Post by Idyl F.

Today marks 2 weeks since my six-month internship with the UNFPA in West and Central Africa, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) portfolio and especially joining as we celebrated the 10 years of UNSCR 2250. 🌍 After graduating from university, it felt especially rewarding to come back to Senegal and work on issues that directly impact the region and communities I care deeply about. Youth remain central to peace and stability in the region. In West Africa, where young people represent a majority of the population, their meaningful participation in peace processes is not just important, it is essential for sustainable peace. Over the past 6 months, here are my proudest achievements: 📊 Leading the production of the “10x10 Stories of Impact” publication — a 56-page report celebrating the 10th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, based on interviews with 20+ youth peacebuilders across Africa and where the 20 peacebuilders were awared at the YPS Stocktaking Conference in Nairobi. 📑 Producing a regional analysis of Youth, Peace and Security initiatives across 15 UNFPA Country Offices, identifying good practices and strategic gaps to inform the 2026 regional strategy and presented to focal points in the region. 🤝 Learned the importance of the "One UN and One Voice" in our efforts with colleagues from the UN Interagency Working Group on YPS with UNDP, UNOWAS, UNWOMEN and supported the planning of a Learning Forum in Dakar from countries in the region. 📣 Supporting communications and advocacy efforts, including designing the regional YPS newsletter and drafting speeches and talking points for senior leadership and leading discussion on International Peace Day. Grateful to the Gender & Human Rights and Humanitarian teams for their mentorship and support throughout this journey. Working alongside such dedicated colleagues has been an incredibly formative experience and super grateful for the farewell & gift at the end of my internship. Thank you to everyone at UNFPA WCARO who made these past six months such a meaningful experience and a special thank you to my amazing supervisor, Fatuma Kuno Muhumed and other colleagues Nicolette Moodie, Karen Hobday PhD, Gaia Pallecchi, Magatte Camara, Wilfried ROUAMBA, SOPHIE SENE - KANE.