Building on Success: The Afrika Youth Caravan to COP 28
Following the groundbreaking success of the inaugural Afrika Youth Caravan to COP 27, and in response to the growing need to continue this vital mobilization effort, KEAN International and its partners embarked on delivering a unique edition of the project.
Dubbed “We Are Here: Afrikan Youth Bringing Solutions to the Table,” the Afrika Youth Caravan to COP 28 sought out, spotlighted, and amplified powerful stories of youth-led solutions across the region. This edition focused on showcasing young leaders delivering impactful on-the-ground projects in areas such as adaptation and mitigation, food systems, technology, energy, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem restoration.
The goal was clear: to demonstrate that Afrikan youth are not just a statistic to be counted, but real leaders driving tangible action and innovative solutions in their communities. By highlighting their creative and transformative approaches, the caravan aimed to contribute to the global search for local solutions to the interconnected climate and nature crises.
Through this initiative, we identified scalable, youth-led solutions across Afrika and built compelling narratives to present at COP 28. These stories not only celebrated the ingenuity and resilience of Afrikan youth but also provided world leaders with actionable insights to address global challenges.
The Afrika Youth Caravan to COP 28 was a testament to the power of youth leadership and the transformative potential of grassroots solutions in shaping a sustainable future for Afrika and the world.
The Afrika Youth Caravan to COP28 provided a unique opportunity to harness the power of grassroots and local action led by Afrikan youth. This initiative came to life through the compelling art of storytelling, spotlighting youth-led solutions at the community level and shaping a powerful Afrikan youth narrative around climate policies, food systems, restoration, and livelihoods.
By showcasing five innovative stories from across the continent, the caravan created a platform that connected these young leaders to potential investors, networks, and opportunities. These innovators were granted full attendance and participation at COP28, where they had the chance to share their stories, solutions, and expertise through panel discussions, media interviews, and peer interactions.
Beyond their participation at COP28, the initiative aimed to open doors for these young leaders to access micro-grants, enabling them to scale their projects, expand their impact, and transform even more lives at the community level.
The Afrika Youth Caravan to COP28 not only amplified the voices of Afrikan youth but also demonstrated their critical role as drivers of innovative and sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
While people often made choices based on emotions and later justified them with logic, stories played a powerful role in shaping those emotions and inspiring action. The success of the caravan hinged on how we crafted and delivered its messaging, ensuring it resonated deeply and motivated meaningful engagement.
Why the Caravan?
The Afrika Youth Caravan was designed to center Afrikan youth in the global climate conversation. It aimed to:
Amplify Youth Leadership: Showcase the actions of young leaders and highlight their innovative solutions.
Shape the Narrative: Formulate an authentic Afrikan youth perspective on climate and energy policies, restoration, and food systems.
Deliver Impact: Profile, support, and scale youth-led solutions across Afrika, ensuring they drove real change in communities.
Empower Innovators: Provide micro-grants to Afrikan youth-led initiatives, enabling them to expand their impact.
Leverage Media: Utilize media networks to amplify key messages and elevate the voices of Afrikan youth.
Foster Collaboration: Partner with other youth networks to advocate for youth-led actions and ensure their inclusion in shaping solutions.
The caravan created a platform for connection, collaboration, and action, uniting youth, partners, and stakeholders in the fight against climate change.
Connect with Us
For opportunities, partnerships, media inquiries, or more information, we invited everyone to reach out to us at afrikayouthcaravan@gmail.com.