South Africa – [18 September 2024] – From classrooms to communities, gold-youth has been unlocking the potential of Africa’s young leaders for two decades. Now, it is set to expand its impact and reshape the future of an entire continent.

As gold-youth commemorates its 20th anniversary, it reflects on its transformative journey. Having empowered more than 127,000 young Africans to step into leadership roles, become social innovators, and spearhead entrepreneurial ventures, this pioneering organization is now setting its sights on an even bolder vision for the next decade, expanding its reach and strengthening its mission to catalyze youth-driven change across the continent.

gold-youth is operating at different levels in South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and DRC. With ambitious plans to extend its impact to more African nations by 2032, gold-youth continues to play a pivotal role in equipping Africa’s youth to confront and overcome some of the continent’s most pressing social and economic challenges. As the fastest-growing population segment, African youth represent a powerful yet often underutilized resource. Without the necessary support, however, this demographic could also face significant obstacles. gold-youth is determined to ensure that Africa’s burgeoning youth population is nurtured, empowered, and mobilized to lead sustainable change.

Since inception, gold-youth has tracked and facilitated impressive results:

• 35,000 peer educators have been trained and mentored.
• 90,000 peers have in turn been trained and mentored by peer-educators.

Since 2015 4,500 jobs or micro-businesses have been directly facilitated or connected through the organization’s programs.

Youth Impact Indicators 2018-2023 show: 29% increase in school performance and education commitment; 93% pass rate compared to 73% national average; 43% increase in positive character and purpose-driven interiority; 43% Reduction of age-related youth riskbehaviour; 49% increase in employability; 74% increasein awareness of food system opportunities; 47% increase in leadership and community upliftment.

Through its groundbreaking peer education model, gold-youth empowers young Africans to break free from the cycle of poverty. The organization promotes leadership and facilitates sustainable development across the continent by offering skills, mentorship, and opportunities.

“At gold-youth, we believe that Africa’s future rests in the hands of its youth. Through the gold Model, we transform passive recipients of societal challenges into proactive change-makers, equipped to take control of their futures and to empower their peers to do the same,” says Susannah Farr, founder and CEO of gold-youth. “Our ground-up, community-based approach creates a ripple effect that activates today’s youth to know the gold that is inside of them and to live this out with purpose, equipping them to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

The organization’s approach is both practical and impactful. By embedding peer mentors into schools and communities, gold-youth instils essential skills in leadership, education, and micro-entrepreneurship. This transformative process has been integral in encouraging self-sufficiency and creating pathways toward economic independence for thousands of young Africans. Moreover, the organization’s success in building sustainable ecosystems of youth-led change has been achieved in large part through collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, governments, NGOs, philanthropic entities, and the private sector.

“Our secret sauce lies in our strong partnerships. We have created scalable and sustainable impact through strategic collaborations, ensuring that our programs align with national development goals in the countries we serve,” adds Farr.

These partnerships have allowed gold-youth to expand its footprint and deepen its impact. With eyes firmly set on the future, the organization remains committed to its audacious goal of developing 10 million young African leaders by 2032, transforming them into architects of sustainable, community-led change.

Over the past two decades, gold-youth has not only addressed critical educational gaps but also tackled youth unemployment, fuelled entrepreneurship, and developed a pathway to economic independence for thousands of young Africans. The organization’s track record of success is a testament to its innovative model and relentless dedication to youth empowerment.

“The next 20 years will be even more impactful. We will refine and expand our model to ensure that the most underserved communities across Africa have access to the tools and mentorship necessary for leadership and innovation,” continues Farr. “Our system change vision is for every young African to be empowered to lead the continent’s transformation and make a mark on the global stage.”

As gold-youth has been around for a full generation of pioneering youth-led change, the organization is calling on stakeholders across Africa and the global diaspora to actively join in advancing this vision for generations to come. You can support gold-youth’s scale mission by visiting gold-youth’s website to learn more, volunteer, contribute to ongoing gold Programs, or partner with the organization to unlock the potential of Africa’s youth and drive lasting, sustainable change.

ENDS