Et-Touhami Hiba
In 2023, our world had over 1.2 billion dynamic and passionate young people between the ages of 15 to 24, brimming with potential. At U-Report, a platform where we express ourselves and get inspired to tackle the challenges we face, we believe in the profound impact young people can have on their communities. We strive to equip young people with the tools to speak up about what matters to us and create a positive difference.
Around 15 young U-Reporters were trained as facilitators for a U-Report Caravan in Morocco. I was one and had the opportunity to organize activities in five cities – Tangier, Tétouan, Azrou, Ifrane, and Rabat. This experience was deeply meaningful for me, as I believe that what we do not change, we accept.
The Caravan travelled to 16 youth centres to meet a diverse group of young people and introduce them to U-Report. This was the first-ever U-Report initiative between UNICEF and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
In the first part of each tour, we presented U-Report to the officials of the Ministry, staff at the youth centre, and representatives of civil society organizations to garner their support.
In the second part, we explained what U-Report is to the young people and asked them to work together to think of the challenges that they face in their communities and come up the solutions to these. The goal was to have them develop community-led solutions.
Across 16 cities, over 1,000 young people participated in the U-Report Caravan workshops, and we engaged over 200 youth centres and civil society leaders. In addition, more than 10,000 new U-Reporters signed up for U-Report Morocco during the tour. One of the next steps we agreed on was to start U-Report clubs in the centres to keep the youth engaged.
Hiba with one of the U-Reporters engaged during the Caravan
In essence, the U-Report Caravan wasn’t just an event – it was a mission to empower the next generation, and a manifestation of the energy, innovation, and unwavering commitment of young people to make a real impact on their communities.
The writer is an activist and youth mentor from Rabat, Morocco. She is passionate about sharing her experiences and engaging with the U-Report community.
