In May of 2015, young ambassadors of the YMCA met in Senegal from 16 different African countries for their regional training as part of a two years international training program. Here is the report of this engagement.

1. f r o m s u b j e ct
Youth
Summit
Youth Advocacy Summit
24 May to 1 June 2015
A F R I C A A L L I A N C E
YMCAYMCA

2. Ask not what
others can
do for you,
but what
you can do
for others.
Each one of us, with over two
years of leadership experience
in our various movements at
local and national level, set
off on a new journey with the
hopes and dreams of being
even more impactful in the
work that we do.
It is our collective dream to
become actors in building the
socio-economicdevelopmentof
our various countries, ultimately
occupying key positions in
government and international
organisations. We considered
this first milestone of Senegal
training as fundamental in
developing ourselves and in
developing our continent and
the world at large.
None of us could truly imagine
what this journey had in store
for us, yet we knew that once
we started our endeavour,
there would be no turning
back. We would be moulded
into even greater leaders
for the future of the YMCA
movement, as well as the
future of a world we see…
yet to come.
The navigational team
comprised seasoned sailors,
7 graduated ambassadors
from the first and second
waves, who have also served
as African YMCA Change
Agents, flying the flag high at
international level. Their role
was to give testimony each
morning to
motivate
and inspire
us and
warn us
of stormy
seas and
how to
navigate
them, as
well as to
conductaspectsofthetraining
sessions, based on both their
own skills development in
specific areas as well as how
they managed to implement
learnings from trainings, thus
alerting us to avoid landing up
in the doldrums.
To guide us all, at the helm we
had the Executive Secretary
in charge of S2C youth
leadership, and the Advocacy
Officer, as well as the Youth
Representative of the Africa
Alliance. We felt secure that
our experience would be even
keel with our navigational
team, and those at the helm.
Their role was to ensure
that we became equipped
sailors in life as we left our
comfort zones of dry land
and embraced the wide
ocean of new knowledge and
experiences.
This is our S2C journey, and
this report will give you a
glimpse of the journey on
which we have set sail.
MEET THE
CREWAhoy there! Meet the crew… The current wave of S2C Ambassadors
represents the dynamism that exists in the various National Movements
of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs. Drawn from 15 National Movements,
26 Ambassadors and 4 Senegalese observers were taken through 9
days of intensive training and grooming in Dakar, Senegal, to equip
and prepare us for our Subject to Citizen (S2C) ambassadorial journey.
Background to
the report
The Africa Alliance of
YMCAs (AAYMCA) is the
largest pan-African youth
network, bringing together
YMCAs in 20 African
countries by empowering
Young People for the African
Renaissance. We espouse
the S2C change philosophy
by providing youth with
Voice, Space and Ability to
influence for positive change,
enabling them to transform
themselves, others and their
communities.
To this end, the AAYMCA
organised a Youth Advocacy
Summit (24 May to 1 June
2015) in conjunction with
the 10th Ordinary General
Meeting (2-6 June) in Dakar,
Senegal. As youth leaders
from the African YMCA
National Movements,
we are enrolled as S2C
Ambassadors in a youth
leadership empowerment
programme for a period
of two years. During this
time, we are to develop
confidence and skills to
influence issues of local to
continental importance and
engage in advocacy to bring
about transformation.
A journey of a
thousand miles
begins with a step.
2 3

3. African
realities…
how we
startedAll aboard!”…comes a booming voice travelling over all the hustle and
bustle on the S2c maiden voyage, but we are not too sure that everyone
quite hears yet. The excitement is evident, as the new Ambassador
crew wait to hear what the S2C voyage has in store for them on day
one of the training.
We are told that we are journeying metaphorically and physically to
The Point of No Return, and although we are sure that it will be an
adventure beyond our imagination, we soon realised that the journey
ahead would consist of hard work in order for us to keep afloat and
reach our destination.
To see the
change you
want, be the
change you
seek.
4 5

4. Today we stand
At A Point of No Return.
Through struggle and adversity,
We envision a better future…
An African Renaissance!

5. With all hands on deck we set sail towards the African
Renaissance Monument and then literally got aboard a boat
for Goree Island.
