Contact: info@theyouthcafe.com
This desk study is majorly based on literature review of publications and evaluations produced around different youth networks together with phone interviews and questionnaires. The study identified 40 networks spatially spread around Africa though online searches and snowballing methods. A full list of all identified networks is attached in the appendix. This study however selected and discussed 12 networks in detail. This selection was based on availability of data and representativeness of the networks.
One of our members in rural farming action!
“The Youth Cafe works with young men and women in Kenya and around Africa to foster community resilience, propose innovative solutions, drive social progress, youth empowerment and inspire political change. Not necessarily an “agricultural youth network”, the youth café, however, has a strong thematic focus on leveraging agriculture to create economic opportunities and thrives to inform youth about challenges in the sector for example climate change. The Youth Café is involved in large scale data generation around different topics and issues affecting youth.
They have a key focus on dissemination of this data in formats that are inclusive, accessible through empowering digital and physical spaces for youth (including marginalized youth and young women) to meaningfully engage with different institutions through supporting and promoting structured mechanisms of engagement and feedback.
The Youth Café has deeply rooted connections and has solid partnerships with governments, international financial organizations, religious organizations, United Nations agencies, civil society groups, corporations, youth and foundations. Their work is financed with the support of donors and they also take donations from well-wishers and sympathizers.”
Why Youth Networks?
According to the latest United Nations estimates of the world’s population, in 2019 the youth accounted for 1.2 billion persons between ages 15 and 24 years and this number is projected to grow by 7 % to 1.3 billion by 2030 (the target date for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals) 1 . Young people are growing in numbers and becoming increasingly aware of the role they play in achieving sustainable development and contributing to a thriving economic and social stature. The growing youth population has an enormous potential as their energy pushes them to innovate and find solutions to the diverse challenges they face. One of the key avenues they use is to come together within networks and create synergies for themselves to achieve different goals. Many young people come together with a common goal to create synergies and pull their limited resources to either influence policy, voice their queries or get connected. Others come together to take advantage of economies of scale with regards to joint production, marketing, jointly procuring land and bulking facilities and to access finance. Some networks have evolved to be able to procure niche products like business development services for their members to enable them to build their agribusinesses.
“A youth network addresses three main needs of youth – to improve their lives, improve the lives of their communities, and to influence other young people elsewhere to take action…youth network can be established to address a specific need that a group of young people have realized in the society. They seek to answer the questions of the government, the community, or their peers through this network. This need may also be an opportunity for them to seize and create jobs for themselves. Whatever it is, it must be a need that requires them to work together”
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Another important reason why networks come together is to share information. Young people are continuously keen to discover and maximize opportunities and information regarding market opportunities, best practices for businesses and sometimes peer-to-peer experiences. A big percentage of these networks solely leverage social media to connect and share information on different aspects. Young people in many regions of Africa lack access to mentors. This is specifically true for youth running entrepreneurial ventures, in this case, youth networks come in to fill that gap. Through interaction with peers in the networks, young people in addition to building a sense of belonging can pick lessons and learn from each other and in the long run build the much-needed non-cognitive skills like resilience to run their commercial enterprise.
“Generally, when people talk about networks, they talk about creating a sense of belonging, building a common identity that inspires alternative action, or pursuing shared interests with people who seem to think and feel the same way.”
About The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development is currently network of 40 bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, and development agencies. Since 2003, the Platform has shared knowledge and advocated the role of agriculture, food systems and rural development in promoting sustainable rural communities, which remains central to achieving global food security and nutrition. Through the Platform, donors and development actors have the opportunity to increase their commitment and investment in the areas of agriculture, rural development, and food security, thereby increasing the quality of life in rural-areas in socio-economic sectors and improving the environment from a natural resource perspective.
About The Rural Thematic Working Group
The Rural Youth Thematic Working Group is the youngest of the working groups within the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development. It was established in 2018 to boost significant youth participation to advise donors, governments and civil society organizations on the most effective strategies to support and empower youth and allow them to productively contribute to and benefit from sustainable rural livelihoods and food value chain system. The convening power of youth networks has made them become entry points for different interventions from donors, governments and other development agencies. This report provides insights from a study carried out to identify different youth networks and youth associations in Africa that focus on or are affiliated to agriculture and rural development. The study aimed to identify youth representation for the Rural Youth Thematic Working Group. This report begins with a brief background and methodology of the study and then discusses the justifications for youth networks. It then uses case studies to give insights into three categories of networks identified based on different characteristics such as their background, thematic working areas, structures, location and governance. It then highlightsthe challenges faced by the networks and finally conclude with recommendations on how development practitioners can continuously engage and facilitate youth networks to amplify their contribution to sustainable food systems development.
Other Resources
In preparation to the Annual General Assembly 2018 “Young and ready to move – empowering the new generation in the rural space”, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development commissioned a compendium “Donor engagement with rural youth”. The publication aims at giving an overview of how donors engage with youth. The compendium is also meant to inspire and support discussion on design and implementation of the ARD interventions that contribute to rural youth empowerment.