Putting young people at the heart of what we do is central to Lumos' mission. So we asked Nancy, our Youth Participation Coordinator to tell us why it’s so important to let young people share their experiences of living in care, residential institutions or orphanages.
Children and young people are experts in their own lives and experience. At Lumos, children are at the centre of what we do. We work hard to create an environment where all children and young people are involved in decisions that affect them. This can be basic decisions about what to have for lunch or which shoes to wear. But the impact of involving children can go far beyond this and can even affect international policies.
By encouraging and supporting them to share their voices, it can help them develop new skills and reclaim a sense of control over their futures. And for those who have experienced trauma from living in institutional care, helping transform the care system for the next generation can be part of the healing process.
The young people we work with have taken their voices far and wide in 2018. They continuously surprise me with their moving insight and are able to influence decision makers in a way that I will never be able to. Only when we take the time to properly listen to the experiences and voices of young people can we create services that genuinely support them. This includes children and young people with disabilities who are often excluded from decision making, but whose contributions are always invaluable. Here are my five personal highlights from 2018.
Maicol
Influencing Global Policy
“We are not objects, we are human beings – and, like everyone else, we want a future,” said Maicol, at this EU conference about ensuring that all children realise their right to live in a safe environment within their families and communities.
Read Maicol's blogMartina, Ruth, and Mihaela at One Young World
Inspiring Other Young Leaders
Mihaela (right) was the first young person with intellectual disabilities to talk on stage at this year’s One Young World conference. Her inspiring words about growing up in an institution brought the audience to their feet.
Read about MihaelaYouth Advocate Marathon
Running Marathons
In September, Lumos self-advocates ran in different races at the International Chisinau marathon in Moldova. Vasile (aged 15) came 35th out of 809 runners in the 5km race.
Run for Lumos