Southern Africa’s Young Voices Turn Health and Education Priorities Into Action

Exhibitions, networking, youth-led initiatives and a Culture Night gave delegates opportunities to exchange ideas and celebrate the region’s diversity alongside the policy discussions.

For young people across Southern Africa, access to education and good health shapes the choices they can make about their futures, making both central to discussions at the sixth Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC VI) in Windhoek, Namibia. Held from 5–7 August 2026, the gathering brought young people and regional stakeholders together under the theme "Align for Action: Sustaining Progress in Youth Health and Education," with participants sharing research, proposing practical responses and calling for commitments that lead to measurable progress in their communities.

Hosted by the University of Namibia and convened by Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) in close collaboration with the UNESCO Windhoek Office, the conference reflected the expanding reach of a platform established in 2015 to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. Its work now connects those concerns with education, youth leadership and sustainable development, recognising how closely these issues affect young people's everyday lives.

Health and education belong in the same conversation

Speaking at the High-Level Engagement Platform, Eunice Smith, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Namibia, explained that young people's ability to benefit from education depends on their health and wellbeing, and that limited access to quality education can make positive health outcomes harder to achieve. Her message placed the relationship between these two priorities at the centre of the conference, where discussions focused on protecting existing gains and responding to persistent and emerging challenges through regional cooperation, partnerships and youth-led action.

The Regional Research Indaba gave young researchers, students and practitioners a space to present findings and recommendations across five areas: education rights and equity; HIV and sexual health; non-communicable diseases and healthy lifestyles; digital health and safety; and mental health and substance abuse. The range of topics brought questions about educational access, physical wellbeing, online safety and mental health into one discussion, giving participants evidence to inform their recommendations.

A youth declaration puts accountability on the agenda

The SARSYC VI Windhoek Declaration captured the priorities and recommendations emerging from the conference as a youth-led commitment, and its formal handover to the SADC Parliamentary Forum carried a call for stronger accountability and implementation. Receiving the declaration, the forum's Secretary General, Boemo Sekgoma, urged follow-through and noted that youth representatives and parliamentarians had signed an Accountability Compact to track progress and keep the commitments on the agenda before the next SARSYC gathering.

At the closing ceremony, Jimmy Wilford, SAYWHAT's Executive Director and SARSYC Convener, described young people's growing contribution to addressing challenges in their communities through evidence and practical solutions. His remarks reflected the value of giving young participants opportunities to help shape responses to the issues they identify, with the declaration and compact providing a basis for following those proposals beyond the conference.

Regional connections give youth action room to grow

Khomasdal Constituency Councillor Wayne Sissing, speaking on behalf of Khomas Region Governor Sam Nujoma Jr., highlighted regional solidarity and the role of young people in shaping Southern Africa's future. He described youth as the majority of society and a period in which identities, aspirations and life-changing decisions take shape, stressing the need to place health and education firmly within young people's development.

Exhibitions, networking, youth-led initiatives and a Culture Night gave delegates opportunities to exchange ideas and celebrate the region's diversity alongside the policy discussions. These activities reinforced the conference's emphasis on meaningful youth participation and strong partnerships, connecting the relationships built in Windhoek with the shared commitment to a healthier, more inclusive and empowered Southern Africa.