The African Renaissance Monument (French: Le Monument
de la Renaissance Africaine) is a 49 metre tall bronze statue
located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines
des Mamelles, outside of Dakar, Senegal. Built overlooking
the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb, the statue was
designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after
an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade and built by
Mansudae Overseas Projects, a company from North Korea.
Site preparation on top of the 100-metre high hill began in
2006, and construction of the bronze statue began 3 April 2008.
Originally scheduled for completion in December 2009, delays
stretched into early 2010, and the formal dedication occurred
on 4 April 2010, Senegal’s “National Day”, commemorating the
50th anniversary of the country’s independence from France. It
is the tallest statue in Africa.
We heard the story of our struggle as Africans and the need for
African pride and belief in an Africa that is driving closer and closer
to the African Renaissance. The statue itself is inspirational: the
woman points behind to relate our struggle to our rather sad
and unforgettable past, the man holds the wife and his son to
depict the pivotal role we play in our struggle for true freedom
and justice, and the child seated on the shoulders of his father
points across the Atlantic Ocean to the future of the Renaissance,
telling of how young people will lead the future struggle in putting
Africa where it rightfully should be: a sustainable continent of
empowered people concerned with social justice, and a continent
that plays a key role in the global arena.
We voyage on to Goree Island, where we are reminded of a
past where men were “beastly” about their own kind.
The slave house dates back to 1776, and was the last slave
station built by the Dutch (earliest ones date back to 1536
by the Portuguese). It was one of several built in the same
format: two stories, as were all other buildings on the island.
The staircase with two wings built with full-cement railing
was a symbol in that it gave access to the quarters of the
masters upstairs, isolating them from the hell-like life endured
downstairs by the slaves.
You can see the central corridor downstairs which leads out
to the sea: death or a voyage of no return. We could now,
as Ambassadors, have a clearer understanding of what the
Captain meant about reflecting on our past and where the
Point of No Return finds its roots: the master’s floor above with
its high ceilings, and the slaves rooms below with low ceilings,
surrounded by galleries in which were guards, ready to shoot.
Around the Slaves Quarters
At any point in time, this single building housed about 150-
200 slaves (men, women and children) kept in different cells.
Some of the rooms had as many as 60 men in them, with their
backs to the wall and with shackles on their necks and arms.
They were freed only once a day to enable them to relieve
themselves, otherwise their room was their toilet!
Since families were separated, it was common to find one
whole family – father, mother and child – torn apart and all
separated.
Mullatos
It was not unusual for the slave traders to rape the women,
and when they were unable to forcibly abort the pregnancies,
the mullato children born were sent off to be free on the island
or sent to St Louis in the north of Senegal.
The Prisons
For those prisoners ‘stubborn’ enough to defy their masters,
or reluctant to accept their plight, there were even smaller
dungeons that could barely fit a small child. Some of them
would be locked naked in these rooms, filled with salty water
from the sea, for days on end!
The Weighing Rooms
For a man, his price depended on his weight (60kg was the
target weight), and his muscle strength. If a man was not
up to that weight, they were placed in specific rooms where
they were fed until they reached that weight and then were
auctioned like cattle in front of the European buyer leaning over
the top balcony, to evaluate the strength of each slave. The
value of children depended on their tooth growth and that of a
woman on the firmness of her breasts.
The Door of No Return
Once the prices were agreed on, the slaves were moved to
the waiting rooms to await the ships. Looking out onto the sea
was a doorway leading out to a palm-wood docking wharf. This
door was referred to as the ‘Door of No Return’. Here, as a last
resort, some of the slaves would attempt the impossible task
of escaping.
However, they were either gunned down by guards (who were
freed slaves!) or devoured by roaming sharks (who had been
attracted to the shores previously as sick or dead slaves were
usually just thrown out to sea). Either way, once they passed
through that door, there was no chance of turning back to the
life they once knew.
From this point, their departure to the Americas depended on
the buyers; the father would end up in the USA, the mother
in Brazil/Cuba, while the child would be sent to Haiti or the
West Indies. They would leave without their actual names but
rather with registration numbers and would take on the names
of their masters once they arrived in the plantations.
