Before becoming a Peer Supporter with Y+ Malawi, the Global Fund was simply a name I often heard whenever people talked about HIV programmes.
I knew it supported countries in responding to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, but I never really understood how decisions about funding were made or where young people fit into those conversations.
My name is Happy Singano, and I am a Peer Supporter with the READY+ programme in Malawi. Through my journey with READY+, I have gone from simply hearing about the Global Fund to understanding how decisions are made and, more importantly, recognising that young people have a place in those conversations.
That journey has changed how I see advocacy, youth participation and my own role in Malawi’s HIV response.
My mentor and READY Focal Point for Malawi, Lusungu Harawa, played an important role in helping me understand advocacy and global health governance. She regularly shared webinars, virtual discussions and learning opportunities that introduced us to conversations around the Global Fund and youth participation in health decision-making.
At first, these were opportunities to learn. Over time, they helped me realise that young people do not have to simply wait for decisions to be made about us. We can be part of the conversations that shape those decisions.
One experience that helped build my confidence was participating in the READY to Advocate Training alongside other young people.
What made the experience meaningful was that we were not simply taught about advocacy. We were encouraged to think about issues affecting young people in our communities, understand who could influence them and consider what action we could take.
The training also introduced us to the We Matter, Value Us Guidelines, which focus on the ethical and meaningful engagement of young people in programmes and decision-making. This made me think differently about what youth participation really means.
Inviting young people to a meeting is not enough. Meaningful engagement means that our voices are respected, our experiences are taken seriously, and our contributions have the opportunity to influence decisions. It also means having the support and space to participate safely and confidently.
Together, we developed facility and community action plans aligned with the Lilongwe Y+ Chapter work plan. For me, this was an important reminder that advocacy should not end with a conversation. It should lead to action.
My learning continued through the READY Young People Learning Series on Understanding Global Fund Processes, which brought together more than 30 young people from the READY programme in Malawi.
The session helped me understand the Global Fund and how its grant processes work, including country dialogue, funding request development, implementation and oversight. I also learned more about the role of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in coordinating funding requests, monitoring grants and ensuring inclusive participation.
But the most important thing I took away was not the technical knowledge. It was understanding that young people are not simply beneficiaries of these programmes. We can be active partners in planning, implementation, monitoring and accountability.
I had the opportunity to put that understanding into practice at Malawi’s Grant Cycle 8 Tool Harmonisation and Review Meeting.
Government, civil society, implementing partners and community representatives came together to develop consultation tools and guide nationwide constituency engagements that will help shape Malawi’s next Global Fund funding request.
Being part of that process was an important moment for me. I realised that meaningful community engagement begins long before a funding request is submitted. It happens through the questions we ask, the tools we use to gather people’s experiences and the conversations that help ensure community priorities are reflected in national planning.
I was no longer simply learning about how decisions were made. I was participating in a process that could help influence them.
All of these experiences have transformed my understanding of global health governance and youth leadership. As a Peer Supporter, I now feel more confident engaging in advocacy, contributing to policy discussions and representing the voices of adolescents and young people living with HIV.
READY+ has shown me that advocacy is a continuous journey. It starts with knowledge, grows through mentorship and becomes meaningful when we have opportunities to put what we have learned into action.
For a long time, I wondered where young people fitted into conversations about health funding and decision-making. But now I know.
I now know why we need a seat at the table: we belong there, not simply as beneficiaries of health programmes, but as partners in shaping them.