The EAC Youth Fellowship is a joint initiative currently under development by the EAC, MS Training Center for Development Cooperation (MS-TCDC), and the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation (JMKF). The EAC Youth Fellowship is co-created by young EAC youth for EAC youth. This fellowship defines the leadership needs and sets the context that is applicable to the EAC region. The fellowship focused on skill’s development and youth inclusion in political governance and in business and innovation. The ultimate goal of the fellowship is to skill EAC youth for leadership and employment readiness skills and create jobs and economic opportunities through enterprise. The fellowship is to further catalyze East Africa Community (EAC) youth ability to meaningfully engage in regional integration of EAC and beyond at the local, national and regional level.
The fellowship gathered young people coming from the EAC member states namely Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.
The Youth Led Action in Climate Change, Digital and Green Transition brought together relevant policy makers, young business leaders and leaders of youth support organizations to address the climate crisis.
YOUTH IN BUSINESS: On one hand equip youth with the knowledge of the AfCFTA and the tools they require to engage in AfCFTA and better their readiness to tap into the opportunities. Youth leaders gained awareness and general understanding of the AfCFTA, how they stand to benefit from it, and how to best prepare themselves for maximum benefit. Youth had the opportunity to network and interact with policy makers and fellow youth leaders.
YOUNG POLITICIANS: On the other hand, young politician were equipped with tools and techniques on how to best work with youth in supporting their empowerment as well as supporting efforts in promoting an enabling environment for youth to influence, participate, and lead climate justice processes in their respective countries. Youth business leaders discussed about the key youth-related issues to be considered in the addressing of the climate crisis. The main objectives are to:
- Climate evidence and knowledge gap – capacity of African scientists and experts to generate knowledge and effectively engage in climate assessments, including IPCC.
- Climate diplomacy technical gaps – among African climate negotiators/diplomats.
- Climate policy and practice gaps – in formulation and implementation of evidence-based policies and strategies at regional, national and subnational levels.
- Climate science-policy-practice-coordination gaps – ability of African governments to bring together the collective sum of expertise to inform policy at all levels.