Our reflections
This trip to the Monument and the Point of No Return on Goree
Island was aimed at us understanding African Realities. We
were emotionally, mentally and spiritually affected, some of us
deeply reflective about our past and the mantle of leadership
that we were now carrying to bring about change in our beloved
continent.
The outing gave us incredible motivation to stand up for
human rights around the world. The island is a reminder of
what happens when those rights aren’t protected. We as S2C
Ambassadors have a duty to fulfil to our continent that we
advocate for human rights, social injustice and democracy. We
have a duty to leave a legacy that is credible and transparent,
through our responsible Christian identity, and to effect honest,
sustainable, positive change for innovation which celebrates
diversity and inclusion of all.
No amount of ‘classroom-type’ learning could have made this
huge impact on us and motivated us in such a way. Experiential
learning is indeed a crucial element of the S2C journey.
Horror is human, Error too.
Only those who have dwelt
between these walls have
cherished the price of liberty.
The most obnoxious effect of
slavery
Is perhaps the myth of superiority
Or the inferiority linked to the
colour of one’s skin.
How eloquent they are, these
mute witnesses of our history.
In these momentous times,
Undoubtedly the most tragic,
the most ferocious.
Each drop of tears
From their broken heart
An ocean of blood
Springing out of this steel
fortress.
May the sufferings of this
historical island and this slave
house
Be the fertile heaven of a
blissful and fraternal morrow.
6 7

6. The life-
changing
trip of a
lifetime
Morning
devotions
& breakfast
shows
Testimony
On our return from our outing, we were thrown into the deep end, with waves of input, tasks,
practicals and many, many sleepless nights. Some of us floundered a bit, gulping mouthfuls of
water as we learnt to swim in the wonderful world of S2C. We learnt the best way possible, by
looking into ourselves and applying every single thing that was taught to us. It was difficult, but it
was worth it as, looking back, we had an incredible journey of growth and immense fun learning.
We covered a vast amount of materials, which included the different stages of learning, our
African realities, what S2C was all about, root cause analysis, Agenda 2063, YMCA: Vehicle for
transformation, mobilisation through S2C, communicating for influence, and advocacy.
After the fundamentals, the content was mainly focused on communicating for influence and
advocacy. These topics where covered in depth and we were expected to use our own context
to see how we would adequately be able to implement what we had learned in our own lives,
communities as well as how we would transfer it to others.
In this report we share the following from our training:
• Morning devotions and breakfast shows
• Graduated Ambassador testimony
• Our transformational history
• About S2C
• Communicating for Influence
• Advocacy
• Meeting with the National General Secretaries
• OGM experience
Each zone was allocated
specific days and their
responsibility was to ensure
that someone read from
the Bible while someone
else preached. We quickly
established a choir for the
devotions, and this group
also anchored the OGM
worship sessions, which was
a great honour for us.
Devotions were followed
by The Breakfast Show, led
by the media team. This
was a genius way to recap
the learnings from the day
before as we were able to do
so in a fun and creative way,
highlighting our responses
to the training as well as our
way of communicating our
responses through inputs,
interviews and multi-media.
One of the challenges
identified in 2010 during
the 17th World Council
of YMCAs was that the
YMCA did not have shared
messaging; therefore we
could not achieve greater
visibility and impact as a
global movement. The
AAYMCA, through S2C,
acknowledged this as a
problem, and every day
during our Summit, the
facilitators set aside 30
minutes for testimony from
the navigational crew, the
graduated Ambassadors. We
eagerly looked forward to
this segment every day
It was clear to us that in their
own journey, each of the
graduated Ambassadors who
had travelled these waters
before us, made certain
choices. As they shared
with us their courses taken,
we were aware that many
other routes in their voyage
were available to them. They
explained their decisions,
their work, their challenges
and successes. They
shared theory and practical
information with us. We
learnt how they had used
different leadership styles to
ensure that S2C was vibrant
in their local and national
YMCAs. We recognised
their leadership growth and
how they have transformed
others. We were inspired
by their testimonies to not
only follow in their footsteps,
but to also test the waters
in areas they had identified
as challenges or areas we
would like to travel.
Every morning, the sessions started with devotions that were led by the
three zones in turns. These were the Western, Eastern and Southern zones.
