generation showing enormous concern to it and acknowledging provision of sexual reproductive health and rights which definitely means having a better quality of life. So, the meaningful involvement of young people is crucial to the achievement of SDGs.  

What is one thing you would have done differently being a Y-PEER member?

One thing I would have done differently was to talk about the issues of young people on sexual and reproductive health and rights not only on the national level but on international level as well. So that, people from other communities will know, how to face barriers in their communities and to engage more young people. Those young people should be well aware about the present scenario on grass root level.

What would you suggest that young people should do to become successful?

Being a youth, I would definitely suggest young people to come out and voice out for the emerging issues they are facing in the community. It is true that young people often are inclined towards fun and entertainment, but at the same time, it is crucial to understand that it is our responsibilities to be well aware about what is going around and acquire skills.

We are the emerging faces in the future where we will have our own community where we would not have religious and cultural barriers if we act and come out and raise the voice of the voiceless. Otherwise we will still have the same communities with same perceptions and trends which will always restrict us to move forward with positive attitude.

So, in this backdrop I would like to suggest young people should work hard expecting nothing but the enormous amount of experience. This experience would definitely help them to be practical and think broadly about the next steps.