By La'eeqa Martin | AMAP Program Lead
Africa Matters Ambassadors Program GlobalGiving August 2024 Report
African youth development and innovation were at the forefront of many advocacy talking points and dialogues following the commemoration of key youth-centred calendar dates this past quarter. With the AU Day of the African Child 2024 theme of “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now” observed in June, and the UN World Youth Skills Day 2024 theme of “Youth Skills for Peace and Development” celebrated in July, we sense the tone of urgency used to emphasise education and skills development as tools of resolution and transformation.
The Africa Matters Ambassadors Program (AMAP) has heeded this call for change through our educational framework, crafting capacity building around principles of knowledge transfer and community engagement. Our participants are provided with resources and learning opportunities that not only enhance their expertise in key development areas, but position knowledge as a key for addressing socio-economic inequalities within communities.
The second AMAP GlobalGiving report of 2024 showcases the latest program updates and developments, and what to look forward to in future as we further our mission to upskill and empower African youth across the continent.
AMAP Updates (April - August 2024)
The Africa Matters Ambassadors Program (AMAP) celebrated the successful conclusion of our fourth cohort in May 2024 with a reflective and inspiring graduation ceremony. The session was marked with great reflections from our CEO, Reanne Olivier on the path travelled together, followed by a keynote speech by Mary Wangari Muthoni, a 2023 AMAP graduate from Kenya, calling on her fellow Ambassadors to continue pushing for innovative solutions to address socio-economic issues within African communities. We were also very honoured to invite Musa Kondeh, a 2022 AMAP Alumni member to share a word of encouragement on what the leadership journey for an Ambassador can look like after the program.
We successfully graduated 13 AMAP Ambassadors, who have undergone capacity development training in leadership, advocacy, social entrepreneurship and project management, and completed Community Engagement Projects (CEPs) that have directly impacted over 1000 beneficiaries across 8 African countries. With impact made in sectors such as environmental sustainability, civic engagement, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and more, we are thrilled that participants have gone from strength to strength, persevering through challenges and becoming pioneers of change in their communities.
Our current cohort of Ambassadors are hard at work showcasing their immense passion for and dedication to knowledge transfer, community engagement and serving as leaders within their respective communities. To date, we have had participant numbers drop from 20 to 19 Ambassadors but with a strong and engaged cohort still in place over 6 months since program commencement, we are pleased to have representatives from all initial countries (Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia).
Our capacity development component has been running smoothly without any major hurdles to curriculum development and output. To date, we have explored topics such as personal and soft skills development, social entrepreneurship, African identities and leadership, project sustainability and project management components (fundraising, monitoring & evaluation, etc). We have also successfully implemented new Community Engagement Project (CEP) workshops which, alongside core modules, help to expand knowledge, understanding and techniques for project development and implementation from Alumni members and experts within the AMI community.
Our latest workshop focused on the strength and power of storytelling in project development was held on Saturday, 24 August 2024 and facilitated by the wonderful Hammed Kayode Alabi, a social entrepreneur and storyteller, as well as the founder of and CEO of Skill2Rural Bootcamp and Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative. Participants were enthralled by the content shared and were able to better conceptualise how to successfully tailor their personal stories and that of their projects to different audiences.
The AMI Mentorship Program provides Ambassadors with mentors, dynamic industry professionals, who can aid their professional and personal development.
Due to unforeseen circumstances related to capacity and resources within the portfolio, the Africa Matters Mentorship Program has had to be cancelled for the 2024-25 cohort.
Recognising mentors' key role in providing Ambassadors with access to resources, networks and learning opportunities, we are committed to still ensuring that Ambassadors receive these benefits through Alumni member relationships and coaching experiences (see ‘Community Engagement Projects’ section below).
Ambassadors have been busy crafting concept notes and relevant frameworks for their Community Engagement Projects, from seeking beneficial partnerships to support implementing their activities to incorporating tools and techniques shared during workshops and modules to enhance the structure and sustainability of their projects.
Our 2024-25 cohort present a variety of innovative and inspirational project ideas, including (but not limited to):
With other projects looking at key development areas such as climate-smart agriculture, learner retention rates in schools, mentorship and support for at-risk youth and more, any support in helping participants achieve their project goals and aspirations is welcomed. In addition to connecting participants with Alumni members who have undergone this project development process before and talented professionals well-versed in the field of youth development and community engagement, we are looking to expand the support system for participants to all interested parties.
If you are interested in serving as a coach to help provide insight and guidance in community engagement and project development, please contact the AMAP team at amap@africamattersinitiative.com or reach out to our administrative team at info@africamattersinitiative.com using the subject line “Expression of Interest: AMI Flagship CEP Coach”.
Additional Updates
We have amazing AMI merchandise in stock that will allow you to rock the message that ‘Africa Matters’ wherever you go. To purchase our products, from t-shirts, to tote bags and cute buttons, visit our website here. Note that 50% of proceeds from merchandise sales go towards the upkeep of flagship programs, directly impacting AMAP Ambassadors and their ongoing participation within the program.
Closing Remarks
The Africa Matters Ambassadors Program would like to thank all key players who have championed African youth development and innovation alongside us and call upon everyone to continue the push for accessible, equitable education and youth representation in all sectors. African youth are the figures of transformation for the continent’s current and future development and our Ambassadors continue to showcase this tenacity and resiliency throughout the program cycle.
Remember to contribute to the prosperity of African youth by donating to our program via GlobalGiving or contacting us for potential partnership and sponsorship opportunities. Your support will assist us in:
As the Africa Matters team, we extend our thanks and gratitude to GlobalGiving for continuously supporting our work to empower African youth and provide networks of action and transformation across African communities.
If you have any questions or suggestions or would like to connect with us, please feel free to contact us at amap@africamattersinitiative.com
And, as always, We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!
Yours in African youth development,
The Africa Matters Ambassadors Program Team
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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