Thematic Areas
Food security - SDG 2 and SDG 3 Achieving food security is a key ambition of all countries of the world.
The food security ambition is now firmed- up within the Sustainable Development Goal and provides myriad opportunities for youth engagement in all Food production and value chain processes.
One of the solutions to combating hunger and malnutrition, and to meet global food demand, is to foster an environment that encourages and enables young men and women to practice food production and tap into existing food value chain opportunities. As future food producers, youths deserve the opportunity to pursue prosperity and obtain dignified and legitimate jobs in the agricultural and related sectors. Goals 2 and 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals strongly communicate the position of the world to end poverty in all its forms everywhere and to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Advocating and prioritizing the needs of rural youth is not an option but an obligation not forgetting the innovations on urban farming that urban youth can leverage on. Youth4SDGs therefore envisions encouraging, capacity building youth and being involved in the various practice and policy processes to enhance food security from the local to regional level.
Environmental sustainability
The environment forms the basis of life on earth. Involving the youth in environmental management and conservation activities touching land, water, clean energy for resource sustainability and combating climate change is necessary, if these development goals are to be realized. Youth4SGs Kenya aims at equipping young people with knowledge, skills and environmental values that facilitate innovation in addressing the challenges and problems facing the world arising from poor management environmental resources. With the ambition to undertake evidence based response actions, the platformwill provide youth an opportunity to generate research for policy advocacy, design, develop and implement creative and innovative intervention programmes that resonate with the present technological advancements. Venturing into environmental conservation and green business projects is imperative in fostering sustainable economic advancement of youth livelihoods.
Employment - Green jobs and Innovation - SDG 1, 3, 4, 8, SDG 9
Being the most innovative age group, youth when facilitated by an enabling environment can contribute to the economic growth. Provision of opportunities to enable this is important. Youth are gifted with energy and the power to explore new fields. If these abilities are tapped and young people are availed relevant skills and direction to enhance innovation, unemployment challenges facing youth in our region will be addressed. Making the youth constituency a great workforce influencing the economy in Kenya and the region is our sole objective. The Youth4SDGs Kenya will endeavor to influence youth creativity in the areas of green and sustainable projects.
Governance – Accountability and Transparency– SDG 5, 10, 12, 16
Accountability and Transparency are critical pillars of any governance system of the world. In a society where these are not upheld, negative societal actions such as corruption and misappropriation of public funds take center stage. Noting that youth are keen to learn from the society, the Y4SDGs Kenya aims at providing an alternative narrative to young people. A narrative that shapes their thinking and values to admonish and appreciate accountability and transparency. A critical mass of such young people further taking an active role in national and regional policy conversations will not only provide options for good governance but will influence how decisions being made in governance processes take into cognizance concerns of young people. The platform informed by these convictions, sets out to give youth space and platform to interrogate governance systems in light of delivery of SDGs, provide concrete inputs to various governance, legal and regulatory frameworks and engage youth in development of innovative governance models and tools that facilitate good governance in responding to existing and emerging concerns. In its core business, accountability and transparency will be the main guiding principles of the Youth4SDGs Kenya.