8 9

7. Our
transforma-
tional history
Partofourtrainingwastodelveintoourhistorytoensureweremainrooted
in our past so as to appreciate the journey of transformation through the
ages, while we deal with present issues according to our YMCA ethos
and gear up for the future, by imagining, planning and implementing
interventions that truly meet the needs of the young people.
We realised that by going
back to the history of YMCA
and how it all started, we
could see that the vision of
George Williams in 1844
was to involve people. He
saw a problem to be solved
amongst young men and
knew it was impossible to do
so alone, therefore he shared
his dream of empowering
the youth, with his friends,
and together they founded
the Young Men Christian
Association (YMCA). This
was the transformation
house for all young men
facing difficulties in terms
of economics (poverty and
unemployment), health and
spirituality at that time.
We studied key aspects of
our history and even had
the opportunity to creatively
dramatise our interpretation
of them. What was clear
to us was that through the
ages, as time has passed,
the YMCA has adapted to
the needs of the time - the
YMCA opened up their doors
to women, various religions
etc., yet never lost the ethos
of being a Christian-based
movement for young people.
We even learnt that the
YMCA founded Father’s
Day and we all took part
in the #PapaTaughtMe
campaign, the first-ever in
the YMCA movement that
was spearheaded by the
AAYMCA, this year.
PAPA
taught
10 11

8. About S2COur current transformation philosophy and change model is S2C which is focused on creating space
to inspire and influence young people to enable us to make impact in our communities and continent
at large. This we understood in line with the Africa Renaissance vision.
S2C was in essence our rudder, steering our learnings and our
personal transformation during the Summit. After a few days,
we began to burn with desire to influence and make change
in our communities, our countries, our continental and indeed
the world.
We realised that as S2C Ambassadors, we are needed:
• As leaders in the African YMCA movement;
• As leaders in our communities to affect change, and
influence for change;
• To represent national movements and the AAYMCA in
African and global forums, especially to promote S2C, and
thus represent African youth leadership; and
• To carry out specific awareness-raising and promotion
of S2C with stakeholder constituencies from youth to
government, through face-to-face and social media
engagement.
Drawing it all together from our learnings and experience at
the Youth Summit, our roles and responsibilities mean we are
expected to:
• Ensure our learnings are applied in our leadership position
at National Movement level;
• Raise awareness on S2C in your National Movement,
especially in terms of recruiting new members and
retaining current and new members by ensuring their
involvement in S2C-related initiatives and activities;
• Conduct S2C orientations as needed;
• Conduct S2C training sessions as needed;
• Engage in two advocacy campaigns during our S2C
Ambassadorship;
• Represent our National Movement at local and national
level through participating in awareness-raising,
networking and stakeholder events;
• Enter into contract with a mentor and engage in the
African YMCA reverse mentoring model which ensures
sharing of learnings, knowledge and skills in a fluid and
transformational manner between mentor and mentee;
• Write one article a month to publicise and market S2C-
related information via the African YMCA website and our
own channels in our National Movements;
• Complete quarterly reports and tasks timeously; and
• Be prepared to represent the African YMCA movement
should the need arise.
As S2C Ambassadors, we play the dual role of concurrently
being African YMCA Change Agents to ensure the Africa
Renaissance agenda is in global forums and that Africans
play a central role in global youth decisions. To this end, we
engaged in sessions around our role and the expectations
of us as Change Agents. Of utmost importance, we learnt
about the global YMCA youth empowerment model (which
we also found out was inspired by the African YMCA model)
which focuses on Space, Transformation and Impact.
Space involves the YMCA being an empowering, creative
and self-determined space for young people to experience
life, discover their potential and develop their talents.
Transformation is about the YMCA empowering young people
by offering tools for self-development, training for life skills,
education for increased knowledge and self-esteem, which
leads to Impact, where young people will have impact on
their own life situation, their local society as well as the global
world, individually as well as collectively. At this stage, the
incredible honour and blessing, as well as the responsibility
of being selected as S2C Ambassadors struck us, due to our
role as African Change Agents in the worldwide movement.
