Bachelor in Project Management and Development Program

Awards Received:

Award:
Family Planning Champion
Awarding Organization:
Alliance Droits & Santé
Date Awarded:
September 1, 2016

Award:
National Youth Oscar
Awarding Organization:
OCJ BENIN
Date Awarded:
January 10, 2016

Award:
TOYP 10 Outstanding Young People in Benin
Awarding Organization:
JCI BENIN
Date Awarded:
September 15, 2014

With over 15 years of experience working on adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH), Loukman Tidjani is a long-time youth development advocate. Since his first introduction to sexual and reproductive health through Youth Action Movement (YAM IPPF), Loukman has been very intimately engaged with youth well-being, including sexual and reproductive health and family planning advocacy, from community-based interventions to policy discussion. With the African Youth and Adolescents Network (AfriYAN), which is supported by UNFPA, Loukman has been part of the advocacy that led to the African Youth Charter and its ratification at country level. He has also been involved in various processes such as Y4CARMMA campaign, ICPD Beyond 2014, Maputo Action Plan reviews and the post-2015 process. After his experience with the “one condom = one life” project, Loukman is now working with Benin National Youth Council on strengthening the involvement of local administrations to support the implementation of AYSRH, including family planning interventions at the local level. As an active member of Benin CSO Coalition for Family Planning, Loukman has been involved in providing a policy forum across public, private and non-profit stakeholders to share experiences in improving stakeholder engagement, especially national authorities, in family planning. Loukman has also been involved both in the demographic dividend and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is Youth Representative on the National STI/HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Committee. With a BSc in Project Management, Loukman is fluent in English and French.

I have been at the forefront of AYSRHR in Benin since 2007 as champion for youth participation in health policy framework including Family Planning. In recent years, we have advocated for to strengthen an efficient political environment for contraception and for family planning as main priority in National Youth Policy. We also facilitated the creation and strengthened the advocacy skills of a group of 100 young family planning ambassadors, which allowed them to become involved in the technical study on free access to modern contraceptive methods. We also organized awareness-raising activities in schools and universities. Each year more than 20,000 young people have access to FP’s friendly services through our interventions in schools, markets, in slums, churchs, mosques and temples.

My education sparked my passion to serve in the humanitarian. In 2000, I joined a peer educator network that opened my eyes to the issues of sexuality. During our HIV/STI awareness activities, even in my neighborhood I have often met pregnant girls. They have become subjects of mockery even rejected by his family. With friends, we decided to start talking about contraception to girls and help them having access to pills. It made me work and advocate endlessly for family planning as priesthood.

The leader works as a team. As part of my actions, working in coalition or network with other organizations have an important place. This reinforces the impact of actions, allows us to learn and share our experiences. It is essential to achieve sustainable results. That is why I have facilitated the establishment of networks, coalitions at regional and local level. I am also committed to training / coaching young volunteers by providing them with solid advocacy tools to promote Family Planning.

The tools and exchanges of experience developed on the platform will enable to strengthen my work. We will launch an international petition for a more meaningful commitment to improve young people’s access to family planning regarding coming London Declaration. I will mobilize additional resources already available to the grant to develop tools for the community campaign “Zero Pregnancy” to prevent teenage pregnancy through advanced strategies for contraceptive access among marginalized girls.

https://matinlibre.com/index.php/politique/item/9730-lookman-tidjani-les-axes-du…

https://www.oneworld.nl/toekomstdenkers/mens/deze-jongen-maakt-seks-bespreekbaar…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyH_I-lSaW4