Dear John, 

My name is Cecilia Lubanga. I am a Tobacco-Free Kids Young Ambassador from Kenya, and I am dedicated to ensuring that young people, especially young women, have a meaningful voice in policy decisions that shape their lives. 

I’d like to share part of my story. 

My advocacy journey began with a simple but powerful belief that behind every policy debate is a real person whose health, safety and future are at stake.

As a young journalist, I once interviewed a man who had lost his voice box to throat cancer caused by cigarette smoking. It was the first time I had witnessed the devastating effects of tobacco use so personally – and it changed me.

Since then, I’ve committed myself to using storytelling and community organizing to protect my generation from the harms of the tobacco industry.

Working with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, I have had the privilege to engage young advocates across Africa and beyond, strengthen digital advocacy initiatives, and amplify youth voices in global policy spaces. 

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids works to empower a new generation of leaders fighting for change in communities all over the world. Your gift today is an investment in advocates like Cecilia, and in the healthier world we are working to create together. 

This year, I served as a Global Youth Delegate at COP11, the conference of 182 countries that are part of the World Health Organization's tobacco control treaty. I represented young people around the world calling for stronger protections against industry interference. Speaking at the conference was one of the most meaningful moments of my advocacy career. It reaffirmed just how essential youth leadership is in advancing public health.

At home in Kenya, I lead and support programs that empower young women to take action in their communities. Through collaborations with regional networks and coalitions, including the Kenya Tobacco and Nicotine Tax Coalition, I contribute to digital strategy, messaging, and mobilization efforts that strengthen advocacy ecosystems across the county and continent. I've developed a learning module titled Sustainability in Digital Advocacy: A Guide for Young Women. And I've facilitated the Online Advocacy and Sustainability Training Workshop for YW4A: Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy and Accountability. 

All this work has one goal: to ensure that young people are protected, informed and represented in decisions that affect their health. 

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is building a global movement of young leaders driving change in their communities. Your support makes this possible. It fuels youth-led advocacy, strengthens local coalitions, and creates opportunities for young people to lead at the highest levels of global health policy. 

I am deeply grateful that you’re a supporter of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. And I thank you for believing in the power of young people to make lasting change. Together, we can ensure that the next generation grows up free from the harms of tobacco. 

Warm regards,

Cecilia

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