A Young Voice Across Borders: My Journey to the Adolescent Girls Summit 2026 in Côte d’Ivoire

By Mercyline Robi, 16 years Old, Young Peer Advocate at Safe Engage Foundation

At JKIA leaving for Cote d’Ivore

At just 16 years old, I had the incredible opportunity to travel outside Kenya for the first time to attend the Adolescent Girls Summit 2026 in Côte d’Ivoire. This was also my first time flying and representing adolescent girls from Kenya on an international platform. Supported by the Global Fund for Children through Safe Engage Foundation, I carried with me the voices, hopes, and dreams of many girls from my community.

My Journey to Côte d’Ivoire

My journey began with unexpected challenges. While traveling to Nairobi, the bus I was in broke down in Narok, and we had to wait for more than four hours for another bus. Earlier during the journey, we had also stopped at a police station to report a drunk passenger who had caused chaos and even broken the bus windows. Although this experience was stressful, I remained hopeful and excited about the journey ahead.

Then came a moment I will never forget — my first flight. I was both nervous and excited as I boarded the plane. Watching the plane take off and seeing the clouds from above was such a beautiful experience. Thankfully, the flight to Côte d’Ivoire was smooth, and I felt grateful for the opportunity to travel and learn beyond my borders.

My Experience at the Adolescent Girls Summit

The four-day Adolescent Girls Summit brought together adolescent girls and young leaders from different African countries. The summit focused on celebrating adolescent girls’ resilience and leadership, breaking barriers to sexual and reproductive health education and services, promoting equality and inclusion, and protecting girls from harmful practices.

I attended the summit eager to learn, share my experiences, and explore strategies that I could bring back to Kenya. During the summit, I participated in interactive sessions on sexual and reproductive health, mental health awareness, leadership, and public speaking. These sessions were facilitated by adolescent experts and provided practical knowledge that I plan to apply in my community.

One of the most impactful moments for me was the breakout group discussions. We shared experiences from our different countries and realized that many girls face similar challenges despite cultural differences. Some of the key issues discussed included cultural barriers affecting girls’ education such as FGM, limited access to healthcare services, and economic challenges facing young girls. These discussions helped me understand the importance of working together to address these issues.

Networking, Cultural Exchange, and Challenges

The summit also gave me the opportunity to interact with participants from different cultures and backgrounds. This made the experience colourful and enriching. Although French was the main language used, I embraced the challenge. Sometimes we communicated using signs, smiles, and laughter, which made the experience fun and memorable.

However, there were also challenges. The weather was very hot, which made it uncomfortable at times, and the limited time meant we could not explore all topics in depth. Despite these challenges, the summit was a powerful learning experience.

My Journey Back Home and Commitment to Action

The journey back home was equally memorable. I enjoyed seeing the clouds at night from the airplane — a peaceful and beautiful moment. Another highlight was taking a flight to Migori, which was another first for me. Arriving home safely made me feel grateful and blessed.

From this experience, I learned that collaboration is important in addressing challenges affecting girls, awareness creation helps combat harmful practices, mental health is essential for adolescent development, and leadership skills should be nurtured early.

I am committed to sharing what I learned by organizing adolescents dialogues, mentoring younger girls, and engaging in advocacy through partnerships and social media.

This journey transformed me. It strengthened my confidence, broadened my perspective, and inspired me to become a stronger voice for adolescent girls in Kenya. I returned home not just with memories, but with purpose — and this is only the beginning of my journey.