At SAYWHAT, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is the foundation of our work, empowering young people with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and protect themselves from health risks such as STIs, HIV/AIDS, unplanned pregnancies, and unsafe abortions. We recognize that health, education, and child protection are deeply interconnected, particularly in Eastern and Southern Africa, where roughly 25% of adolescent girls give birth before 18, reinforcing gender inequities and undermining wellbeing.

While SRHR remains our anchor, we have expanded into three strategic pillars: Public Health – Education – Child Protection. These pillars are supported by subthemes including climate action, disaster preparedness and emergencies, drug and substance abuse prevention, empowerment and livelihoods, maternal health, mental health, communicable and non-communicable diseases – all intersecting to strengthen our integrated approach.

Recognizing the transformative power of technology, we introduced Digital Health as our fourth pillar, an enabler and cross-cutting accelerator that enhances access, scalability, and innovation across all focus areas. In today’s digital era, where online spaces influence young people’s health, education and protection, Digital Health bridges divides, and safeguards wellbeing.