ComDev Africa Launches Youth-Friendly Standards Demo days across Kenya and Ghana

ComDev Africa marked two major milestones in December 2025 and January 2026 with the official launch of the Youth-Friendly Standards (YFS) in Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana; a continental push to elevate meaningful youth engagement across programs, policies, and services.

On 16 December 2025, ComDev Africa convened 30 key stakeholders in Nairobi, Kenya for the YFS Demo Day, igniting a powerful question:

What if youth weren’t just heard, but truly empowered to shape their future?

This gathering boosted institutional readiness to shift from symbolic consultation to genuine youth involvement across the social solidarity economy, employment pathways, and policy processes.

Youth Delegate Morris Andati from the African United Nations emphasized the transformative potential of YFS, noting that the standards ensure young people gain the skills, tools, and capacity to address real community challenges.

On 14 January 2026, ComDev Africa expanded this momentum by hosting the YFS Demo Day in Accra, Ghana, bringing together 45 participants including youth representatives, organizations, policymakers, and institutions.

By aligning youth-led insights with actionable tools, the Ghana Demo Day reinforced the nationwide commitment to inclusive, youth-powered development.

Across both countries, the Youth-Friendly Standards are emerging as a game-changing framework that transforms how institutions engage young people.

By embracing the YFS and its assessment mechanism, ComDev Africa and its partners are fueling a shared movement to build systems that empower young voices, strengthen collaboration, and ensure youth shape the policies and programs that affect their lives.