12 13

9. f r o m s u b j e ct
AMBASSADOR’S
CREED
Communicating
for Influence
As S2C Ambassadors, our journey involves us developing confidence and skills to
influence issues of local to continental importance and engage in advocacy to bring
about transformation.
We quickly realised that the vast majority of the business of
being an S2C ambassador would revolve around activities that
will engage communication. Communicating for Influence
is a technique used for effective communication to elicit the
desired impact; this technique was a major feature of the
training experienced by us.
This involved how to reach the desired audience, audience
assessment, dressing for the occasion, body language, clear
messaging, presentations, delivering a 30 second pitch for
creating good first impressions and as an entry point into
more meaningful communication, writing news articles and
profiles, and social media engagement.
Everything we learnt had a practical assignment attached
to it, so as well as doing presentations, we created news
and profile products for use on the AAYMCA website and
through the webalert. Then we took part in the Father’s Day
#PapaTaughtMe campaign. We took photos of ourselves,
each attributing an aspect of our growth and development
to our father or father figure. These were used as part of the
campaign messaging on social media platforms. Some of
us even took this further on our return and held awareness-
raising functions in our YMCAs, using the skills we had learnt
in the Communicating for Influence sessions.
We feel confident now going forward that we have both
confidence and a skills-set that will enable us to chart new
territories in our Ambassador journey.
14 15

10. Advocacy
Meeting with
our National
General
Secretaries
An important aspect of our training was to carry out an advocacy campaign.
We had a session with the various NGSs that were present. This was both an OGM preparation
session and one on our role in the National Movements. We discussed how we could work
together in taking our National Movements to the next level using S2C and had input from
them on what they expected from us. We had the opportunity to speak openly about some of
the constraints we are and will be facing. They responded by promising us their support and
cooperation
The advocacy sessions were quite involved, with intense
practical exercises ranging from individual advocacy plans
to a group advocacy plan. The crew were taken through the
basic tenets of an advocacy strategy; approach, formulation,
execution and implementation.
The sessions employed the use of modern teaching strategies
such as Prezi, problem tree, the 5 WHYs (dubbed the 5
‘pourquois’ in our collective attempt to learn some French in
Senegal), the results chain model, and stakeholder analysis,
among a host of other techniques to impact the learning and
experience of how to undertake an advocacy campaign.
We were then tasked with developing an advocacy project
that we pitched to our individual National General Secretaries
for approval and adoption while we were still in Senegal.
We even used some of the skills which we learnt in the
Communicating for Influence sessions, to approach our
leaders and to pitch our campaign ideas. This whole exercise
was very exciting for us as we were able to get immediate
feedback which helped us to finalise our advocacy projects
in the month after our return. We are now all working on our
advocacy campaigns, with the help of the AAYMCA.
The real litmus test was when we were divided into three
groups and each group was given the task of presenting
an advocacy message to diverse groups in Dakar on the
issue of monetary sovereignty in the Franc Zone. Monetary
Sovereignty is an ongoing struggle to promote the
independence of the rest of African countries that are still tied
to the usage of the currency of their colonial masters and also
the dictation by other world bodies on the determination of
how monetary sovereignty policies are determined in Africa
which often does not address the actual developmental
concerns of African countries.
Before our outing in Dakar to participate in the advocacy
programme on Monetary Sovereignty we were trained on
what the struggle is all about, the various actors, what has
been done so far, aims, as well as the pros and cons of
Monetary Sovereignty.
In our groups we each prepared an advocacy statement to
deliver to our target groupings:
representatives of the ECOWAS Youth Parliament; leadership
of the Yoonu Askan Wi (YAW) party; and representatives
from the Forum de la Jeunesse au Senegal (Youth Forum
in Senegal), a Civil Society organisation with interest in
establishment of a common ECOWAS currency. After our
meetings, we received feedback from the groups with
whom we met, and overall we received endorsement that
we are well equipped to undertake our own advocacy in our
respective countries.
This outing enabled us to immediately put into practice what
we had learnt, both in the Advocacy and Communicating
for Influence sessions. Again, we understood and valued
the process of experiential learning, both with regard to
our meeting with our National General Secretaries and
our advocacy outing meeting with respected groupings in
Senegal.
