JMC Joins the EMPOWER+ International Consortium

Empowering Rural Youth: Establishing and Strengthening the Rural Youth Parliament in Sub-Saharan Africa

The project aims to enhance the participation of young people in policy-making processes by establishing Rural Youth Parliaments (RYPs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with European partners. The action contributes to the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 by empowering youth to take an active role in local governance, sustainable development, and rural innovation.

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EMPOWER+ Key Objectives and Outcomes

Core Mission

Strengthen youth participation in rural communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Promote active youth participation in democratic and community life.

Mechanism

Establish and support Rural Youth Parliaments (RYPs) as sustainable platforms for dialogue.
Transfer European best practices on youth engagement to Sub-Saharan contexts.

Expected Outcomes

Establish RYPs in at least three African countries.
Empower over 100 young people and youth workers with leadership and digital skills.
Foster inclusion, digital literacy, and green awareness among rural youth.

JMC's Partnership Role

Joint Minds Consult led by Dr. Joseph Mwelwa (Project Lead) and Ms. Kushatha Tabengwa (Project Administrator), is a proud knowledge development partner in this international consortium, contributing alongside the Tlokweng District Council (Botswana) and other European and African organizations. Our collective goal is to empower young people to engage in local governance and promote sustainable community development.

Who The Project Empowers

EMPOWER+ engages a wide transnational audience across Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to both reach and actively involve multiple categories of stakeholders.

Primary Target Groups

Rural youth (18–30), especially with fewer opportunities.
Emerging youth leaders and youth workers.
Youth organisations and grassroots associations.
Local and national policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Civil servant and local councils supporting youth engagement.
Rural communities directly impacted by the pilot Rural Youth Parliaments.

Secondary Target Groups

NGOs and civil society organisations.
EU institutions and the African Union.
Educational institutions and universities.
Media and local press.
Researchers and experts in youth participation and rural development.
General public interested in youth empowerment and EU–Africa cooperation.

All communication actions will be adapted to local contexts, digital accessibility needs, and linguistic requirements.

Ready to See the Impact of EMPOWER+?

Learn how this initiative is transforming youth engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa.