A recent study by The ONE Campaign has found that young Africans are confident in speaking up about issues they care about, but struggle to turn their voices into policy action. The survey, which polled 482 young people aged 14 to 35 in Kenya, Senegal, Togo, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, found that 89% of respondents felt confident speaking up on issues that mattered to them. However, only 53% had ever participated in an advocacy activity, highlighting a gap between young people's willingness to speak and their ability to influence decisions.
The study suggests that the challenge may not simply be a lack of interest among young people in public issues, but limited knowledge of how to turn their concerns into sustained advocacy and engagement with decision-makers. While 64% of respondents understood advocacy as speaking up to influence decisions, policies, or systems, they were less familiar with some of the practical activities involved. On average, respondents correctly identified 2.5 out of five activities presented to them as forms of advocacy.
The survey found that respondents were more likely to recognize starting campaigns or organizations (72%), talking to friends about issues (60%), and participation in community meetings (48%) as forms of advocacy. However, fewer respondents identified writing to decision-makers (40%) and sharing information and data (30%) as advocacy activities. This highlights a distinction between being willing to speak about an issue and knowing how to engage the institutions and people responsible for making decisions about it.
The study also found that young people are already using digital platforms to learn and access information, suggesting that the challenge is not necessarily a lack of interest in learning. YouTube was used for learning by 69% of respondents, followed by TikTok at 58%, WhatsApp at 57%, and ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence tools at 57%. However, 61% identified internet connectivity as their biggest barrier to online learning.
The findings come as The ONE Campaign launches ONE Academy, a pan-African learning platform that will equip young people with practical skills in advocacy, including understanding policy processes, identifying decision-makers, building evidence-based cases, and mobilizing support for issues they want addressed. The platform is initially targeting Kenya and Senegal, with its first course focusing on foundational learning and helping young advocates understand how to make the case for policies, investment, and implementation in education.
Ambassador Mark Green, President of The ONE Campaign, emphasized the importance of knowledge and persistence in ensuring progress on development issues. Serah Makka, Executive Director for Africa at The ONE Campaign, noted that young people already have the desire to participate but need practical pathways to turn that interest into action. The Academy is expected to combine online learning with opportunities for young people to apply the skills they acquire and connect with other advocates and practitioners.
The survey provides a baseline for ONE Academy, with the organization saying the findings will be used to shape its courses and measure future outcomes. The study's findings raise questions about how young people can move beyond expressing concerns to participating in the processes through which policies are developed and implemented, particularly in Kenya, where young people form a significant part of the population and are directly affected by decisions on employment, education, healthcare, and other public services.
Key points
- 89% of young Africans feel confident speaking up on issues that matter to them, but only 53% have participated in an advocacy activity.
- Limited knowledge of practical advocacy activities is a major challenge for young people looking to influence decisions.
- The ONE Campaign has launched ONE Academy to equip young people with practical skills in advocacy and address the gap between willingness to speak and ability to influence decisions.
