YouLead 2024: Unlocking the potential of Africa’s youth

 

Get ready for YouLead 2024, the annual summit dedicated to empowering Africa’s youth! Follow online and join over 300 young leaders in Arusha from 4 – 8 November as they explore ways to shape the future of education and development across the continent.

By Vibeke Quaade

The annual YouLead Africa summit 2024 is just four days away and once again, it will take place at MS TCDC in Arusha. This is the eighth summit and as before, it will gather more than 300 young people from across Africa who are eager to take charge of their own destinies and shape the future of the continent.

Follow the Youlead Africa summit 2024 online

This year’s theme is “Igniting the Potential of Africa’s Youthful Population; Reinstating Education as an Eminent Public Good.” The theme is aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 that emphasises the importance of youth in driving Africa’s development as over 60% of the continent’s population is under the age of 25. YouLead will bring young people from across the continent together to join representatives of youth organisations, governments and development partners to discuss the state of education in Africa – and why it matters.

At Danida Fellowship Centre, we are particularly excited about three of the key components at this year’s YouLead summit.

The EAC Youth Fellowship for aspiring African leaders
Already before the YouLead Summit officially kicks off on 4 November, 30 young business and political leaders from eight East African Community (EAC) countries have gathered for an intensive, two-week programme. The first week has focused on a climate justice module titled “Youth-led Action in Climate Change, Digital, and Green Transitions,” followed by a business boot camp exploring regional business protocols, the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), and business development opportunities across the region.

The EAC Youth Fellowship aims to engage and empower young people in regional integration and leadership. We look forward to their participation in the forthcoming discussions during Youlead and are excited to see them pitch their innovative business ideas.

Watch the video with Asunta Acon, EAC Youth Fellow from South Sudan

Launch of the More Women in Research manifesto
The second key component, is the launch of the More Women in Research Manifesto that takes place on 4 November, the first day of the summit. The manifesto addresses the underrepresentation of women in academia and research, particularly in Africa and is a powerful call to action. Originally drafted by 50 women researchers who attended the More Women in Research engagement seminar in March 2024  followed by contributions from additionally 278 women researchers who took part in an online dialogue meeting on 3 October 2024 discussing the importance of women in research LINK. In addition to the launch on 4 November, the manifesto will be discussed in various forums throughout the summit. See the programme highlights of the More Women in Research here

Watch the video where Dr Irene Lugalla, Academic Dean, MS TCDC  explains why we need more women in research.

Read and download the manifesto here. We urge you to share it widely in your network.

Empowering youth to influence SDG implementation
The third key component we are excited about is Empowering Youth to Influence SDG Implementation. In June 2024, Danida Fellowship Centre hosted 21 youth delegates from Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda for a learning programme with the same title. Facilitated by Beyond2030, it aimed to create a global network of young people committed to driving sustainable change, and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and connections necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special focus on civic engagement in implementing these objectives.

These young delegates will now take part in the YouLead Summit 2024 and use their insights to identify platforms that promote “Youth Empowerment for SDG Implementation.”

Watch the two videos (Eunice Oyule – Video 1 and Eunice Oyule – Video 2) where Eunice Oyule, SDG fellow from Kenya explains the significance of youth involvement in this process.

The outcomes of the summit will empower youth to play a vital role in shaping the continent’s curricula and development plans, and in addressing major education concerns. Key topics will include innovative teaching methods, motivation, literacy and professional development for young people. The participants will engage in pressing issues related to socioeconomic development and explore traditional practices, drawing on Pan-African knowledge to find homegrown solutions.

YouLead was initiated back in 2017 and has covered significant topics such as youth empowerment and sustainable development. The summit has continued to receive strong support from its patron, Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and it collaborates with the East African Community, the EU, ActionAid and other organisations.

Danida Fellowship Centre  partnered with MS TCDC in 2022 in the joint Together for Impact initiative, and has added its support to YouLead through this initiative.

 

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