Akpevweoghene Okuse is OD Young Person of The Month – April 2026 – YOA

Akpevweoghene Okuse is a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate and Program Officer at Her Voice Foundation, the place she works to advance adolescent empowerment, gender fairness, and inclusive training. Her work focuses on equipping adolescents, younger moms, and girls with the information, assets, and alternatives wanted to make knowledgeable choices about their well being, training, and financial futures.

Learn extra about her work and be impressed

Akpevweoghene’s dedication to SRHR advocacy was formed throughout her first 12 months on the University of Calabar. Sharing a room with a fellow scholar who lacked entry to correct menstrual well being merchandise uncovered her to a actuality she had not beforehand confronted, one the place menstruation is managed in silence and discomfort resulting from restricted assets and data. This expertise reshaped her understanding of interval poverty and revealed that it was not a distant problem, however one current in on a regular basis areas reminiscent of school rooms and hostels. As her consciousness deepened, she additionally started to look at adolescent ladies lacking faculty, struggling quietly, and feeling ashamed just because they have been menstruating. These experiences solidified her resolve to work in SRHR and neighborhood improvement, notably in areas the place training, well being, and gender equality intersect.

Her Work and Impact
Through her work at Her Voice Foundation, Akpevweoghene helps initiatives that assist adolescents and younger moms entry correct SRHR data, develop life expertise, and stay engaged in training. Her efforts contribute to creating secure studying environments the place ladies can ask questions, construct confidence, and make knowledgeable choices about their our bodies and futures. One of her most notable achievements has been supporting outreach efforts which have reached over 5000 adolescent ladies with SRHR training and menstrual well being assist. These interventions have helped ladies higher perceive their our bodies, stay in class, and problem stigma surrounding menstruation and adolescent well being. Beyond numbers, her influence is mirrored within the confidence of ladies who can take part absolutely in class, and younger moms who’re supported to return to training by second-likelihood studying alternatives.

Challenges and How She Navigates Them
Akpevweoghene’s work has concerned navigating persistent challenges, notably cultural resistance and stigma surrounding menstruation, adolescent sexuality, and ladies’ training. Time constraints inside faculty settings additionally restrict the depth of engagement attainable throughout instructional periods. In response, she has adopted a collaborative and culturally delicate method—working with lecturers, faculty directors, and neighborhood leaders to construct belief and maintain entry. Her technique emphasises readability, empathy, and consistency, making certain that even restricted engagements go away lasting understanding and sensible information.

Vision for the Future
Looking forward, Akpevweoghene envisions a future the place adolescents, particularly ladies in rural and underserved communities, are knowledgeable, assured, and supported to make choices that form their lives positively. She hopes to see strengthened techniques that guarantee durations are usually not a barrier to training, and that younger moms are given real alternatives to return to high school and pursue their aspirations. Her lengthy-time period purpose is to contribute to communities the place SRHR training, gender fairness, and inclusive studying are normalised, and the place ladies’ rights and dignity are absolutely revered.

Advice to Young People
Akpevweoghene encourages younger individuals who aspire to create influence to stay dedicated to objective and neighborhood. She believes significant change begins with listening, consistency, and braveness, particularly when difficult dangerous norms. For her, sustainable influence is constructed by endurance, collaboration, and an unwavering concentrate on folks.

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