"You are expected from 17 to 21 May 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to represent Côte d'Ivoire at the youth pre-conference on employability at the African Union headquarters and at the youth consultations.”
Have you ever taken part in a youth summit bringing together high-impact young people from the four corners of Africa?
Yes, I have! I can tell you it was an incredible experience!
I'd never been to a summit like that before, it was just one of many dreams. I could never have imagined that I would end up at the African Union summit as a young delegate representing my country. It was a wonderful and enriching experience for me.
My commitment: YOMA, a digital platform that will revolutionise employability
"A job for every young person”
As an intern in the adolescents and youth section of UNICEF Côte d'Ivoire, I spent 6 months supporting the youth engagement administrator Generation Unlimited on YOMA (Youth agency marketplace), a digital platform designed to connect young people with internship, training, and employment opportunities. During the training courses and discussions with young people in my country, I was able to go beyond my personal experience to find out how they perceive and experience the world of employment. I was able to get a closer look at the problems faced by these young people. I realized that they were multiple, repetitive, and shared.
What if we got together to find solutions? What if we were the agents of change? What can I do to change things?
Implementing sustainable strategies to develop the employability and entrepreneurship of young people in Africa was the theme of the youth pre-conference preceding the 4th meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Youth, Culture, and Sport (CTS-YCS-4).
Being able to make a vibrant appeal to the authorities, institutions, organisations, and governmental systems of the whole of Africa through my participation in these events, alongside a hundred or so young delegates from the four corners of Africa, is an opportunity that will remain unforgettable for me.
I went there with the idea that I should carry the voice of all those young Ivorians who were unable to make the journey with dignity, and I came back satisfied, satisfied with all the proposals that were made and that will change things.
High level panels, meetings and discoveries
During the pre-conference in Addis Ababa, we were able to take part in high-level panels. We talked about strategies for youth employability in Africa; youth, health, well-being, and innovation; the place of youth engagement in developing opportunities for young people in Africa; transforming education as a driver of youth employability; developing entrepreneurship; the importance of mentoring in building opportunities for young people, to name but a few.
I was particularly inspired by a panel with young scholarship holders from an African Union programme showcasing innovative digital solutions. Seeing young people having a major impact on their country's systems shows that we too, at our various levels, can change the world. I was also able to meet some incredible people and network with young people from different backgrounds: Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Comoros, Angola, Mozambique, Nigeria, Malawi, and many others, as well as discovering a beautiful country with a unique culture. Finally, the youth consultations were an opportunity for us to present the programmes and projects we have been working on. I spoke about YOMA.
I am very grateful to the International Labour Organization and the African Union for such a wonderful initiative that gives young people a voice. I'm even more grateful for UNICEF's support to take part in these wonderful events.
One million opportunities for young people by 2030 is my wish for Africa, and I am convinced that we will achieve it.
