This paper brings together a community of care-experienced young people from South Africa (SA) and Northern Ireland (NI) who have connected to share experiences and advocate for change. Although living in different parts of the world, participants are united by their experiences of growing up in, and transitioning to adulthood from, alternative care, and by a shared commitment to improving systems for those who follow. The Learning Community includes young people, researchers from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Cape Town, and staff from Mamelani Projects in Cape Town and Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC) in Belfast. Through shared learning, participants reflect on their journeys, explore similarities and differences, and identify ways to use their collective voices to drive change.
The paper outlines the issues that matter most to care leavers and presents ideas for strengthening policies, practices, and supports.
