Youth at the Center: Funding, Elevating, and Partnering for Systemic Change
Africa’s youth are its greatest asset—and the world’s youngest generation holds the key to unlocking bold solutions to unemployment, inequality, urban transformation, and climate resilience. But despite the energy, innovation, and leadership of young people, youth-led initiatives remain deeply underfunded and underrepresented in decision-making spaces.
This session will bring together a wide range of voices to explore how to elevate youth as core economic, political, and social partners, not just future leaders. We’ll examine how youth-led funding models, digital entrepreneurship, intergenerational collaboration, and systems-level mental health support can catalyze the potential of young people—especially in slums, rural communities, and refugee camps. We’ll also have honest conversations about the youth bulge in Africa, and what it will take to invest in youth at scale, close persistent funding gaps, and dismantle outdated systems that keep youth on the sidelines.
Key Questions:
How can we fund and scale youth-led innovations in a way that moves beyond tokenism and into long-term partnership?
What structures are needed to ensure youth are seen as economic and political contributors, not just beneficiaries?
How do we create meaningful youth engagement in development, education, and governance systems?
What role does the digital economy, creative industries, and entrepreneurship play in building sustainable youth livelihoods?
How can we support youth mental health and wellbeing, especially in low-resource and high-stress environments?
This session is a platform for youth leaders, funders, educators, and policymakers to co-create strategies that center youth agency, innovation, and ownership in building a future that is not just youth-friendly—but youth-led.
Session Co-Leaders:
Christine Burkhart is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Global Fund for Children, fostering relationships to support child and youth development globally.
Edward Kipkalya is Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Officer at ELF-Africa, championing excellence, community building, and visionary youth leadership.
Gloria Anderson is Founder and Executive Director of TEDI, leveraging digital literacy and entrepreneurship to transform education in Tanzania.
Kaene Disepo is Youth Engagement Lead at Botswana’s Office of the President, spearheading national youth inclusion and public policy initiatives.
Serah Mwikali Katusya is Co-Founder and CEO of Muse Money, a transformational leader mentoring young innovators and building inclusive ventures.
Steve Leventhal is CEO of WorldBeing, advancing global mental health solutions for marginalized youth through research and innovation.
Taona Makunganya is a youth advocate and Oxford medical student using storytelling and activism to create global social change.
Vimal Jat is Co-Founder and CEO of Synergy Sansthan, leading large-scale rural youth empowerment efforts across central India.
Jamie Johnson is Executive Director of Boy With a Ball, empowering youth globally through leadership and community transformation programs.
Danielle Manning-Halsey is Head of U.S. Partnerships and Philanthropy at Tostan, driving resource mobilization to support community-led development.
Sobel A. Ngom is a social entrepreneur and youth advocate, incoming CEO of Tostan, and founder of Social Change Factory and the Senegalese Youth Consortium, where he has championed youth-led impact for over 200,000 young people across Africa.
Diana Amabelle Nwakanma is Director of Programmes and Partnerships at LEAP Africa, leading innovative initiatives in leadership, education, and youth empowerment.