LEAP Africa and Dow Africa Unite to Launch YDOS 2024, Promoting Youth-Led Change Across the Continent

Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, and Professionalism (LEAP Africa), a leading non-profit organization committed to leadership development and youth empowerment in Africa, has announced the fifth edition of its Youth Day of Service (YDOS) social impact initiative.

Partnering once again with Dow Africa, a global leader in materials science, as the headline sponsor, this Pan-African initiative will kick off on August 12, 2024, coinciding with the United Nations International Youth Day. YDOS is a youth-led social impact campaign that empowers young Africans to drive tangible progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By providing resources, skills, and a platform for their voices, YDOS equips young people to become catalysts for positive change in their communities. Africa’s growing youth population presents a unique opportunity for accelerated development. However, the continent is still facing significant challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Africa’s youth have so much potential but face challenges on their path to a brighter future. Recognising this, LEAP Africa uses the Youth Day of Service (YDOS) to inspire young leaders across the continent to take action towards the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 Africa.

Simply throwing resources at these problems is not enough – YDOS seeks to empower young leaders with the skills and knowledge to tackle social challenges head-on. Through capacity-building support, recognition and financing, the Youth Day of Service will equip young SDG leaders with the tools for transformational change on the continent.

Ultimately, YDOS goes beyond individual empowerment, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across African regions and countries, creating a vibrant network of changemakers united by a common purpose, said Kehinde Ayeni, Executive Director of LEAP

Sami Mainich, President of Dow Africa also stated:

Young people are the architects of our future, and their creativity, innovative thinking, and energy are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Dow is proud to partner with LEAP Africa once again on the Youth Day of Service. By empowering young leaders across Africa, we are investing in a sustainable future for the continent and creating lasting positive change.”

The theme for YDOS 2024, “Intensifying Youth Action for the SDGs”, reflects the campaign’s commitment to scaling impact. Marking a significant milestone since its inception, this year’s edition underscores LEAP Africa’s ongoing effort to engage and empower young leaders across Africa to drive meaningful change within their communities and contribute to achieving the SDGs by 2030.

This year, LEAP Africa will kickstart the initiative with a Pan-African stakeholder event to engage key partners and regional allies to develop a comprehensive strategy for achieving the SDGs through YDOS. This will be supported by other activities for participants including workshops, panel discussions, and grassroots project support, all designed to drive the integration of sustainability into every aspect of SDG implementation.

In 2023, YDOS mobilized over 10,000 young people across 28 African countries to implement 301 projects which spanned across all 17 sustainable development goals. The projects which included four climate action rallies, the planting of 7,893 trees across nine countries, and the collection of 812,951.51 tons of waste across eight countries, directly benefited 139,245 people and indirectly benefited 696,225 across Africa.

Participants interested in the 2024 initiative can visit the website or here to register their own project, volunteer for an existing project or sponsor the execution of a project.

About LEAP Africa
LEAP Africa is a youth-focused leadership development organization committed to raising leaders who will transform Africa; through interventions for young people, that bridges the gap in five areas: Education, Entrepreneurship, Employability, Active Citizenship and Health and Wellbeing (3Es+AH).

This mission driven organization, recognizes that youth leadership and inclusion is critical to nation building and wealth creation. Our cutting-edge programmatic thrusts inspire and empower young people, changing their mindset, to lead ethically and motivating them to deliver positive change in their communities; while also supporting social entrepreneurs to build systems and structures that are crucial for business sustainability, thereby contributing to individual, social and national development.

For more information and enquiries, visit the website, send an email to info@leapafrica.org or call 01-454-6007

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. The brand’s global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable DOW to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future.

Operating in manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company; Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Visit the website to learn more about Dow Inc and their ambition to be one of the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world.

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