Youth & Political Participation | The Youth Cafe

Youth & Political Participation | The Youth Cafe

Youth discontented with politics yet less likely to vie or even vote

BY FRANCK KUWONU

When law enforcement officers rounded up a group of political demonstrators in The Gambia’s capital, Banjul, in December 2016, most of those arrested were young people. They were protesting against The Gambia’s then president Yahya Jammeh’s decision to stay in office after having initially conceded defeat to his electoral opponent, Adama Barrow. Under sustained local and international pressure, he finally relinquished power and went into exile.

Knowledge Economy Appeals To Youth | The Youth Cafe

Knowledge Economy Appeals To Youth | The Youth Cafe

Two years ago Gakawa Secondary School had no internet access. But thanks to an initiative by Mawingu Networks, a solar-powered internet service provider, rural Kenyan youth are going online for the first time, and with amazing results. High school students like Karue, who didn’t know how to use a keyboard, much less a search engine, are now Googling entry requirements for information technology programmes at Nairobi universities.

Young African Women Turn To Coding | The Youth Cafe

Young African Women Turn To Coding | The Youth Cafe

Training more female techies could help close the gender gap in computing

BY FATIMATOU SENE

At Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Angela Koranteng was an accomplished student with a special dream. At a time when few women were breaking the gender barrier in male dominated studies, Ms. Koranteng had her heart set on health sciences—but instead of treating patients, she wanted to be an engineer and build hospitals.

The Hashtag Revolution Gaining Ground | The Youth Cafe

The Hashtag Revolution Gaining Ground | The Youth Cafe

Africa’s millennials are using technology to drive change

BY ELENI MOURDOUKOUTAS

When some 276 teenage girls were kidnapped from their boarding school in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014, Oby Ezekwesili, a civil society activist and former World Bank vice president, was disheartened by the lacklustre response of her government and local television stations.

Isn't It Now Time For NGOs To Engage In The PPP Work Around The Regional Commissions? | The Youth Cafe

Isn't It Now Time For NGOs To Engage In The PPP Work Around The Regional Commissions? | The Youth Cafe

By Felix Dodds

Those hoping to see increased cooperation between the public and private sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were given a boost on Wednesday 7 May to 8 May when the Heads of the UN Regional Commissions decided to share a platform and give their support to new forms of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).