The importance of harnessing youth collaboration in creating social impact and advancing sustainable solutions – Mumbi Keega

Africa has the world's youngest population with a median age of 18.8 as of 2022, which is significantly lower than the global median age of 30 years. According to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, the top 12 countries with the lowest median age are all in Africa. What this shows is that the dominance of young people in Africa is a major demographic trend that has significant implications for the continent. The positives of such a trend present a viable opportunity for much-needed transformational growth, but only when these generations are empowered to realize their full potential.

A young population can be a significant asset for economic and national development due to their high level of energy and creativity. These qualities can be harnessed for social and economic transformation, making the youth the future of our continent. With their potential to make a real difference, investing in Africa's youth is crucial, especially when it comes to building a sustainable future for all. As a community, both private and public sectors must invest in, nurture, and develop Africa's youth. By doing so, we can help them reach their full potential and ensure a better tomorrow. The youth are our most valuable asset, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed.

Dow has always been passionate about advancing science and innovation to find solutions to questions that can change the world for the better. The question now is – how we can use our expertise, talents, and passions to transform the communities we live and work in. In 2022, we began a partnership with LEAP Africa, one of Africa’s leading non-profit organizations focused on youth leadership development. This partnership was as a headline sponsor for their Youth Day of Service (YDoS) campaign, a month-long youth-led social impact initiative designed to empower young people to create solutions that inspire positive transformation. We have continued this partnership into this year as we share a common goal of fostering positive change and building resilient and sustainable communities.

With an ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world, we lead in developing societal blueprints that integrate public policy solutions, science and technology, and value chain innovation to facilitate the transition to a sustainable planet and society. We also believe that investing in sustainability-focused activities further supports our global citizenship priorities and investments, and ultimately advances our ambition. African youth play a crucial role in achieving our objectives.

YDoS seeks to foster the spirit of service to the community and volunteerism among the youth population in Africa with a focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of 17 goals that were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They are a blueprint for a better future for all and provide a framework for countries to work together to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The pursuit of the achievement of the SDGs in Africa creates significant market opportunities on the continent, especially for the private sector and institutional investors. This is because the SDGs are focused on areas where there is a large unmet need in Africa, such as our high energy poverty rate, water crisis, food insecurity, low healthcare progress, and high illiteracy rates. Through their achievement, Africa will become a thriving marketplace with a strong workforce building sustainable and resilient communities.

The importance of harnessing Africa’s huge resource potential – its youth population – to achieve SDG targets cannot be overemphasized. In a study conducted in 2021 by the World Economic Forum, it was revealed that about two-thirds of Africa’s young people are pushing for bolder policy action or trying to reduce their carbon footprints. Furthermore, less than half of those surveyed were satisfied with how African leaders were tackling the issue of climate change and wanted to be “global actors in environmental activism”. They look for, actively support, participate in, and donate to environmental causes and SDG-centered initiatives; similar to the YDoS initiative.

In 2022, through our partnership with LEAP Africa, we were able to contextualize our 2025 sustainability goals and contribute to achieving global goals by raising the awareness and importance of SDGs within the African youth community. During the YDoS campaign, over 4100 volunteers registered and implemented 210 projects during the week-long campaign via a dedicated portal. The participants represented a broad spectrum of African youth communities with 24 representing countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Mali, Madagascar, Ghana, The Gambia, South Sudan, and South Africa.

All 17 SDGs were addressed within implemented projects which reached an estimated 5.76 million individuals. Some of the exemplary projects included a team of 151 volunteers who organized a food drive in Nigeria where they shared packages with families and indirectly impacted over 450 persons, the donation of 250 schoolbooks to students as part of the “Between the Lines Literary” project in Lesotho, and the planting of 4970 trees across five countries.

This year, there are a lot more inspirational projects being implemented as part of YDoS. In South Africa, Qrate, a non-profit organization, will be organizing a #PeriodPositiveTour to drive awareness in communities and educate the next generation about menstrual health in a safe, interactive, and fun environment; World Learning Algeria will be hosting a vibrant week filled with a diverse range of activities aimed at celebrating and empowering the youth; and LEAP Africa, Forgotten Bottom Millions, and the Kenya Forest Services will be hosting an SDG & climate awareness rally.

As Dow, we are a big part of many of the key projects to be implemented this month as part of the initiative, as we will be supporting with financial grants needed for successful implementation. Our employees across the continent will also be donating their time and expertise to a variety of projects. Together, we will apply our products, technology, expertise, and investments for the greater social good, thereby advancing sustainable solutions, building inclusive communities, and developing tomorrow’s innovators.

Dow is committed to being a valuable contributor to accelerating the achievements of the SDGs in Africa and beyond. If we are to achieve the SDGs, we need to all work together as a collective body unearthing solutions to the issues we face. We need to see the SDGs not as a challenge but as an opportunity to build a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.

The SDGs are important because they are ambitious and relevant. They challenge us to think beyond the traditional development goals of economic growth and poverty reduction and call for a more holistic approach to development that encompasses social, economic, and environmental sustainability. We all need to take that decisive step today to ensure we succeed in building the better future we envision. No matter how you choose to participate, your actions will make a difference. Together, we can build a better future for all.

Mumbi Keega is the Public Affairs Leader for Dow in Africa.