The club was packed. There was dancing, loud music and something you don’t typically find in a nightclub setting—intense dialogue.

The kick-off for the First Lady’s #BeFree initiative brought together young people, parents, counsellors, dancers, musicians, religious leaders, health experts, United Nations partners and other community stakeholders for an afternoon event at a nightclub in Windhoek, Namibia. #BeFree aims to give young people the information, knowledge and tools needed to transition into adulthood.

The First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos—who was recently appointed UNAIDS Special Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls and champions the Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free agenda—wanted to create an environment where young people would be comfortable talking about the challenges they face growing up and what it will take for them to feel empowered to make smart life decisions.

One parent dropped off her daughters for the event and ended up staying after hearing a few of the more than 100 participants aged 15–24 years speak from the heart. Panel discussions covered a range of issues, including contraception, economic empowerment, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and the need to address gender-based violence. Young people were encouraged to share their own stories—you could hear a pin drop when a young man told his story about the consequences of poor decision-making that changed his life for ever and made him an inmate at the Windhoek Correctional Facilities—and counsellors were on hand to provide advice and care.