Case Study |Leaders for Leaders Champion | Governance, Youth Participation, &Sustainable Development

Joseph Oduor presented a comprehensive case study on the efforts of Leaders for Leaders Champion, a community-led organization dedicated to governance, youth participation, and sustainable development. He stated they pride themselves on meaningful involvement in good governance,
leadership, and accountability. They prioritize the inclusion of women and people with special needs in leadership and governance, offering a platform for their voices to be heard. His presentation highlighted the organization's mission, vision, ongoing projects, and the challenges they face. Their motto is "Ability is a tool”.

Mission:
Leaders for Leaders Champions aim to lead dynamic leadership programs that transform into productive engagement and development. The organization's activities are grounded in principles of equality, justice, good governance, just leadership, accountability, and gender equality. They emphasize the inclusion of youth, women, and people living with disabilities.

Vision:
The vision is to inspire, empower, inform, and innovate for every leader, fostering transformative leadership that drives positive change.

Key Projects and Initiatives

Democracy and Youth Project:
This project focuses on enhancing youth participation in political parties. Despite 70% of Kenya's population being young people, only 39% are involved in political parties, according to the Registrar of Political Parties.

The project aims to:
Streamline positive attitudinal changes towards democratic processes.
Understand youth perceptions of democratic and governance processes.
Foster active and responsive advocates of democracy.
Ensure meaningful youth involvement in democratic governance and commitment.

Furthermore, he noted that The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) report notes that only 2.6% of MPs globally are below 30 years old. In addition to that, The Kofi Annan Foundation reports that; 6% of parliamentarians globally are below 35 years old, 57% of the world’s voting populations are young people and 66% of young people globally think the government doesn't care about their opinions. This highlights the systemic discrimination and marginalization that youth face in political representation with 50% of the world’s population being under 30. We must harness the energy and creativity of young people to contribute meaningfully to the changing agenda. He mentioned one of Kofi Annan’s saying “Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind.”

"I Pledge" Campaign:
This campaign recruits ambassadors to promote youth engagement in politics. In Kisumu County, they have recruited 200 ambassadors with a target of 2000, aiming to upscale this initiative to the national level. Activities include online sessions, stakeholder engagements, community youth dialogues, and surveys.

Challenges
Oduor identified several significant challenges:
Idea Theft by Partners: Some partners steal their ideas and leave, undermining the organization's efforts and innovation.
Misinformation and Disinformation: The political landscape in Kenya is marred by misinformation and disinformation, complicating efforts to educate and engage the youth in meaningful democratic processes.
Lack of Resources: There is a significant shortage of resources necessary to implement and sustain their initiatives effectively.

For more information about our work, visit www.theyouthcafe.com or contact us at [email protected]