16 17

11. Ordinary
General
Meeting
After our intense training at the Youth Advocacy Summit we then entered new waters and took
on the role of active citizens during the OGM, which also comprised the Sustainability Summit.
We had many roles to play, involving some of us playing key roles at the opening and closing
ceremonies; some acting as rapporteurs for group discussions; others assisting with resolutions
and voting processes; most of us coordinating the stands at the OGM Marketplace where we vied
for two wins in the categories of most impactful stand and National Movement with the most
members in an onsite membership campaign; ensuring the endorsement of the Youth Declaration
as a resolution; and all of us actively participating in the dialogue and discussions, where we were
able to showcase our responsibility as S2C Ambassadors through the three elements we were
now living: using our voice in the space to influence for change
Due to our training and the skills we had learnt, we were
given the task of developing the Youth Declaration – and it is
important to note that this was done wholly by us, after input
on how to write a declaration during our training. Here follows
our Youth Declaration, which was endorsed as a resolution:
We the youth of the African YMCA movement, in particular
serving as S2C ambassadors, represented by 15 national
movements across Africa, submit this youth declaration before
the 10th Ordinary General Meeting in Senegal 2015.
We commit that we hold the following values:
• God-fearing
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Transparency and,
• Self-Determination
We strive to achieve the following competencies during our
Ambassadorship:
• Leadership skills (decision makers)
• Strategic communication
• Conflict resolution (team work)
• Advocacy and,
• Business Orientated (career motivated towards
sustainability)
We believe in the Africa Renaissance and we imagine an Africa
where…
• Active youth participation in decision-making and
sustainable development are implemented in all levels that
benefit future generations.
• We are a sustainable and environmentally conscious Africa.
• We do not discriminate.
• We are peaceful and prosperous.
• Quality, affordable and accessible education is available.
• We are a strong united and influential partner on a global
level.
• We have a stable economy that empowers youth.
To this end, we will plan and work towards promoting the
empowerment of youth to take action to achieve the African
Renaissance as inscribed in Agenda 2063.
In doing so, the legacy we seek to achieve is committed young
leaders who are driven by the passion to serve and promote
the involvement of all youth.
We ask that you strive to put sustainable development in the
various national movement agendas and support the cause
of youth development by ensuring the full implementation of
Subject to citizen philosophy at national and local level, and
believe that we have the capacity and energy to drive this
change.
And we pledge to you that we will represent a new breed
of change-driven youth, who use the skills acquired and
knowledge gained to continue to influence transformation in
society.
18 19

12. CONCLUSIONWe reflect on the Summit objectives as
originally developed by the AAYMCA.
These were as follows:
Expose participants in a
reflective way to African
realities - the history of the
continent, their inheritance and
legacy
Our two field trips to the African Renaissance Monument and
Goree Island gave us the opportunity to reflect on what had
happened in the past. The trip to Goree Island was an emotional
one, since it was hard to fathom that this was the reality of our
ancestors. We could better understand why the theme Point
of No Return was chosen for the OGM and we drew strength
from what we saw and learnt, with an even stronger passion
for ensuring that we, along with our fellow youth, become the
voice for the injustices in this world.
Having such a diverse group together from the various
countries, also helped expose us to the different realities.
Through group work we would reflect on scenarios in our
own communities and share and reflect on similarities and
differences. This helped us to have a clearer understanding of
the various struggles we face, and how we can take action.
Provide youth with knowledge
and insight into S2C - the
rationale, the research, the
fundamentals, the possibilities
of this Change Model
S2C formed the basis of our training, with us understanding in a
very real way the history, the present through S2C franchising,
and future possibilities. The session on history, highlighting
the YMCA as a vehicle for transformation, helped us to realise
that S2C is for OUR time now and for OUR realities now.
Our manual contained an incredible amount of information
which complemented what we learnt, and provides us with a
reference point now that we are back home.
We again emphasise the value and significance of the
graduated Ambassadors giving testimony and facilitating
sessions. Without any doubt, their contributions were
enormous, and richly contributed to the success of the training,
through sharing their experiences and frustrations and the
opportunities they have had since getting on board, and how
their lives have changed to become the realities of what were
once their dreams.
