When Andile stepped into her role as a Young Mentor Mother in Sundumbili, KwaZulu-Natal, she committed to making a difference. Living with HIV, she had felt the fear, stigma, and uncertainty that many adolescent girls and young women in her community face.

She soon met Anna, a pregnant teenager who feared disclosing her HIV status—even to health care providers. Instead of admitting the truth, Anna told people she was taking her medication, while secretly struggling to accept her diagnosis.

Andile recognised her pain. She listened, built trust, and shared her own story. Slowly, Anna opened up. With Andile’s encouragement, she began treatment—protecting her health and reducing the risk of passing HIV to her baby.

Meeting Adolescent Girls and Young Women Where They Are

Andile belongs to a group of 42 Young Mentor Mothers that mothers2mothers (m2m) trained and deployed in KwaZulu-Natal as part of a new partnership with UNICEF South Africa. The programme also operates in the Eastern Cape. These young leaders—all aged 20–24 and living with HIV—bring knowledge, empathy, and hope to their peers.

They meet adolescent girls where they are, offering non-judgemental support on sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention and treatment, family planning, nutrition, mental health, and education on gender-based violence.

Building on an earlier collaboration (2019–2022) that reached over 39,000 girls with HIV prevention and treatment support, this new phase of the partnership goes further. It introduces young mum clubs, postnatal clubs, and stronger clinic–community partnerships—helping girls not just survive, but thrive.

Why This Work Matters

Adolescent girls and young women across South Africa face disproportionate health risks. A 2023 UNICEF report found that nine out of ten new HIV infections among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa occur in girls aged 15–19. In 2022/23 alone, South Africa recorded 150,000 pregnancies among girls aged 10–19—with one in three not returning to school after giving birth. These realities show why youth-centred solutions—like peer support from Young Mentor Mothers—are essential.

Partnership in Action

The project launched in April 2025, and the m2m–UNICEF South Africa partnership is already delivering results:

• KwaZulu-Natal: 42 Young Mentor Mothers support girls in their communities. In the first three months, they reached 3,206 young girls—already on track to surpass the annual target of 11,064.
• Eastern Cape: 10 HIV Testing Service Counsellors trained as Young Mentor Mothers and reintegrated into the provincial Department of Health across 10 facilities in Elundini sub-district. This strengthens health systems and embeds support within Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services (AYFS).

At the heart of this work lies a simple, powerful belief: every girl deserves the chance to grow up healthy, safe, and hopeful for the future.

For Andile, that belief becomes real every time she watches a girl take control of her health and rediscover her dreams. For m2m and UNICEF South Africa, it means building systems that give thousands more girls the same opportunity. Together, we are creating a brighter, healthier future for South Africa’s next generation of women.

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