ADF YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CONTACT WORKSHOP
25th – 29th August 2025, Best Western Plus Hotel, Addis Ababa
Transformational Youth Leadership in Addis Ababa
In the heart of Addis Ababa, a new chapter of African leadership was written. For one extraordinary week, 28 young women and men with disabilities from Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, and Nigeria came together from the 25th to 29th of August 2025 for the Contact Workshop on Transformational Youth Leadership.
They arrived as individuals and in country teams, having only met virtually during the months of a competitive selection process. They left as a community, bound by shared stories, new friendships, and a common vision to lead change across Africa.
Throughout the week, the workshop became a living classroom not with lectures but conversations. Sessions on identity and intersectionality gave space for youth to reflect deeply on who they are. Dialogues with seasoned disability leaders brought wisdom and challenge. Learning on legal frameworks, ICT, mentorship, and leadership projects equipped them with tools to step into advocacy and economic empowerment with courage and clarity. And in every conversation, story, and activity, one message rang clear: disability inclusion is not optional — it is the heartbeat of Africa’s future.
A defining moment came as they stood at the gates of the African Union headquarters. Cameras clicked, but what lingered was the vision in their eyes. Many imagined themselves stepping into such continental spaces in the future, not as visitors, but as leaders shaping policy, amplifying voices, and advancing inclusive economic empowerment for millions of Africans with disabilities.
Beyond the learning, there was celebration. A vibrant cultural evening lit up the week as participants showcased the beauty of their countries through attires, songs, dances, and languages. The night was crowned with the warmth of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, where, like mothers around the fire, they sat together, sharing stories of the day while sipping coffee. And as the week drew to a close, the youth lifted their voices in song and dance, carrying the flags of their seven countries, a powerful picture of unity in diversity and the Africa they are ready to build.
And then, the moment of commissioning arrived. With words of encouragement from the ADF Executive Council Youth Representative, Eric Ng’ondu, who joined virtually, the young leaders were formally commissioned into their transformative leadership journey. It was both a challenge, a blessing and a call to step boldly into leadership, to speak truth with courage, and to carry forward the torch of inclusion.
This gathering was not the end, but the beginning. It marked the launch of the ADF Youth Leadership Programme, part of the We Can Work initiative. Implemented by the African Disability Forum (ADF) with national umbrella OPDs; UDPK (Kenya), JONAPWD (Nigeria), GFD (Ghana), NUDOR (Rwanda), NUDIPU (Uganda), FSAPH (Senegal), and FEAPD (Ethiopia) and supported by Light for the World in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, this program is unlocking doors and creating pathways for young leaders with disabilities across the continent.
What a week it was. A week of learning, laughter, dance, coffee, ideas, courage, and hope. A week where Africa’s next generation of transformational leaders declared with one voice: we are here, we are ready, for an inclusive Africa!
#YouthLeadership #DisabilityInclusion #AfricaRising #WeCanWork #YoungAfricaWorks #AfricaDisabilityForum #LightfortheWorld #MastercardFoundation
