Young African Leaders Spotlight Local Solutions Ahead of UN General Assembly
As world leaders prepare to convene at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, Emerging Public Leaders’ young public sector professionals from Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, and Malawi have a clear message: the real momentum for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) begins at the grassroots, in communities transformed by youth leadership.
In a recent conversation with our Executive Director, Abigail Kajumba, members of our pan-African network of leaders - including Zahira from Malawi, Eliud from Kenya, Deborah from Ghana, and Faith from Liberia - shared powerful stories driving innovative solutions to create lasting change. Their voices, often missing from official reports and summit delegations, provide urgent testimony relevant for senior decision-makers gathering at the UN 80th General Assembly and parallel side events.
Spotlight on Local Impact
“Governance isn’t just about leadership, but also about representation. Many youth who should be in the room today are absent. As Emerging Public Leaders, we continue to try and get young African leaders in the room to shape the future that they ultimately own,” Abigail emphasized.
Zahira Banda, a current EPL fellow at Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and founder of Shukron Health Clinic, highlighted, “It was a simple discussion between community leaders about how we have to travel over 30 kilometers to get access to healthcare services. I'm big on resource mobilization and thought this was something I could do. So that was in 2019. We actually did it. We opened this health facility, and it's completely free for everyone.” Her clinic now serves not only her hometown but also surrounding communities with limited resources, increasing SDG action to universal health access.
Youth-Driven Community Change
Young leaders described lessons from key partnerships that ground SDG progress in local realities.
Eliud K. Karani, Sub-County coordinator for children services at Kenya’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, explained. “I work with the vulnerable community. Yearly, we recruit vulnerable households into the government’s cash transfer program, to assist them in fighting hunger and poverty, especially in places where we have floods.” Partnering with UNICEF, he also promotes the importance of education and helped families send their children to school.
Deborah Nana Ama Abbey shared the story of her initiative in Ghana, Every Kid Deserves Christmas. “I realized that poverty within very urban and rural communities has denied children the opportunity to enjoy something as little, or for some people, as major as Christmas.” In 2021, in collaboration with community mothers, Deborah’s initiative provided 50 children with gifts and spaces to celebrate Christmas with their families. This year, she anticipates reaching more than 770 children, some of whom have special needs.
Other examples include Kenya’s alumni network donating water tanks to Kiwanja Primary School, addressing issues of clear water access and its impact on education. Similarly, Ghana’s fifth Cohort coordinated with schools in Mepe, Volta Region, to deliver mentorship sessions to 250 students, giving back to the community after producing a policy report on the effects of recent flooding.
Critical Youth Voices
Faith Nuwehli Siakor, President of the Emerging Public Leaders Alumni Network and Executive Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Liberia, underscored: “We often talk about the SDGs at the global and national level, but the real work happens at the local level.”
As EPL prepares to gather with global leaders, policymakers, and donors at the 80th UN General Assembly and associated events, the stories and insights from Africa’s next generation of public leaders underscore the importance of youth as agents of change. Ensuring their voices enter policy and funding decisions is crucial if the world is to accelerate SDG outcomes in the final stretch to 2030.
This September, let their stories guide the debate and remind participants that the most meaningful progress happens when global vision meets local action.
Editor’s Notes
About Emerging Public Leaders
Emerging Public Leaders is a public service leadership organization preparing the next generation of competent and effective public sector leaders in Africa. EPL partners with governments and local organizations to rigorously identify young public service professionals who are committed to practicing and promoting good governance throughout Africa. With our support throughout their career journeys, this diverse network of leaders influences and strengthens their country’s institutions for delivering democracy with excellence, care, innovation, and integrity.
For more information about Emerging Public Leaders, please visit: www.emergingpublicleaders.org.
