Dear colleagues and friends,

Since I stepped into the role of CEO at YLabs five months ago, I have been continually amazed and inspired by the commitment of our partners, the dedication of our team, and the innovative spirit of the young people in our network. As I reflect on YLabs’ work and impact over the past year, the word that comes to mind is depth.

YLabs' strength lies not just in what we do, but in how we do it, and with whom. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with young people, trusting their insights, and translating their vision into tangible solutions sets us apart. It also underscores our commitment to long term relevance and sustainability. I've visited our project locations, met with partners, interacted with young allies, and observed how collaborative co-creation leads to tangible and scalable results. It's one thing to talk about youth leadership and engagement–it's another entirely to see it in action!

Together with young innovators, we accomplished so much in 2024. CyberRwanda reached a pivotal milestone with our UC Berkeley partnership study published in Nature. The research, one of the largest of its kind on teenage sexual health in Africa, demonstrated that sexually active adolescents using our platform had significantly higher contraceptive use–evidence that validates our youth-led approach. But numbers only tell part of the story. As Allen, one of our 1,000+ youth designers, shared, “CyberRwanda goes beyond textbooks when it comes to Sexual and Reproductive Health education. It's more engaging and fun, especially in our club where we use games and stories. Thanks to CyberRwanda, there are fewer cases of teen pregnancies in my school!”

We took the lessons learned from CyberRwanda and launched our "Asking for a Friend" initiative in California last year. Exceeding all expectations, we surpassed our 2025 goals in 2024—reaching more than three million youth on social media with our content, and extending to 70k+ active platform users within the first 6 months!

Our gender equity and climate work has taken on new urgency, producing groundbreaking research on climate change and sexual reproductive health. After analyzing climate adaptation policies from nearly 60 countries and interviewing innovators across the globe, we launched the Climate Change x SRHR Evidence and Action Hub. This groundbreaking resource equips funders and implementers with the data and tools they need to address challenges at the critical intersection of climate change and sexual reproductive health.

Looking ahead to 2025, the world young people inhabit is growing more complex by the day, but so too is their determination to create positive change. Our mission to design technologies that amplify youth power, agency, and opportunity remains as critical and urgent as ever.

Here’s some exciting work we are looking forward to in 2025:

1. Young people using CyberRwanda asked for more mental health support–and we listened. Our team is breaking new ground by integrating mental health support with sexual and reproductive health services. 

2. Youth unemployment rates are three times higher than the adult average, with an estimated 70 million young people globally seeking work. We are fostering partnerships with industries, educational institutions and youth leaders, who are working to equip young people with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving global job market.

3. Finally, we are exploring opportunities to adapt and scale our successful digital solutions, such as Asking for a Friend, especially in communities where access to sexual health is often limited. Asking for a Friend bridges the stark differences in sexual health access across the US, giving teens a safe, no-judgment platform. Off the back of our success in California, we hope to grow Asking for a Friend across the US.

Your continued partnership makes our work possible. Whether it's training young climate advocates in Lagos, or connecting young people to mental health resources in California, every project strengthens communities.

Thank you for standing with us in 2024. Together, we can continue to ensure young people everywhere have the tools, information, and support they need to build healthier futures.

With gratitude,
Chinwe Effiong

Interested in learning more about YLabs’ work to help youth lead the way? Check out our projects!