Participants set their own priorities
Malawian self-advocate Mark Mapemba led the final day alongside Jayne Akinyi of KAIH and Samuel Delali Anku of Inclusion Ghana. Participants wanted stronger links between countries and more opportunities for local groups to share knowledge. Sexual and reproductive health and rights also formed part of the discussions. [1]
A network built around people’s voices
Chantal Gnahoui of La Chrysalide in Benin described the aim as “a big network of self-advocates that are connected and working together”. Participants called for more confident leaders and for self-advocates to represent themselves. The discussion connected regional organising with decisions that affect people in their own communities. [1]
Training had already begun in several countries
In Zambia, Ruth Chihana and Blessing Chipasha had described sharing knowledge gained through Empower Us training. Chihana emphasised making her own decisions and explaining rights in her community. In Angola, Mapemba had worked with Apegada at a September 2023 workshop. These exchanges provided practical examples for the Nairobi discussion about expanding self-advocacy. [2][3]