YDoS is a youth-focused leadership development organization committed to raising leaders that will transform Africa; through interventions for young people, that bridge the gap in leadership, education, employability, and entrepreneurship.
YDoS is a one-month, annual Pan-African, youth-led social impact campaign which coincides with the celebration of the UN International Youth Day in August. It is a platform to harness African youths' energy, creativity, and innovation by encouraging them to volunteer their time, skills, and resources to deliver a sustainable future for Africa.
Since the programme's inception in 2020, the Youth Day of Service has recorded participation in 24 African countries and engaged over 6000 volunteers on about 400 regional SDG Action projects. This year, the Youth Day of Service aims to connect 7,000 volunteers across Africa to local SDG action projects.
At LEAP Africa, we believe that by resourcing young people with the tools and resources they need to make a positive impact on their communities, they are empowered to become active agents of change and support accelerated progress towards the SDGs
Today, young people aged 15 to 24 account for 16% of the global population. Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with 70% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. This shows the continent teeming with creative, vibrant, and energetic youth.
By 2030, the target date for the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the number of youths globally is projected to have grown by 7%. Of this 7%, it is projected that Sub-Saharan Africa will have more than double the youth population of China.
The combination of century-old problems and unprecedented challenges youth face in Africa today calls for quick interventions by different institutions to save the future. Our young people have the potential to influence and impact their communities and nations positively.
According to the United Nations, if the youths are provided with the necessary skills and opportunities to reach their potential, they can be a driving force for supporting development.
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly showed that Africa lags behind the rest of the world in implementing the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and one of the ways to accelerate the actualisation of the Global goals is to engage the energy and creativity of African youth.
Through volunteerism and social activism, young Africans can play a critical role in actualising the SDGs. Volunteerism, indeed, is an essential vehicle for sustainable development.
Through volunteering, youths are contributing daily to the growth of their communities. From advocating for justice and equality to tree planting, young people have proven their centrality in building and sustaining healthy and inclusive communities.
It is impossible to attain the SDGs without volunteerism, and data shows that African youths increasingly take an active role in volunteering for transformative change.
Educate Africa’s youth on the importance of volunteerism and community service from the standpoint of the SDGs through capacity-building opportunities and social campaigns
Motivate Africa’s youth to take on active roles in the implementation of the SDGs on the continent by showcasing existing youth-led initiatives that are solving problems through the lens of the SDGs
Inspire action in Africa’s Youth by empowering them through the provision of seed funds to implement SDG action projects in their communities
Establish a Pan-African youth ecosystem to promote resource sharing, co-creation, and multisectoral collaboration in solving global challenges using methods that are localised across the continent
The Youth Day of Service aims to promote and encourage a culture of volunteerism and community service among African youths towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
To inspire, empower and equip a new cadre of African leaders by providing skills and tools for personal, organizational, and community.
To be recognized as the premier resources center for developing dynamic, innovative, and principled leaders, who will drive Africa's realization of its full potential.
The Youth Day of Service 2023 would unite youths from across Africa for community development through active capacity building and ecosystem resourcing in collaboration with varied high-level stakeholders from relevant industries across Africa.
To inspire, empower and equip a new cadre of African leaders by providing skills and tools for personal, organizational, and community.
To be recognized as the premier resources center for developing dynamic, innovative, and principled leaders, who will drive Africa's realization of its full potential.
The Youth Day of Service aims to promote and encourage a culture of volunteerism and community service among African youths towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
