The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective is a four-year initiative aimed at fostering a more inclusive society that listens to and empowers young people in Africa and Europe. It is part of the AU-EU Youth Lab program and is led by an international consortium consisting of Oxfam, Restless Development, Search for Common Ground, Youthmakers Hub, and ComDev Africa. The initiative seeks to actively engage young people and decision-makers across 54 African countries, with a specific focus on 14 target countries in Africa and 1 in Europe for on-the-ground activities.

As part of this effort, ComDev Africa has played a key role during this first year by implementing two major initiatives to enhance youth engagement and inclusion:

1. Agi_Re – Mobilizing youth to address local challenges

Our goal: to gather and amplify youth voices across the continent while encouraging them to take action at their level to create tangible change in their communities.

Methodology: The "community organizing" approach, empowering young people to mobilize, decide, and act. This program is implemented in 18 cities across 6 countries (Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Tunisia, and Kenya).

📌 Key achievements:

• 1,100+ applications received

• 100+ interviews conducted

• 60 ambassadors recruited

• 6 bootcamps organized

• 30+ Senseact workshops facilitated

• 500+ participants engaged

• 200+ mobilizers involved

2. Youth-Friendly Standards – A systemic approach to youth inclusion

This program aims to deeply transform governance and organizational practices to ensure better youth inclusion in decision-making, service design, and public policies. To achieve this, project management, coordination, and service delivery have been entrusted to young people. This component will be further expanded in Year 2 for greater impact.

In just one year, these initiatives have significantly strengthened youth participation and cemented their role in driving social transformation. As we move into Year 2, we remain committed to ensuring young people are fully involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives.

A heartfelt thank you to all country coordinators, ambassadors, mobilizers, field volunteers, and partners who contributed to the success of this first year. The journey ahead promises to be even more exciting.