Our focus is to seed real, lasting systemic change for young people in Africa. Our approach is guided by rigorous evidence of impact and our values of efficiency, transparency, and respect.
Our budget, beneficiaries and members over the last 3 years
When youth are provided with frameworks that enable them to recognize their positions and roles in the development of Africa, both the current and future generations will benefit. With a global reach in 72 countries, The Youth Café is dedicated to championing and enabling the young people in Africa to start taking active leadership roles in their communities and countries. We are built on the premise that believing in and equipping youth with strong leadership foundations, business and entrepreneurial skills, civic leadership and public management frameworks, is a foundation for the change Africa deserves.
The goal of The Youth Café has always been to improve the cadre of youth leadership in Africa. Achieving this goal is a critical milestone in ensuring enhancement of youth leadership throughout Africa, as laid out in our founding documents and current strategic plans. The impact highlights, give an estimate of the substantial progress made and also indicates the gaps and remaining challenges across the countries we reach. This report reflects the last two years of The Youth Café and reveals on the substantial progress made by the dedicated and resilient team. Empowering young people in Africa and around the world means building something bigger than all of us. It means connecting emerging young leaders, investing in their work, and sharing the solutions they have created.
“The ultimate aspiration is that The Youth Café supports young people across Africa access opportunities through innovation and acts as a heartfelt reminder of the continent’s potential.”
Media features and mentions
“It is very important for young people not to be afraid of
engaging in areas that are not common to the youth. Get
involved in local initiatives, be involved in leadership positions because you can’t learn unless you are involved.
And if you make mistakes that is alright too because we all
make mistakes and we learn from those mistakes. You gain
confidence from learning, failing and rising again.
”
In their own words
Program beneficiary from Tanzania
Attending The Youth Cafe training built respect which I never had before as a victim of teenage pregnancy with little education background of form. Interaction with The Youth Cafe members influenced my determination and built strength which I never had, knowledge and skills on various issues. I gained confidence and I am a more impactful social worker. The workshop, has influenced my personal behavior and how to survive along with others in terms of behavior and attitude.
Youth Coordinator, National Gender and Equality Commission
Our partnership with The Youth Cafe is directly aligned with our commission’s strategy to advance best-practice, innovation and an evidence base to the people who have the most power to scale policy and programs: government.
Young people have been affected by the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with serious consequences for mental health and well-being. The youths in low-income countries are especially vulnerable to economic hardship and disrupted education, and least likely to receive adequate psychosocial care.