UN Sustainable Development Goals advanced by this project.
The Ford Foundation funded this project, implemented by Restless Development and Youth Opportunity & Transformation in Africa (YOTA), with Youth Power Organization engaged as a Youth Task Team to implement groundwork.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated major economic and social challenges around the world. In Africa, especially for vulnerable youth, the disruption amplified existing inequalities and severely affected livelihoods, education, and participation in informal economic activity. Youth in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda emphasized that lockdown measures interfered with both income and education, while rising costs and reduced mobility deepened hardship.
The project also addressed governance concerns: vaccine access and distribution were major issues, but so too were authoritarian tendencies, mismanagement of COVID-19 funds, and weak transparency and accountability. These conditions made inclusive and sustainable recovery more difficult for youth and other marginalized groups.
Young people under 35 make up roughly 65% of Africa’s population. They have shown a strong appetite for leading recovery efforts, volunteering on essential services and innovating to meet urgent needs. The project therefore amplified a central argument: there should be no recovery efforts on the continent without youth.
YOTA, Restless Development, and YPO worked to escalate youth action for equitable recovery across pilot countries including Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.