Jutomue Doetein is a family-planning and children's rights youth leader, advocate and influencer who has served vulnerable adolescents in Liberia for more than nine years. Jutomue currently is the Advocacy Officer of SHALOM-Liberia, a non-governmental organization that protects women and children. Jutomue has advocated and campaigned for multiple issues, including the passage of the Domestic Violence Act; the prosecution of a lawmaker who committed rape against a minor; a series of peaceful demonstrations for government policies protecting children's rights; and a campaign to educate more than 7,000 children on their rights and responsibilities. His team also took up the precarious challenge to call for the Senate to have more court accessibility, medical assistance and protection for rape victims.

Jutomue was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2018. He won the Young Champions Award in 2018, was chosen to be a YouthLead Ambassador in 2020, and won the 2022 International Conference on Family Planning Youth Trailblazer Award.

IVLP Impact Award Project: The Liberian Youth Civic Engagement Project

The Liberian Youth Civic Engagement Project was a six-month nonpartisan project to promote voter engagement. Civic engagement and knowledge of elections and the voting process was promoted for 150 young adults, youth leaders and community stakeholders in Montserrado county. A trainers of trainers' voters education workshop was conducted and town hall meetings with community stakeholders were convened. Youth clubs were organized in schools, leadership training for youth leaders was conducted, and a dialogue was organized between young people and representatives of the National Elections Commission.

"I never knew how much of an impact my vote could have until I participated in the Liberian Youth Civic engagement project. It truly changed my perspective and now I feel empowered to make a difference." - Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Jutomue participted in the IVLP Project Youth and Civic Engagement I in 2021, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center in partnership with Gulf Coast Diplomacy, Global Ties Alabama, World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana, WorldBoston and Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy.

His exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "Youth participation in voting processes is essential. Their future matters. Let’s civically engage them."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Birmingham, AL; Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Louisville, KY; Boston, MA; Salt Lake City, UT

Country: Liberia

Click here to go back to the IVLP Impact Awards Main Page