#GivingTuesday: Young Africa proud of impact that lasts a lifetime

While the festive season approaches and we look forward to spending time with friends and family, on this Giving Tuesday we bring you a gift idea that can make a lasting impact on the lives of many - supporting Young Africa's efforts under their slogan, You(th) Got The Power. Join Young Africa's efforts, invest in the potential of youth and make an impact that will last a lifetime.

Young Africa (YA) believes in the transformative power of young people and the vast potential of Africa. They invest in youth through skills training for employability and entrepreneurship. YA does this from their nine training centres in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and with support from their founding office in Amsterdam.

The vision of YA is a world of equality and shared wealth where the power of young people is channelled to transform the world around them. Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with half of its 1.3 billion population below the age of 25 years, according to a 2021 report from Afrobarometer. This generation has unlimited potential if it is nurtured today. The mission of Young Africa is to enable this generation, and teach students skills of the hands to make them self-reliant, skills of the heart and mind to live with dignity and responsibility, and skills of the soul to live with purpose.

One of the ways that Young Africa empowers the youth of Africa is through formal Technical, Vocational and Education Training (TVET), for which YA has been recognised as a 'Promising Practice in TVET' by UNESCO-UNEVOC. With this expertise, YA aims to train half a million youths by 2025. To date, Young Africa has empowered over 220,000 young people in Sub-Saharan Africa. One of those young people is Sara Jacussemba Francisco.

Sara is a young woman from Beira, Mozambique, living with her mother and grandmother. She and her grandmother take turns caring for Sara's mother, who has a mental disorder, while also trying to make an income to cover her mother's medical needs. Having the responsibility of providing an income for her family affected Sara's schooling and resulted in a delay in Sara completing her secondary school education. She did not think she would continue her studies after secondary school. This was until Sara received a scholarship to study at the Young Africa Agri-Tech in Dondo, where she undertook a 12-month vocational training course in Agriculture. Sara graduated in December 2017 and started to produce vegetables. She then became an agrarian extensionist and can now support her mother and grandmother with monthly expenses and medical care. Sara hopes to one day further her education to become an Agricultural Engineer.

Young Africa is proud that in 2021 it contributed more than ever to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, Gender Equality, as 57% of its vocational training students were female, outdoing their yearly target of 50%.

As the dust settles on COP 27 in Egypt, Climate Action is on the minds of Young Africa now and always. In playing their part in working towards achieving SDG 13 Climate Action, YA emphasises the importance of Green TVET.

According to UNESCO and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Economic Growth can be achieved when the world of work transitions effectively towards green and sustainable practices. Greening TVET describes the efforts of fostering the culture of sustainable practices in TVET and facilitates the transition to climate-resilient societies, greater resource efficiency, and circular economy. While the demand for greener TVET and the desire for a more environmentally conscious world grows, many countries' TVET systems struggle to cater to these needs. YA, however, has been accommodating this shift already. Meet Emmanuel.

https://www.facebook.com/youngafrica.int/photos/a.117756626741/10160545062891742/

Emmanuel Chumpheo is 25 years old and from Mount Darwin in Zimbabwe. With absent parents and his grandmother unable to take care of him and his two brothers, he ended up in an orphanage at 11. It was here that Emmanuel would learn about Young Africa and ultimately receive a scholarship. "I heard about the Young Africa vocational training centre in Chitungwiza and was thrilled to go. My mentor advised me to choose solar tech." Due to the electricity crisis in Zimbabwe, skills in solar tech were an advantage", he explains. Emmanuel completed his course in six months and then went for an internship at a big company where he installed solar systems. After he had graduated, Emmanuel started his own company specialising in solar technology. He is now installing sustainable power for many people in the country.

Supporting Young Africa means transforming the lives of young people in Southern Africa, investing in our future, and working towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action.

When you support Young Africa, you are also supporting the Young Africa mobile training programme, which is in line with the SDG global pledge of 'Leave no one behind'. 19 pop-up centres and mobile units provide skills training to underserved communities in conflict zones, border towns and rural areas in Africa, 67% of Young Africa mobile training graduates find employment or start a business within the following 3 months after training. That creates impact.

Keep the Global Goals in mind this Giving Tuesday. You(th) Got The Power. Join Young Africa's efforts, invest in the potential of youth and make an impact that will last a lifetime.