About Us

The Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA) is the largest pan-African youth network established in 1977, bringing together YMCAs in 20 African countries by empowering Young People for the African Renaissance. We espouse the Subject to Citizen (S2C) change philosophy by providing youth with Voice, Space and Ability to influence for positive change, enabling them to transform themselves, others and their communities. Our volunteers, staff, and programme participants have worked tirelessly in some of the most difficult and high-risk circumstances to help shape an Africa that protects, educates and supports youth to secure the future envisioned by Agenda 2063.

We are guided by the following core values:

Self-Determination

We strive to be sustainable and self-regulatory to ensure our social responsiveness and relevance.

Integrity

We commit to open and transparent decision-making and implementation processes, and consistent policies and actions.

Unity and Inclusiveness

Based on our Christian faith, we proactively build positive inter-generational and inter-faith relations which are embedded in the underlying principles of respect and acceptance.

Accountability

We hold ourselves responsible and answerable to the youth of the continent and our stakeholders for managing our movement to achieve our shared vision.

Responsibility

Striving for the empowerment of youth in Africa, our transformational volunteer-led leadership approach ensures long-term individual and community impact.

Active movements:
Cameroun, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria,
Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia,
Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Associate movement:
South Sudan

Movements in formation:
Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Rwanda

Shared vision
To empower young people for the African Renaissance