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Transforming Africa’s Urban Food Systems Through Youth Peer Networks

Updated: Nov 21

The Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective (NGLC) forums provide a platform for individuals and groups to voice their challenges and experiences in transforming food systems through leveraging the eight courageous leadership practices outlined in the Achieving a Well-Nourished World: A Manifesto for Leadership

AfriFOODlinks, coordinated by ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability—threads a network of diverse voices and experiences across Africa and Europe, all bound by a shared social purpose to transform urban food systems.

In the Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective (NGLC)’s latest forum, AfriFOODlinks youth ambassadors Tashi Piprek, Clémentine Bakole Mayori and Christine Bonareri shared powerful insights into how partnerships foster peer-to-peer exchanges of knowledge, ideas, and experiences, and how they drive resilience and empowerment within communities.

Tashi Piprek, captured us with: “Imagine a world where food security, environmental stewardship, and youth empowerment come together to create lasting change.”  Tashi testified that AfriFOODlinks provides young leaders with a support network that transcends, “linguistic, geographic, hierarchical, cultural and digital divides,” to drive inclusive change. 

Clémentine, founder of MAPEB-Energy, brought to life a powerful story of resilience from Congo. She painted a stark image of the daunting structural and cultural obstacles women entrepreneurs face there: limited access to land, exclusion from markets, and societal norms that doubt their business abilities. Yet, within the supportive embrace of AfriFOODlinks, Clémentine found a lifeline in the form of peer support and practical strategies, enabling her to boost her productivity and leadership, and to drive economic empowerment for women and youth in her community. 

Another young voice, Christine, founder of Mvuvi in Kenya, joined AfriFOODlinks to address urgent challenges of food insecurity, environmental degradation, and declining fish stocks in Lake Victoria. Through AfriFOODLinks, she connected with peers, exchanged experiences, and discovered sustainable solar drying technology. She actively engaged local women in the decision-making process, empowering them to shape and adopt this innovative solution. 

The storytellers’ journeys embody a growing movement to transform Africa’s food systems by amplifying voices that have long been silenced.


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