Droughts, failed harvests and rising temperatures are not just environmental problems. They shape the lives, choices and health of young people. Through the STEPS Project, My Age Africa is helping communities see and talk about these connections.
In September, STEPS continued to use Facilitated Film Screening (FFS) sessions as a tool for community engagement and learning. This month we deliberately reached communities we had not engaged before, holding screenings at Mtare Academy, with parents and guardians in Duhunye Village, and at ZIED Academy in Mapanzure.
Each session paired a film with a guided discussion on the intersection of climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). These issues are usually discussed separately, but for young people they are closely linked. When climate pressures strain household incomes, young people, and girls in particular, can face greater risks of dropping out of school, early marriage and reduced access to health services.
The value of these sessions goes beyond raising awareness. The discussions surfaced real experiences and concerns affecting young people, giving us valuable insight into the realities that should shape our programming.
In this way, FFS is more than a communication tool. It is a way of listening. It helps us identify emerging issues, understand how climate-related pressures interact with existing SRHR vulnerabilities and gather community-generated evidence. That evidence ensures our interventions respond to priorities communities identify themselves, rather than assumptions about what they need.
Alongside the screenings, the STEPS team followed up with community-led initiatives in Chikutuva, including the Kushinga Group and the Tafirenyika Community Garden. Continued engagement with these groups helps sustain community ownership and shows us how local people are responding to the challenges they face.
What’s next? As the quarter draws to a close, STEPS will strengthen follow-up with community initiatives and engage key climate change stakeholders. The next phase will use insights from the FFS sessions to map areas that need intervention and identify opportunities for coordinated action.
At My Age Africa, we believe community voices and lived experiences are a powerful source of evidence. By listening first, we are building climate-informed SRHR programming that works for young people.