Equip participants with tools for
communicating for influence:
news writing, profile writing,
pitching, social media, videos
We were indeed challenged in this respect. Not only did we
produce training assignments, but we also had the opportunity
to audition and act in videos for marketing purposes of the
AAYMCA. Sometimes our creative juices ran dry, at other times
our nerves cracked up… but through the support and mentoring
of our navigational team, the graduated Ambassadors, and our
leaders at the helm, we pulled it off!
Equip youth with presentation
and facilitation skills for
community engagement
Although most of the Ambassadors had a few of these skills in
the bag, these have now been enhanced, and we learnt some
pointers of ‘The Do’s and Don’ts’… We learned skills that can
be used universally as well as noted how important it is to
understand and study the environment we are working with…
by knowing your target audience, and realising that what works
in some places, won’t necessarily work in others.
Ensure a full understanding
of advocacy, including Public
Expenditure Tracking Surveys
We are amazed at how complex yet interrelated all the
elements of an advocacy campaign are. And we are indeed
proud of ourselves for having understood and internalised as
well as applied the entire spectrum of what advocacy involves.
Introduce youth to the advocacy campaign around monetary
sovereigntyspearheadedbyARCADE(AssociationforResearch
and Cooperation in Support of Endogenous Development),
engage youth with ARCADE to prepare an advocacy initiative
around this in the community and then conduct the advocacy
campaign in the community
Most of us had not even heard about the concept of Monetary
Sovereignty. Before the Summit, we were sent a briefing
document to peruse so that we were at least familiar with
the concept. During the Summit, we had the opportunity to
engage with ARCADE and to deeply appreciate the history
around Monetary Sovereignty and the urgent need for action.
The fact that we had the opportunity to question, to clarify
and challenge, made us confident to prepare statements to
decision-makes, and our Advocacy and Communicating for
Influence training enabled us to not only fulfil our task of
meeting the three groupings, but to enjoy it and learn from
feedback given to us.
Equip youth with skills and
practice to develop an advocacy
campaign for implementation
after the Summit in their
national movements across
Africa
By taking us through the entire process, and giving us a
practical to develop our own campaign, based on our local
realities as well as time to finalise the plan after the Summit,
we were really able to internalise our learnings and apply them.
This enables us to create the change we are so burning with
desire to effect.
Provide youth with the space to
influence for the acceptance
of their advocacy campaigns
by holding meetings with their
YMCA head during the OGM
proceedings
This was a surprising and extremely valuable aspect of our
training. We met with our National General Secretaries after
formulating our advocacy campaigns that we will spearhead
back home. We worked on getting “buy-in” from our NGSs
and also asked for their advice on a possible way forward. We
then took this back to the facilitation team, before reshaping
the advocacy plan.
Equip youth with skills and
confidence to write and deliver
a Youth Declaration to the OGM
This was an enjoyable experience for us, building our confidence
as individuals who all input into the Youth Declaration, building
our team work experience as we had to synthesise all the
different inputs and then collective confidence as a group as
we were very proud that the facilitation team did not change
anything before submitting to the OGM resolution process,
and, of course, very proud that the OGM participants adopted
and endorsed the Youth Declaration without any challenge or
changes.
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Equip youth with confidence and skills to participate
meaningfully in the OGM as young leaders
Thanks to our training and the personal transformation it
involved engendering us with confidence and skills, and we
believe we were able to participate fully and meaningfully in
the OGM.
Prepare youth to participate in a
reverse mentoring relationship,
whereby the mentor and mentee
engage and share learnings,
experiences and skills
We were orientated around this and were given an opportunity
to choose a mentor we thought was best suited to ourselves.
We then had to formalise it by having both mentee and mentor
sign a contract, in order to ensure a good reverse mentoring
relationship. We have all now selected mentors, and our
mentors have had online orientation in terms of their roles.
Ensure a holistic leadership
experience for the Ambassadors
and Senegalese youth
This aspect was met throughout the whole journey. We are
sure that on reading this report, you will see that there was a
definite holistic approach taken.
