From 10–12 August, young people gathered at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, for a three-day Youth Advisory Board (YAB) training under Voices for Change: Empowering Youth and Civil Society for Inclusive Prevention and Reintegration, a project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The training was held in partnership with the Regional Leadership Center East Africa, based at Kenyatta University.

The training marked the launch of the Youth Advisory Board Forum in Kenya and brought participants together to build connections, strengthen their knowledge and explore how young people can take a more active role in prevention, advocacy and decision-making. The programme was opened by WFAD Secretary General Cressida de Witte, who joined virtually, together with WFAD East Africa Liaison Paul Mburu and representatives from the Regional Leadership Center East Africa.

Over the three days, the training moved from reflection and relationship-building towards practical discussions on how young people can contribute to change in their communities. The first day centred on participants’ experiences, strengths and challenges, combining baseline discussions and interviews with team-building, entrepreneurship and a guest session from the Trevor Noah Foundation on impact-focused communication for emerging leaders.

The training was designed to be interactive throughout. In one activity, Connect & Care Bingo, participants moved around the room meeting young people from different counties and starting conversations around support, wellbeing, help-seeking and the pressures young people can face. The exercise included questions about who people turn to when life becomes difficult, how they would support a friend and what can make young people feel pressure to fit in.

As the training progressed, the focus shifted towards substance use prevention, substance use disorders, policy and advocacy. Participants explored the role young people can play in prevention and began preparing for future round-table discussions through a session on Youth Voices, Inclusion and Advocacy. They also heard about the journey of Soberlife Society, from a grassroots organisation to engagement on a global platform through its partnership with WFAD.

Another group exercise challenged participants to identify words linked to prevention, treatment, recovery, reintegration and aftercare within a short story. Rather than treating these as abstract concepts, the activity connected them to situations involving stigma, support, referral, resilience and the role of community.

By the final day, the conversation had moved firmly towards action. Participants identified gaps affecting young people and considered how they could help address them at both community and policy levels. Through community mapping and discussions on needs assessment, they worked through local challenges, possible responses and where youth voices can contribute.

Participants also took part in an Effective Leadership session themed “The Africa We Want”, including a design challenge exploring challenges faced by young people across Africa and the potential to overcome them. Drawing on experiences shared within the group, the session connected personal realities with wider questions around leadership, opportunity and change.

The training ended by looking ahead. Participants identified short-, medium- and long-term actions and discussed opportunities still to come through Voices for Change, including round-table discussions, life-skills activities and planned regional and international forums. Certificates were presented by Paul Mburu and Regional Leadership Center East Africa representative Beatrice Ndinda, closing three days that had taken participants from building connections to considering how they can use their voices within their communities and beyond.

The Kenya Youth Advisory Board will continue to bring young people’s perspectives and experiences into community discussions and future policy dialogue as the project develops. WFAD thanks the Regional Leadership Center East Africa for its partnership and support in making the training possible.

In December 2025, WFAD launched the three-year project Voices for Change: Empowering Youth and Civil Society for Inclusive Prevention and Reintegration. The project is being implemented in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda together with our East African Liaison, the WFAD DRC Office, and partners C-SEMA and Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL). It is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).