Champions for change: Global Youth Ambassadors gather at young leaders summit

The power and passion of Theirworld’s Global Youth Ambassador programme was on show when 100 young champions of inclusive education came together for a special event in Kenya.

The Global Youth Ambassadors (GYAs) were joined at Theirworld’s Young Leaders in Education Summit by entrepreneurs, campaigners, educators, supporters and business leaders – all dedicated to helping end the global education crisis, particularly in the crucial early years.

The event in Nairobi, which followed two days of advocacy training for GYAs, featured panel discussions on topics such as grassroots advocacy and youth-driven solutions for change. It gave young campaigners the opportunity to make connections, learn new skills and be forces for change in their communities and beyond.

Njeri Muthoni, a Global Youth Ambassador from Kenya, said: “When young advocates unite, incredible things can happen.”

On investment in education, she said: “We need at least 10% to go to early childhood development. We want our teachers in kindergarten to be trained well, with quality resources so that they can influence the youngest in our communities.”

Dr Ibrahim Bello, a GYA from Nigeria, said: “We are investing currently. But we need more to be invested in the early years because it creates the foundation, it creates people who will lead the sustainability of our future.”

In his keynote speech, Theirworld President Justin van Fleet highlighted the challenges young people face across Africa. He said inequality begins in the early years and urgent investment is needed to break cycles of poverty.

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 60% under 25. But there’s a big investment gap for the early years – in African Union countries, children aged 14 and over receive 10 times more funding than two-year-olds.

Van Fleet highlighted GYAs who have made a difference in their communities and beyond, emphasising the importance of youth leadership. He added: “Young people are the key to unlocking big change and young people are the heart of any change we are going to see in Kenya, in East Africa, in Africa or around the world.”

He said the Global Youth Ambassador network is growing into the largest youth campaigning force for education. In 2024, hundreds of GYAs sent letters, met with decision-makers, spoke on panels, joined social campaigns and more, uniting to ensure the G20 delivers on its commitments to the world’s youngest children.

During the panel discussions, Nigerian GYA Halimat Olaniyan spoke about the impact of using storytelling and data results. She said: “For engaging policymakers, it helps to use both. For example, if we tell them that 90% of child’s brain development happens before the age of five and that over 200 million are out of school, this helps them see the magnitude of the problem.”

Aanuoluwapo Omoleye, also from Nigeria, is a deaf GYA who spoke through a sign language interpreter. She discussed how people with disabilities are often under-represented or not represented at all in children’s books – and explained how she uses storytelling to amplify the voices of marginalised youth.

See GYAs featured on Kenyan TV