Help youth attend summit

Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete

The YouLead Summit 2022 has been convened by H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania, who is Patron of YouLead.

Photo credit: File | Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

The YouLead Summit 2022 is here and all roads lead to Arusha. YouLead is Africa’s flagship programme that seeks to unlock youth leadership potential for a prosperous continent by identifying, recognising, connecting and fostering cooperation among Africa’s vibrant and influential young leaders and their initiatives.

The programme has drawn the interest of most youths in the country and they would love to participate. The summit has been convened by H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania, who is Patron of YouLead, H.E. Fatoumata Tambajang, former Vice-President of the Republic of The Gambia, Hon. Dr Peter Mathuki, Secretary-General of the East African Community, Ms Makena Mwobobia, Executive Director, MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation and Ms Angelina Ngalula, board chairperson, East African Business Council. The theme of the summit is ‘Digital access and future of work’. About 150 youths from Kenya have been admitted on self-sponsorship terms.

The summit costs add up to Sh30,000 and raising this amount is a great challenge for the youths. 

They need to be sponsored to participate. The youths have taken their cries for assistance to social media and other platforms. The government and non-governmental organisations should come through for these young minds.

The summit will focus on examining the policy and institutional environment and the state of youth participation in political governance, explore factors that help or hold back youth from becoming leaders, and advance new thinking on what it will take for the youth to offer the leadership for the Africa we want. There will be opportunities to tap into networks that may change their lives.

The YouLead Summit 2022 theme of ‘Digital access and future of work’ is timely, practical, realistic and implementable.

Our youths play a crucial role in the development and should be empowered and supported to participate in such programmes.

Ms Onyango is the founder, Goal Girl and Boy Africa. [email protected].