Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma

October 11 marks International Day of the Girl, a day to recognize and reflect upon girls’ rights and the need to empower girls around the world. Ensuring that adolescents and girls of reproductive age have access to sexual education and contraceptive choice is central to their empowerment — through contraception, they have a greater chance of completing their education, pursuing their careers, and fulfilling their dreams. FP2020 spoke with Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma, 24 of Lusaka, Zambia about her work to bring contraception to women and girls in their communities. Read two other interview with youth advocates from Uganda and India.

Natasha is co-founder of Copper Rose Zambia and Country Coordinator for International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP).

Tell us about yourself.

I am a visionary young leader with a passion for sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s health and youth leadership and development. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Zambia.

I also co-founded Copper Rose Zambia, an organization that uses sexual reproductive health awareness as a means of empowering Zambian youth and women. Our mission: To make a difference in the lives of women and adolescents by educating them about their sexual reproductive health and rights and responsibilities so that they can exhibit autonomy to reach their full potential and be effective leaders and agents of change in their communities.

What has worked to promote family planning in your community?

We conducted a training pilot to assess if retail pharmacies were a good point for providing youth-friendly services to young people at community level. Two pharmacy staff were trained on counseling and providing information for adolescents and young people in their location. The training also encompassed the importance of HIV testing and compliance to ART in those that are living with HIV

The training was extremely successful and the service has been welcomed by the community. More than 120 adolescents and young people each month are able to access youth-friendly services at the local pharmacy.

What have you learned about family planning?

The pilot has taught me that the pharmacies have huge potential for increasing access to youth-friendly services. If nurtured and supported, they may be very useful in providing contraceptives, HIV testing and counseling as well as comprehensive sexuality education for out of school youth. Pharmacies are also appealing because they tend to have young staff who may relate better with the adolescents and young people.

Want to learn more about Natasha’s good work in her community? Contact her here:

Twitter: @nskaoma06
Email: nskaoma@yahoo.com