Akossiwa Stella Dokpodjo, the communicator linking digital technology to young people’s education and sexual healthAkossiwa Stella Dokpodjo, the communicator linking digital technology to young people’s education and sexual health

Holding a bachelor’s degree in Information and Communication from the University of Abomey-Calavi, Akossiwa DOKPODJO is passionate about communication for development and dreams of becoming a specialist in the field. After taking part in a training course for young women on blogging and social media organised by Etrilabs in collaboration with ROAJELF BENIN, in 2014 she created the blog blog.educfillemere.org. “EducFilleMere” is a platform on which she shares the stories of girls who became pregnant while at school. She highlights the difficulties these girls face and the actions that could be taken to help them complete their education. This initiative enabled her to launch, in 2018, the NGO EducFilleMere (Education for Young Mothers), which aims to help girls who become pregnant while at school to return to their studies and to raise public awareness of the importance of girls completing their education (whether or not they become pregnant during their schooling). The blog, combined with the EducFilleMere Facebook account, has given greater visibility to this social education project and raised donations (nearly 1.5 million CFA francs) to help some young mothers who had dropped out of school to return to their studies. Akossiwa gained her first experience in communication and broadcasting at LC2 television as a presenter and columnist. She then became a freelance contributor to Amour et Vie, the ABMS/PSI youth programme (Amour &Vie) dedicated to peer education on the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents and Young People.