Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Stephen Luodo

1.    Where are you connected? 
I am a road safety enthusiast from Kenya and I am so happy to be connected with Global Youth Coalition. I am a proud member.

2.    How did you first get involved in road safety?
After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked for different mobility companies as a transport planner and dispatcher. While working for these companies, my role involved keeping records of road crashes and near misses.

This did not only enable me to keep up to date with the road safety issues but it also opened my eyes to the road safety concerns and challenges we faced as a country. I then developed more interest in finding solutions to road safety issues in our communities and workplaces.

3.    How long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field? 
I’ve been in the field for over 5 years now and I wish to do it for many years to come at a global level.

4.    Tell us about the work you’re doing now. 
I am launching “Safe Road Masters”, a youth-led organization founded by young professionals working in the logistics industry that aims to tackle road safety and sustainable mobility issues both in urban and rural communities in Kenya. This idea came about after we lost a friend in a motorbike crash in their rural home. Accessibility to the rural communities in Kenya and many other African countries is purely dependent on motorcycles which are also the source of employment for many youths. I also have a role as a Safe Journey Coordinator for a local logistics company based in Kenya that provides transport and logistics solutions across many industries including transit. My role focuses on journey planning to reduce driver fatigue, ensure drivers adhere to road safety measures, road safety training, and monitoring for real-time data on driver behaviors. In this manner, I not only contribute to eradicating road traffic injuries but also protect other road users and reduce the burden of traffic injuries.

 

5.    Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety? 
My reason for joining Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety was simple; I was tired of the road crashes claiming the lives of our future leaders and innocent young people and I want to be part of the solution. I believe the Youth Coalition provides a great environment for achieving this objective. I also believe that the little contribution I make can help save many lives and that the solution is within us as young people. We have to be committed to driving the change ourselves.

6.    What are your comments on the Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities? 
The Youth Coalition has been a great platform for me. I’ve learned quite a lot from the challenges facing youths not only in Kenya but all over the world. I am so impressed by the initiatives the Youth Coalition members have taken to find a solution to road safety and sustainable mobility issues in our communities. The activities including the workshops, campaigns, advocacy projects, the panels, and webinars are so inspirational and give me the belief that we are on the right path. The Youth Coalition has the opportunity to reach youth globally and to lead and drive the change toward safe and sustainable mobility in these communities. This would move us closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.6 which is to halve road-related injuries by 2030.

7.    Any messages for people who have not yet joined the coalition?
The images of road safety injuries and the burden it brings along are personal for any individual who genuinely strives to reduce and eradicate road traffic injuries. There is no better way to help address these issues than to join the Global Youth Coalition on Road Safety. When you join, we hold our hands together as we claim our space in achieving road safety and sustainable mobility within our communities.