"One of our objectives is to be representatives for peace"

An interview with Hadiza, a member of a MediaSahel-backed group of youth representatives in Zinder, Niger.

Hadiza has a degree in communications and is a member of the Association Action Jeunesse Développement (Youth Development Action Association [AJD]), an association that consists of youth representatives plus founding and honorary members. These young people work with the community while engaging the local media.
We work closely with radio stations. We have a journalist in our group who deals with media outlets. He makes sure that a community radio station covers and broadcasts everything we do, explains Hadiza. So far, the main activities have been debates and forums involving young people.
Hadiza and her group are helping their community to overcome youth-related problems. They are working to address youth crime, violent extremism and radicalisation, and encouraging others to use social media well.

These five youth representatives work well together even though they have varying educational backgrounds (communications, journalism, medicine). The group's work does not stop at the association's activities. It is also involved in the work of the MediaSahel project, as a result of which its members gained greater leadership, social media use, public speaking and fact-checking skills. The training courses are extremely useful for carrying out their work, as Hadiza confirms:
The MediaSahel project has been massive for us. It enabled us to get the messages we wanted across to our community and to work well with community radio stations.