Tilay A. Kollie is the energetic young woman heading up a new girls’ club initiative at the Monrovia YMCA, Liberia, which aims to prepare and ensure meaningful participation of young women in decision-making. The current Executive Director of the Monrovia YMCA, Tilay is the second woman to head the branch, which is situated at the Liberia YMCA headquarters in the capital city. She is one of four women heading YMCA branches in the country. When Tilay joined the Monrovia YMCA in 1998 as a peer educator with the Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme (ARHP), she said she was an introvert and believed that women could not speak out as their role was to take a backseat.

Tilay underwent training in group mobilisation and facilitation, character development and began interacting with her peers. After several months with the ARHP, Tilay was appointed Assistant Development Secretary, responsible for communication and other activities. She was elected Secretary General and later Coordinator of the National Youth Council.

Three years into her current position, Tilay recently told a gathering, “When I look at where I came from, it took challenges and commitment to work and positively impact the many young people who are under our guidance and leadership.”

She sees herself as a role model for young women and also young men who look up to her for leadership and guidance. Some of Tilay’s tasks include identifying projects and programmes, liaising with the local board and interpreting policies, ensuring that women and young girls are involved in programmes, and strengthening the membership base of the Monrovia YMCA.

She says she would like to see young girls use the opportunity given to them by the Liberia YMCA to stand up and speak out about challenges and to assume leadership roles. She attributes much of her successes to the Liberia YMCA and the leadership training which has given her the ability to lead other young people.