Young Advisers Build the Skills to Shape Decisions

12–14 October 2026

Twenty-five members of the Child and Youth Advisory Group (CYAG), aged 14 to 24, joined a three-day training at the Alok Training Centre, Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Mirpur-2, Dhaka. Three project staff members also took part. The group was set up by Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) under the EU-funded Speak Up! project so that children’s and young people’s views are reflected in planning, implementation, monitoring and decision-making.

The training aimed to give members the knowledge and confidence to carry out that advisory role and to work with project leadership as partners.

What participants learned

Day 1: human rights and inclusion, advocacy and campaigning, and youth leadership, including a team simulation game.
Day 2: communication, active listening, negotiation and handling difficult conversations, followed by sessions on gender awareness and gender-based violence.
Day 3: barriers to participation, safeguarding and safe spaces, meaningful child and youth participation, and intergenerational collaboration. Participants ended by drawing up group action plans for their advisory roles.

Learning was practical throughout, using role plays, case studies, message-building exercises and group work.

Results

In a 20-question assessment, the average score rose from 16.93 to 19.08 out of 20. This compares group results before and after the training: 28 people took the pre-test and 26 the post-test.
92.3% of the 26 participants who gave feedback rated the training content as excellent, and 88.5% rated the facilitation as excellent.
25 of the 26 would recommend the training to other advisory group members.

What participants plan to do next

Members said they want to organise awareness activities on gender equality, child marriage prevention and online safety. They also plan to share what they learned with classmates, peers and community members, and to use their leadership and communication skills within the advisory group. They asked for longer training, refresher sessions and follow-up mentoring.