I’m 19 now and a sophomore at university. My family is so proud of me. I’ve been a mentor for seven months now, but before that I was a girl trying to find my confidence. My former mentor saw I was trying my best, and she lifted me up.
The reason I serve as a mentor and a youth advocate is because I went to school. If young people in my community do not have an education, they will definitely not have a brighter future. Girls and young women in particular have a rough time, and their voice often goes unheard.
Did you know? More than 63% of Liberia’s population is younger than 25.
As a youth advocate, I have been trained to initiate dialogues with my community. We sit together and list our most burning issues, and discuss what actions we could take. If they say the issue is a lack of schools, then we will go to stakeholders such as the local superintendent or the mayor, and get their support. was trained by BRAC and was provided materials to build our capacity to go to the stakeholders and lobby with them to bring positive changes in the community.
I made it through school, even though it was difficult for me. I went to school in the countryside and then in Monrovia, the capital, until my father could not afford my fees. By the time I was in the 9th grade, I had a lot of friends that tried to push me to the edge of society, forgetting school, forgetting my ambition. My parents tried hard to bring me back, but I just didn’t care at the time. However, they didn’t give up on me and neither did my teachers. They knew I always tried my best. They told me to not kill my dream.
I joined the AIM club when I was in 11th grade and my mentor saw that I was trying very hard to change. She drew me closer to her and gave me confidence. At times, she would give me the curriculum to explain to the girls in my club. I remember explaining Fatima's story - a character in the curriculum who struggled with her emotions. I felt very disturbed when I came back home that day. I was seeing myself in Fatima. It made me think about my own life and my attitude, and I wanted to be better.
My parents are proud of me now. I’m a sophomore, a mentor, and a youth advocate in my village. I have friends who are supportive and want the best for me. I urge the girls in my club and my community to focus on their education, build their confidence so they know they can achieve anything they want in life.”
Mama M Sheriff is one of more than 5,500 young women and men who were trained as mentors to support young people in their communities across Africa. Together, they have supported more than 260,000 girls and young women by running more than 2,800 youth clubs in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Club sessions focus on confidence and interpersonal skills, emotional wellbeing and healthy relationships, financial literacy and digital skills, disaster preparedness, puberty, menstruation, and reproductive health.
Learn more about BRAC’s work with young people.
