Empowering Communities Through Youth-Led Advocacy

Since Olivia, Jardin, and Omotola began interning with Leadership Initiatives, they have been working to build a strong, research-based understanding of the Buli community. Under the guidance of Project Coordinator Amira, the team has spent the past several months studying the daily realities, social pressures, and structural challenges that shape opportunity and well-being in Northern Nigeria. This hands-on learning model has allowed interns to deepen their understanding of advocacy while developing tools that directly support families and strengthen community voice.

To ensure their work reflects real experiences, interns created a comprehensive baseline community survey. They learned how to design questions with cultural sensitivity, understand social context, and analyze responses with care. Through this process, they gained insight into community beliefs, barriers to support, and the social dynamics that influence how people respond to topics and issues like Education & Early School Dropout. Interns were trained to examine both quantitative patterns and narrative responses, helping them understand not only what families shared, but also why they feel the way they do.

The results of the survey were powerful and often emotional. Many households in Buli expressed that they want change but feel limited by financial hardship, social pressure, or fear of speaking out. Others described challenges such as limited access to education, long travel distances for safe water, limited school infrastructure, and not having trusted spaces where concerns can be addressed. These insights reminded the team that progress is not only about identifying a problem. It is also about understanding the systems and circumstances that make solutions difficult to reach. For the interns, these findings strengthened their sense of purpose and clarified the direction of their advocacy work.

Using the information gathered, the team is now creating a culturally grounded advocacy campaign that translates the survey insights into clear, visual, and practical messages. Their infographics are designed to help families understand risks, recognize their rights, and take small, meaningful steps that are realistic in their daily lives. Interns are also learning how to design materials for low-literacy audiences and how to choose imagery that reflects the culture, environment, and lived experiences of the community.

Over the next few months, Olivia, Jardin, and Omotola will begin drafting a community workshop that helps families better understand Education & Early School Dropout and discuss solutions in a respectful, supportive space. This workshop will include you for your support, 

Leadership Initiatives