The vision of a world free from poverty and the need for an empowered youth

Despite a very long history of developmental aid, one can still confidently use mostly the same adjectives to describe much of the African continent. Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are both testament to the radical change necessary if Africans are going to be able to benefit from the tremendous progress society has made and the vast opportunities existing in the world today.

The essential elements for the making of a self-sustaining and thriving Africa have always been there; what’s missing is perhaps as much about inspiring a new mind-set in the Africans as anything else. A new mind-set founded on inspired leadership and empowering young people with the skills and attitudes to champion Africa’s prosperity by providing innovative solutions to existing problems and by exploring the vast entrepreneurial opportunities in the continent.

Africa’s Agenda 2063[1] is the continent’s commitment and road map to eradicate poverty, provide opportunities for all Africans and catalyse education to transform skills acquisition, promote science and drive innovation and transform the face of the continent.
Recently, the United Nations also launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[2] as the world’s comprehensive vision for the next 15 years for a world where poverty and hunger are eradicated, quality health care and education are accessible to all and women the world over are empowered to lead dignified lives and actively participate in transforming their communities.

The Youth Stand for Africa is a direct reflection of these twin visions. We vision a poverty free Africa where everyone is empowered to contribute to the continent’s transformation and prosperity.

Our focal areas are:

• Education; because we believe development and transformation heavily depends on a robust and innovative education system serving the current and future needs of the country it serves.
• Leadership; because we believe that inspiring and empowering young men and women to become capable of identifying and pursuing opportunities for change and transformation
• Entrepreneurship; because we believe self-empowerment and independence is the only sustainable path to a poverty-free Africa

The Vision and Mission:

Vision: A world free from poverty.

Mission: A poverty free Africa; Eradicate poverty and transform society by empowering young people through education, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Our Goals:

1. A poverty-free Africa championed by empowered young men and women able and inspired to solve problems and exploit untapped opportunities in their communities
2. A resilient and independent Africa able to feed itself and lead its own growth and prosperity
3. A globally engaged Africa leading in innovation and tackling global issues

---

[1] https://au.int/en/documents/20141012/key-documents-agenda2063

[2] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/