BEOC turns youth voices into community action

Community activist, health educator and youth development advocate Riaan Siyama harnesses youth-led community action to address health, well-being and social challenges facing young people in the Zambezi region through his organisation Building Every Opportunity for Change (BEOC).

The idea for BEOC began in 2016 when Siyama and fellow University of Namibia (Unam) students started discussing HIV, mental health, gender-based violence and sexual reproductive health on Unam radio. BEOC was formally established in Windhoek in 2018 and initially worked in Katutura before expanding to Zambezi.

As a community development graduate, Siyama identified gaps between policies and the realities young people face in their communities.

“We chose to focus on youth because we, the youth, are the backbone of nation building," he told Careers.

BEOC’s work focuses on building synergies for youth development and establishing community safety nets. Siyama says young people in the Zambezi region face challenges including poverty, unemployment and limited access to essential services, particularly in remote communities. Flooding can also cut off access to hospitals and other support.

Through school outreach programmes, community campaigns, radio campaigns and cross-generational dialogues, BEOC creates spaces where young people can engage on issues affecting their health and well-being.

The organisation also conducts separate sessions for young men and boys, as well as young girls and women, while bringing in industry experts to share knowledge.

Siyama believes BEOC’s youth-led approach allows it to connect with young people in a meaningful way.

“Young people understand us better because we communicate through the same body language, trends, and cultural nuances,” he says.

The organisation also works with churches, traditional authorities, schools, universities and other community stakeholders to mobilise young people and strengthen its interventions. BEOC is an active member of regional structures, including the Permanent Regional Gender Taskforce and the School Regional Health Taskforce in Zambezi.

Looking ahead, Siyama says BEOC wants to establish consistent community-based platforms where young people can connect with the organisation and access its services.

"Gender-based violence affects us all, either directly or indirectly. It is, therefore, our collective responsibility to prevent it,” Siyama says.