This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Facebook Empowers Africa's Young Icons of Change ¶
On August 29, 2019, Facebook launched a youth empowerment programme called 'Icons of Change' to encourage young Africans to drive positive change on the continent.
According to Kojo Boakye, Facebook's head of public policy sub-Saharan Africa, the programme aims to bring together young people from across Africa who are making a positive impact in their communities.
Boakye spoke to the Business Daily during the Icons of Change event in Accra, Ghana, where he highlighted the programme's focus on empowering young Africans to drive change.
'Today's event is an example of Facebook doing what it does best, which is giving young Africans a heart of change in their own countries and across the continent,' Boakye said.
The programme provides opportunities for young people to learn about leadership, entrepreneurship, and digital skills, and to connect with other young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities.
Boakye emphasized the importance of community leadership circles, which have given young people a chance to influence real change in their communities.
'Many of the young people in the programme are part of the community leadership circles, which has given them a chance to influence real change in their communities,' Boakye said.
He also highlighted the programme's focus on developer circles, which have grown from zero to over 40 across various countries in Africa, with over 50,000 young developers and wannabe developers.
Boakye expressed confidence that the programme will achieve its goals, citing the success of the inaugural event, which brought together 40 icons of change from across Africa.
'We have achieved that,' Boakye said. 'About 50,000 young people are now involved in the developer circles, and we have trained more than 40,000 small and medium businesses.'
He also emphasized the importance of partnerships with local communities, governments, and mobile operators to increase accessibility and reduce the digital gap in Africa.
'We have come a long way,' Boakye said. 'It's Facebook's effort, but always done in partnerships with other stakeholders.'
