Who Designs the System and Who Lives with the Consequences

Thinking About Power

It is common to hear people say that those in charge of policy making are fixing systems and creating change. Sometimes that feels reassuring and sometimes it feels distant. I often find myself thinking about what I would do if I were really in charge and whether decisions would look different if they were shaped by people who have actually lived the challenges policies try to solve. Power often sits at the top while experience stays at the margins.

Where Youth Get Lost

Today we are seeing a growing number of vulnerable youth getting lost in systems that were meant to support them. This is not only happening in developing countries but also in places considered developed and advanced. Support may exist but access is often unclear, complicated or dependent on chance. When systems are hard to navigate or rely on who explains them to you, youth are left trying to survive structures that were never built with their realities in mind.

Change Beyond Titles

I do not believe change should wait for positions of authority. Lived experience is not something that becomes valuable only after a title is given. When youth are trusted and involved early, systems become clearer, more inclusive and more honest. Youth should not be treated as future contributors waiting their turn but as people whose voices matter right now.