YCAN (Youth Climate Action Network)

Project Background

Africa faces disproportionate impacts from climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. Young people who make up more than 60% of the population are among the most affected and yet remain under-equipped, under-represented, and under-supported in climate action.

In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, youth face persistent challenges including:

• Limited access to climate education, especially in rural areas
• Insufficient funding for youth-led initiatives
• Systematic exclusion from decision-making processes
• High youth unemployment and limited green job pathways
• Weak collaboration networks among youth organizations

The YCAN project seeks to address these gaps by strengthening the institutional and operational capacity of youth organizations to promote climate change awareness, mobilize youth leadership, and foster cross-border collaboration.

Project Goal

To strengthen the capacity of youth organizations in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to foster climate change awareness and youth-led initiatives through non-formal learning, cross-cultural mobilities, and collaborative action.

Objectives

YCAN pursues six core objectives aligned with the identified needs:

1. Enhance Climate Education & Literacy
   • Provide capacity building for youth workers on climate science, sustainability, advocacy, digital communication, and green skills.
2. Promote Youth Inclusion in Decision-Making
   • Equip youth and youth workers with advocacy skills to influence local, national, and regional climate policies.
3. Support Youth-Led Climate Initiatives
   • Train youth in project development, fundraising, and entrepreneurship to implement community-based climate actions.
4. Foster Cross-Border Youth Collaboration
   • Implement Youth Participatory Activities and Youth Exchanges connecting African and European youth to share experiences and co-create solutions.
5. Strengthen African–European Youth Networks
   • Establish a Digital Youth Climate Community Platform to facilitate joint action, dialogue, and resource sharing.
6. Raise Awareness Through Youth-Led Climate Campaigns
   • Implement the “Act Now for Tomorrow” campaign and support youth-driven awareness and advocacy efforts.

Target Areas / Countries

YCAN focuses on strengthening youth organizations and communities in:

• Uganda
• Kenya
• Ethiopia

It also includes active collaboration with partners in Spain, France, and Belgium.

Key Interventions

YCAN will implement four major intervention areas:

1. Capacity Building for Youth Workers (WP2)

• Development of a Climate Change Awareness Toolkit
• Training modules on:
  • climate education
  • advocacy & policy engagement
  • circular economy & green jobs
  • project design & fundraising
  • digital communication

2. Youth Mobility & Exchange (WP3)

• Youth Participatory Activity (for youth workers – Kenya)
• Three Youth Exchange Mobilities (Africa–Europe collaboration)
• Pre-departure and reintegration support (using SAAM methodology)

3. Youth-Led Initiatives (WP4)

• Design and implementation of at least 12 youth-led climate actions
• Mentorship and fundraising support
• Ongoing online collaboration between European and African youth

4. Awareness, Visibility & Networking (WP5)

• “Act Now for Tomorrow” climate awareness campaign
• Creation of the YCAN Digital Community Platform
• Stakeholder dialogues, youth–policy maker roundtables
• Dissemination of results and community outreach

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the three-year project, YCAN expects to achieve:

• 35+ youth workers trained in climate education, advocacy, and digital communication
• 80+ young people participating in mobility activities
• 12+ youth-led initiatives implemented across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda
• A Climate Change Awareness Toolkit available to all partner organizations
• A functional Digital Community Platform with at least 100 active youth users
• Increased youth engagement in climate decision-making processes
• Strengthened African–European networks supporting ongoing climate action
• Greater awareness among communities reached through campaigns and mobilization

Sustainability Plan

YCAN integrates sustainability across all project phases:

1. Institutional Capacity Strengthening

Youth organizations will retain the toolkit, methodologies, and enhanced staff skills to continue climate education beyond the project.

2. Youth Climate Leaders Network

The digital platform will remain active, enabling continued collaboration, sharing, and joint advocacy between African and European youth.

3. Scalability of Youth-Led Initiatives

Small-scale projects implemented locally will serve as pilots that can be expanded with additional funding from partners, local government, and community contributions.

4. Policy Engagement & Partnerships

Stakeholder consultations during mobilities will strengthen long-term relationships between youth, CSOs, local governments, and climate actors.

5. Replication of Materials

The Climate Awareness Toolkit and methodologies are open-source and can be adapted by other communities or organizations in Africa.