The Youth Café (TYC) is a trailblazer in youth empowerment in Kenya, utilizing Participatory Budgeting (PB) to drive accountability, transparency, and good governance. Through its innovative PB approach, TYC has successfully mobilized over 76,000 young people across 12 counties, empowering them to take part in crucial budgetary decisions. With a staggering $3 million USD allocated through this process, TYC has set a new standard for how public resources can be managed effectively and ethically when young people are at the helm. This initiative not only empowers youth to influence public resource allocation but also transforms them into vigilant custodians of government accountability, ensuring public funds are directed toward community-driven solutions.
The Next Generation | How Might We Include Youth In politics?
What future do young people want and how can they increase their participation in politics? This was the overarching question that formed an esteemed panel of young leaders, including The Youth Cafe’s Executive director, at the recently conducted online conference under the theme of COVID-19 & DEMOCRACY IN EAST AFRICA CONFERENCE from 19-20 November 2020. The Youth Cafe’s overarching goal around youth inclusion in politics is to increase the number of informed youth participating in the upcoming 2022 elections in Kenya, as well as increased participation of marginalized groups like women in the elections.