2026 Teens Dream- Increasing Body Literacy
My dream, For the Love of Our Bodies, is about firstly, changing the conversation around sex education, and secondly, revising how it is taught. The goal is to use the power of tech, human connections and honest conversations to help young people of all genders learn about their bodies, health and wellbeing, especially in places where access to accurate or helpful information is limited by stigma, infrastructure or resources.
Growing up in Nigeria, the closest thing many of us (including myself) had to sex education was a part of Home Economics classes. Even then, the focus was mostly on taking care of children or household responsibilities, while we barely scratched the surface on body changes, relationships or reproductive health. Important conversations were avoided, and I saw how this avoidance bled into every day life with my peers, with conversations and perceptions around our bodies, gender roles and sex all being affected by this lack of understanding and honest conversations in our education.
Instead of traditional or existing sex education curricula, my vision focuses on body literacy, respect, and informed decision making. It’s not about telling learners what choices to make for themselves, but giving them enough knowledge that empowers them to make the right choices for themselves. For the Love of our Bodies is designed as a flexible, research-informed education ecosystem that includes a standardised curriculum (developed in collaboration with health experts, psychologists and educators), educator training, community learning in third spaces (such as community/youth centres, NGO centres, parks, libraries, etc), and an accessible digital layer via an app. The curriculum would be tiered by age and developmental stage, ensuring that learners are introduced to the right concepts and discussions at the right time, in ways that are appropriate, accurate and supportive of their growth.
The design makes the program work in formal schools, at-home, non-traditional schooling settings, and low-resource settings including areas with limited internet access by relying on approaches like community based facilitation.
My dream initiative directly relates to Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, particularly Target 3.7, which calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health care and education. When young people receive developmentally appropriate health education, they are better equipped to prevent avoidable issues, self-advocate, understand bodily autonomy, and support their long term wellbeing.
At its core, For the Love of Our Bodies is about taking the silence out of conversations around sex and reproductive health. It’s about the power that lies in speaking on topics believed to be reserved for hushed whispers, and more specifically, ensuring that access to body knowledge/literacy is not determined by where you grow up, your age, or the resources around you.