Values Are Sexy When Working in SRHR

By Program Coordinator (lead for Right Here Right Now 2), Samy Verhaaren

5 value-driven lessons learned during my time at CHOICE 

Picture: the CHOICE and ABB organising team are putting their hands together during the 2025 CHOICE Connector Week in Benin

Having been a Program Coordinator at CHOICE for almost 5 years has given me many valuable skills and lessons to look back on. Working at a Youth-Led Organisation is a different ball game than most work environments and comes with its advantages – lots of responsibilities, shared decision-making, playfulness – just to mention a few. Especially in the current political climate, I find it important to reflect on my value-driven lessons going through some highlights, as well as lowlights, from my time at CHOICE. As I am graduating from CHOICE, I can look back on the things that I am proud of and think about what I would have wanted someone to tell me before I started this job. Here it comes!

Key Lessons

1. Build in needs-based approaches when organising your own trainings! Nothing is more unnecessary than a training that nobody wants or asked for. Especially as an NGO based in a global minority country working with partners in global majority countries, you DO NOT want to perpetuate colonial structures by pushing a training upon others. Once you have established there is a clear need for it, make sure to contextualise your training – from content to logistics – with a focal point and the participants. Be mindful of your own positionality, co-create where desired, and acknowledge that the trainer is learning from the trainee as well.
2. Being a watchdog for Meaningful and Inclusive Youth Participation (MIYP) is hard, but necessary! In every partnership, there will be power dynamics on various levels that you will need to navigate. In challenging these power dynamics, you can intentionally create space for voices that are not being heard or represented in decision-making spaces. As a young person in these kinds of spaces this can seem intimidating, but remember: it is young people’s and therefore your right to meaningfully participate; you are very knowledgeable, you bring so much to the table, and you are critical in holding partners accountable to MIYP. Be courageous!
3. Unexpected events will happen! Whether during a project, event or session, they tend to come at inconvenient times. How do you deal with these unexpected events? If it is time sensitive, you sometimes just need to drop everything else, act quickly in the moment, and just fix it. When crisis strikes, you will come to realise that your skills flourish or you discover skills you never knew you had. When you have a bit more time to strategise, come up with a plan of action in which you take a diplomatic approach where necessary. In being an ally for partners from global majority countries, check in with them directly to decide on the best course of action, as they know their context best. Channel your supportive self!
4. Find your own authentic ways of coping with stress! Stress in the workplace can come from tasks piling on tasks and losing oversight. You need to find your own way of prioritising tasks, using a system that works great for you. Sometimes that means you even need to prioritise your priorities. I personally like to think about what the best moment is to tackle a demanding task. Time management is a skill that you need to nourish and adjust as you go. In maintaining a healthy work-life balance, it is crucial to set your boundaries where needed and find an outlet that gives you energy. I have personally found that my weekly dance class does wonders for my mental health. When I invest in dancing, I invest in my rest. We love a good amount of self-care!
5. Last but not least: despite challenging contexts, keep fighting for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)! Keep DEI on the task list of your organisation and make sure it is engrained in your policies and practices as well, so you can keep holding your organisation accountable to its values. Ask yourself the following questions: Does your organisation already have a DEI framework or policy in place? Are your tools, website and social media posts accessible to a diverse group of young people? Are you and your colleagues committed to using inclusive language? If not, work towards answering these questions with yes. Language will change with time, but anti-racist intersectional feminist values are here to stay!

That being said, working with fellow young people has been so much fun! I will always treasure the moments I laughed with my colleagues, could bond over relatable experiences, and had a dance (or ‘shook a leg’ as I have been taught) with partners from different parts of the world. Keep fighting for your beliefs and values, as that never grows old! Even when you do. Your passion for these values is your strength. Use this strength to ensure these values are not just buzzwords. They are commitments that we must uphold wherever we go. Keep it sexy!