“As a youth-led organisation, we see first-hand that the expertise, vision and energy of young people and their opinions is just as valuable as that of adults. Yet why is access to fair compensation so uneven for young people? I am excited to explore and share our experiences and dilemmas with other curious and critical peers in this YIELD Action Learning Cycle, to support the field of YASRHR to develop practical standards and ways forward.”

 “I look forward to explore different ideas and experiences with other curious members of the group, to think of new and innovative solutions to ensure that young people are fairly compensated for their time and expertise.”

“I want to learn how to ensure meaningful engagement of young people and not devaluing the expertise and value that they bring forth by compensating their efforts adequately. I expect to collectively reflect and discuss how we can interrogate historical justices embedded in power dynamics that hinder the participation of young people.”

“I want to learn in-depth meaningful youth participation and engagement, to learn different strategies on how to influence norm change and help youth make informed choices. I wish to also share skills with the other members of the Action Learning group.”

“I wish to have more information about compensating adolescents in AYSRHR, collaborate with other organizations and also to share my expertise on AYSRHR, how to advocate for issues that are affecting AYSRHR services while working with them as owners of interventions.”

“My expectations from joining the Action Learning Groups are to pave a way for better youth work compensation in Africa, and to build a network of active young leaders that challenges injustices that affect young people.”

“The cycle will help me equip my knowledge, supportive networks and resources that can help navigate the challenges of the transition period.”

“I wish to understand an approach that will emphasize learning by doing, take on real-world leadership challenges, and engage in group projects that will allow me to apply what I have learnt. Overall, joining an action learning group for me is to focus on developing a new generation of youth leaders that can be a valuable experience that offers opportunities for collaborative learning, networking, mentorship, and sustained engagement.”

“I look forward to explore different compensation youth work models and their best practices as well as lesson learned. In addition, I believe this group will benefit me in collaborating with other professionals in the group to build momentum for change and push for improvements in compensating the youth work better and mainstreaming meaningful and inclusive youth participation in the development initiatives that I contribute to in the future.”

“I want to gain knowledge and insights that will not only enrich my personal and professional growth, but also empower me to make positive changes in the world around me. I believe that the group’s commitment to learning and taking action will provide a unique opportunity for me to expand my horizons and contribute to my community.”

“I look forward to be part of a participatory process in which we can learn, and unlearn, so that we can collaboratively move towards a more meaningful, just, and equitable way of working with young people. In addition, I am looking forward to contributing my experience and perspective as a Latin American feminist activist to this process.”

“I wish to work closely with sector peers to develop an understanding of ethical and fair compensation practices.”

“I look forward to learning approaches and solutions to make our programs and partnerships with young people more equitable, respectful and able to bring transformational change for young people.”

“I wish to improve my working skills in a multidisciplinary team, connecting with organizations and people involved in social projects. Finally, I think working in groups allows us to change the narratives about our own perspectives, contributing to improving our job. I want to share about neurodiversity and disability, and how we can fight stigma and barriers in our own area of work.”

“I’d like this to be a space for mutual learning where we can form global alliances of youth-led organisations fighting to guarantee the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people all over the world using technology and other tools to ensure descentralization for all, including young people living with or affected by HIV and young people from key populations.”

“I look forward to learn and understand solutions and best practices employed around the world for achieving compensation to fair work done by young people which is often overlooked. As a final measure, I hope to utilize my learnings from this novel action learning group to advocate to overcome this unfair exploitation of young people worldwide and achieve meaningful compensation to youth work.”

“I can’t wait to collaborate with other young development professionals to learn, ideate and innovate concepts so that young people are adequately valued and compensated for their engagement with civil society organization. It will be also a wonderful opportunity for me to learn existing good practices in the eco-system and how these can better contextualized for implementation.”