The 1 Million by 2021 Initiative celebrates 1 year since the initiative was launched by African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat with over 400 African youth in attendance as well as development sector, private sector and Member States representatives at the Pan African Youth Forum.
At the outset the visionary initiative sought to provide at least 1 million education, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement opportunities to African youth. Since the launch the initiative has attracted pledges from 26 reputable organisations which include companies like Facebook, VMWare, ILO and several UN agencies. These joint efforts have so far reached over 50 000 young people and counting.
As efforts accelerate to reach young people the anniversary presents an opportunity to look at the journey thus far, celebrate the ground that has been covered and consider how to scale up current partnerships while seeking to make more.
To ensure all stakeholders remain apprised of the progress of the initiative, a website for the 1 Million By 2021 initiative was developed and launched on Friday 24 April 2020. This virtual hub allows audiences to find out more on the pledges that have been made towards the initiative and provides an option for stakeholders to get involved. This gives anyone interested in the initiative an opportunity to connect directly with the AUC’s Youth Division.
