A YAB Member's Reflections on Collaborating with MCI

MCI's Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a group of young people (16-28) providing their perspectives to our work and advocating for male contraception.​ It is a group of passionate young leaders involved in advising MCI’s staff on advocacy and research efforts, and peer educators and advocates for male contraception. In this blog post, YAB member Lennox Masika reflects on his experience collaborating with MCI.

Male Contraceptive Initiative - a symphony of innovation, advocacy, and hope. I resonate with the wave of progress it has been generating over the past decade. MCI transcends mere research; it’s a promise anchored in inclusivity - a commitment to redefine reproductive autonomy. It symbolizes choice, equity, and shared responsibility.

From my inception into the Initiative, MCI has been one of the key drivers shaping my academic, social and personal development towards a more safe and sustainable global health. It was definitely the missing piece in the puzzle to ignite my interest in the sexual reproductive health and rights field. It gives me purpose to keep pursuing my undergraduate Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, with the quest to find a solution to the health gap in the reproductive field, as advocated for by MCI in its mission and vision through global collaborations, all-inclusive participation and research opportunities to undergraduate students. Being part of MCI Youth Advisory Board has given me the opportunity to work on challenging and rewarding projects, to collaborate with talented and supportive colleagues, and to contribute to the development of a broad, future reproductive space.

My next steps in this field are to continue developing policy advocacy and research skills both for my near future MCI-related projects and more fulfilling research dedications in future. I am passionate about the vision and mission of MCI, and I want to help shape the impact of its contribution to global public healthcare. I also want to share my experience and knowledge with the next generation of male contraception enthusiasts and innovators, and to inspire them to pursue their dreams and goals.

One of the most rewarding things I have done as a part of my volunteer work with MCI was to attend the 2023 RESPEKT conference aimed at bringing together different stakeholders in the sexual reproductive health and rights space, policy makers and other affected persons. The conference was of immense impact to my perception and effort towards reproductive autonomy. Currently, I am leading a team of volunteers working through MCI-YAB Campus Ambassador Program at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Serving in such capacity equips me with strong leadership skills.

​As MCI celebrates its ten-year odyssey, I pledge to effortlessly contribute to a common goal within the next decade to give sperm producers a fair share of contraception responsibility for a more heathy global health.​