As we docked, we took away with us experiences and
lessons learnt from this journey. One lesson learnt
was that of Ubuntu, ‘I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE’. This is
a powerful proverb that says much about the African
reality and the changes we, the young leaders of Africa,
need to foster for an African Renaissance. The sad past of
Goree Island has given us the passion and determination
to move our young people from the state of subjects
to rightfully earned citizens, and the Youth Advocacy
Summit equipped us with the skills required for the task
ahead. We are indeed at the Point of no Return… back
on dry land now we have already begun our work: we
finalised our advocacy campaign, we have begun writing
articles, we have contracted mentors and we are keenly
focused on our transformational journey. The S2C Creed,
and the Youth Declaration – and what they stand for –
will guide us and stay fresh in our minds. Every day we
will work to contribute to the empowerment of young
people for the African Renaissance.
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14. The AAYMCA for investing in the youth and especially in us,
and for believing in our capacity and ability to lead, to learn,
to live out the philosophy of S2C… to continually transform
ourselves and to sow change into the lives of young people
in our countries.
Those at the helm during our Summit, our leaders: Mutale
Chanda, Gil Harper, Lloyd Wamai… for organising and
coordinating the entire Summit experience, for their guidance,
their support and constant reassurance that we can achieve
anything if we believe in ourselves... and for pushing us to
achieve beyond even our own expectations.
The navigational team, the graduated Ambassadors:
Skhumbuzo Innocent Myeza, Akpene Kayi Adama-Amavi,
Kodjo Dodji Fiashinou, Majorie Mambwe, Reginald Floulkes
Crabbe, Maryse Coly, Ansoumana Dieme… for inspiring,
motivating and challenging us and for enabling us to believe
that our dreams can become reality.
Our guest facilitator Demba Moussa Dembele, a Senegalese
lead activist from ARCADE who specialises on Monetary
Sovereignty in Africa, who not only trained and orientated
us on the subject, but also organised and accompanied us
on our advocacy meetings to decision-makers… he held our
hands as we developed confidence and skills around the
practice of advocacy.
The Karibu Foundation for the core funding support for the
Youth Advocacy Summit, and for their steadfast belief in the
youth of Africa and in S2C. We thank them for assisting to
shape the programme and content and for their presence
during the Summit, inspiring us to push ourselves and to
engage with those who believe in us and in Africa.
Our international family who pay tribute to the African
YMCA movement for our contribution through S2C to youth
empowerment in the global YMCA movement… The World
YMCA for highlighting this and for their participation in the
Summit to engage us on our Change Agent role, and Canada
YMCA for financial contribution, as well as other YMCAs for
supporting the involvement of individual Ambassadors.
And finally to our team of S2C Ambassadors for writing this
report to reflect on our journey… this was not an easy task
and we are truly grateful that they spent so much energy,
time and passion to put this together. Thank you Sharnelle
Cader, Kenny Kafwanka, Jeffrey Shihembetsa and Cedric
Dzelu!
We are the wave 3 S2C Ambassadors and we are proud of
ourselves, our National Movements, the Africa Alliance of
YMCAs, our worldwide movement… We are the change we
want to see in the world:
Cameroon: Eugene Lucien Mbee
Ethiopia: Aemro Melede
Ghana: Cedric Dzelu, Afashime Courage Kwaku
Kenya: Mary Wanyiri, Jeffrey Shihembetsa (unfortunately
Levi Agunda jumped ship soon after the training and thus is
no longer an Ambassador – this made us reflect individually
and collectively and we re-committed to each other for the
journey ahead)
Liberia: Beyan E. Harris, Decontee George
Madagascar: Randrianarisoa Michael Tanjonamalala
Niger: Adamou Dadi
Nigeria: Ibebe Ufuoma, Salem Gin
Senegal: André Samson, Marie Jeanne Diouf
South Africa: Sharnelle Cader, Sifiso Mkhize
Sierra Leone: Julian Momoh, Francess Refell
Tanzania: Neema Kipokola
The Gambia: Oluwole Alvin Goode, Mabel King
Togo: Kokou Mawuli Toto Akpalo, Norbert Evemenga
Zambia: Jacqueline Nguza, Kenny Kafwanka
Our
thanksWe are very grateful to those who made this training such a
resounding success. We say a deep and heartfelt thanks to:
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YMCAYMCA