SUBJECT 2 CITIZEN

Slide Background
Africa Alliance of YMCAs | 2010–2025 | Cohorts 1 to 7
In February 2007, representatives from African YMCA National Movements gathered in
Accra, Ghana, to shape a new collective vision. This pivotal event—the Accra Shared
Commitment—was driven by a shared desire to align YMCA across Africa with the values
of the African Renaissance and engage youth in shaping national priorities  . It was here the
idea began: transforming youth from passive “subjects” in civic life into empowered, active
“citizens.”
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Slide Background
Africa Alliance of YMCAs | 2010–2025 | Cohorts 1 to 7
By December 2009, at the Africa YMCA Youth Summit, youth leaders embraced the S2C
philosophy. They committed to a “long and tedious journey” of self-awareness and
agency—rooted in the ethos that change requires personal responsibility and collective
resolve  .
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2010 marked the official launch of the first S2C cohort, piloted in Liberia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The goal: nurture youth civic competence, community action, and ethical leadership through structured training and mentorship.
By 2011, during a regional workshop in Naivasha, Kenya, 20 young leaders from eight countries refined their communication and advocacy skills. They produced multimedia campaigns—videos, dialogue tools—and were celebrated at a ceremony in Nairobi attended by Kenyan anti-corruption officials and YMCA leaders.
This momentum carried into the second cohort (2012–2013), which progressively franchised the S2C model to 10+ National Movements, formalizing selection processes and reinforcing ambassador qualifications.

By the third and fourth cohorts, S2C aligned firmly with YMCA’s founding pillars:
1. Transformative Masculinity
2. Youth Justice
3. Civic Action
4. Economic Renaissance
During this period, the Power Space methodology was introduced—a four-step, human-centred model: Engage, Self-awareness, Skill-building, and Opportunity connection. This approach helped local YMCA partners integrate projects in entrepreneurial training, gender-based violence prevention, and civic campaigns.

S2C formally became part of YMCA’s civic leadership portfolio. By 2021, the 5th cohort included 35 ambassadors from 18 countries, mastering modules on design thinking, ethics, justice, and civic mobilization.
The 6th cohort (2023) introduced digital activism, mental health, climate justice, and AI skills into its curriculum.

The 7th cohort (2024–2025) places even greater emphasis on green innovation, AI literacy, and youth democratic inclusion. S2C ambassadors are now part of YMCA’s global Change Agent programme, contributing to international strategy, and with over 200 ambassadors having engaged in civic policy and public leadership platforms.

Organisation & Reach

Underline

Coordinated by the Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA)—the umbrella body connecting 17–23 National Movements—the S2C Programme is implemented on the ground through local branches . It aligns with YMCA’s Vision 2030 and the UN’s Agenda 2063, delivering civic empowerment, social justice, entrepreneurship, peace building, and climate action.

What began as a bold resolution in Accra in 2007 has become a continent-wide youth transformation engine. Over seven cohorts, grounded in robust curriculum and localized implementation, S2C has consistently engaged at least 36 ambitious ambassadors per year, equipping them to become agents of civic change—from Power Spaces in rural schools to influencing national policy discourse and engaging global platforms.

The 3-Level S2C Leadership Journey

       1. Change Catalyst
  • This foundational level introduces youth to the concept of S2C through training in civic rights, virtues, responsibilities, and ethical leadership.
  • Youth are engaged in weekly sessions over several months, participate in peer learning and reflection, and volunteer in community projects hosted by their local YMCA branches.
  • Successful participants must demonstrate growth in subjective competence (confidence, identity, values) and complete a service learning commitment to graduate to the next level.
       2. S2C Ambassador
  • Youth are nominated by National Movements to become Ambassadors after excelling as Change Catalysts.
  • Over two years, they engage in intensive training, design and implement community-based projects (“Action at Home”), mentor peers, and represent the YMCA in national/regional forums.
  • Ambassadors also maintain monthly reports, build a portfolio of evidence, and uphold the S2C creed and values in all actions.
      3. Global Change Agent
  • The highest tier, reserved for Ambassadors who complete their journey with distinction and are capable of contributing to global youth policy and YMCA strategy.
  • These youth participate in international leadership dialogues, represent the African YMCA movement in the World Alliance, and bring African realities to global platforms through campaigns and coalition work.

Cohort Timeline and Growth Trajectory

COHORT
YEARS
FOCUS / HIGHLIGHT
NO. OF AMBASSADORS

1st
2010–2012
Pilot in Liberia, Kenya, Zimbabwe — foundational training in civic agency
36
2nd
2012–2013
Expansion into 10 NMs; testing of the ambassador qualification model
36
3rd
2014–2016
Integration with Peace Clubs, economic training, and voter education
36
4th
2016–2018
Youth Justice and Transformative Masculinity introduced at scale
36
5th
2020–2022
Post-COVID recovery, SRHR and climate justice projects launched
36
6th
2023
AI, digital activism, youth mental health, and ecological justice
36
7th
2024–2025
Green innovation, democratic resilience, youth in digital governance
36 (ongoing)

Measurable Impact 

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Civic Engagement & Political Literacy
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  • Ambassadors have led nationwide voter registration and civic awareness campaigns, such as the Busia Peace Concerts in Kenya that reached over 5,000 citizens in 5 months.
  • In Liberia and Sierra Leone, over 1,000 youth were trained in constitutional rights, rule of law, and public accountability through forums and debates.
  • At least 70% of S2C alumni remain active in civic, church, or youth platforms beyond their ambassador period.

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Transformative Masculinity
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  • S2C actively challenges patriarchal norms through youth-led dialogue, drama, and community workshops.
  • Notable initiatives include youth-led workshops in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe addressing GBV and mental health under the Africa Youth Month 2022 campaign.
  • These activities reached over 1,000 young people, creating safer, more equitable spaces for male and female youth.

Economic Renaissance
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  • More than 20 ambassador projects have focused on youth enterprise, digital skills, and financial literacy.
  • In Ghana, the SmartFunder Project trained 70 youth with job-readiness and business development tools.
  • Madagascar’s Y-Fest hosted a young entrepreneurs expo that served over 400 youth, boosting visibility and market access for small startups.

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Environmental Sustainability
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  • Tanzania, Madagascar, and Sierra Leone Ambassadors ran tree planting, waste management, and organic farming campaigns.
  • Collectively, these projects mobilized over 800 youth and 15+ schools in environmental education.
  • S2C ambassadors influenced school policies on recycling and climate action in Kenya and Senegal.

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Youth Justice & Mental Health
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  • PowerSpaces in Zimbabwe and Nigeria have addressed mental health stigma, youth suicide, and substance abuse.
  • The “Why Young People Commit Suicide” dialogues in Bulawayo reached 123 participants and contributed to national youth mental health frameworks.
  • Liberia’s S2C youth led anti-violence campaigns and Peace Club formations in post-conflict districts.

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