“We deserve to be seen”: Haiyambo Jakko’s journey to the Youth Advisory Panel

Youth voices united. Jakko with fellow YAP members during the three-day national induction workshop in Windhoek. 

 “People used to stare at me,” he says. “Sometimes they’d whisper or ask insensitive questions. But I always believed I was more than just how I looked.”

Jakko, a young Namibian with albinism, is one of the newest members of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Namibia Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) to amplify young voices in shaping national priorities around sexual reproductive health, gender equality, and youth development.

For him, this opportunity is more than a personal milestone; it’s a step forward for young persons with disabilities throughout the country. “It means a lot for someone like me to be part of this,” he says. “As a young person, yes, but also as someone with a disability. Too often, our voices are missing from conversations that affect our lives.”

Finding purpose in visibility

Jakko says he has spent much of his life advocating for himself, both in school, healthcare settings, and everyday life. “Many people still believe persons with disabilities are fragile or incapable,” he explains. “But what we need is opportunity, not pity.”

He first heard about the YAP opportunity through a friend who shared a flyer from UNFPA Namibia’s social media. “I hesitated at first,” he admits. “I thought, maybe they’re looking for someone who fits the usual image. But then I realised, if I don’t try, how will things ever change for young people like me?”

Now, sitting on the panel alongside other dynamic youth from all parts of the country, Jakko brings a lived perspective that is often missing from decision-making spaces. “Representation matters,” he says. “When young people with disabilities are included, it changes how programmes are designed. It challenges assumptions.”

Challenging silence and stereotypes

Jakko is aware of the layered barriers that persons with disabilities face, especially in rural areas. “Access to education, jobs, even something as basic as sunscreen or eye care, those aren’t always guaranteed,” he says. “That’s why inclusion in national platforms like the YAP is so important. It’s about making our needs visible.”

He also believes that change begins with visibility. “We need to normalise seeing young people with disabilities in leadership. In schools. On panels. On TV. If we’re not seen, we’re not heard.”

A platform with purpose

As part of the YAP, Jakko hopes to advocate for more disability-inclusive policies, especially around education, employment and sexual and reproductive health. “Young people with disabilities also need access to information about their bodies and rights,” he says. “Too often, these things are assumed not to concern us.”

He dreams of a future where disability is no longer seen as a limitation. “I want to help create a country where every young person, regardless of ability, feels like they belong, like they can contribute.”

For now, he’s proud to take his place at the table and to pull up a few more chairs while he’s at it.