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Youth Must Be at the Heart of Achieving the SDGs
Karen Basiye
I consider myself privileged to have worked with and led young people in my close to two decades career in sustainability.
Over the years, I have seen young Community Health Promoters working tirelessly to improve health outcomes, youth-led groups addressing unemployment through their skills, and youthful managers redefining waste management.
I have also witnessed the youth propelling action that contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This demographic not only brings brilliant ideas to the table, but they also act with courage and creativity. Many are eager to try new approaches and use digital skills to solve real-life problems.
Their daily actions reflect how sustainability is being woven into our lives. Yet, individual action alone is not enough to counterbalance the global sustainability crisis.
2030 is fast approaching, but the world is still far from achieving the SDGs. According to the UN’s 2024 assessment, only 17% of SDG targets are on track.
Nearly half (48%) are making relatively low or moderate progress, while more than a third (35%) have stagnated or even declined. These sobering facts remind us how urgently collective action is needed.
Youth Must Be at the Heart of Achieving the SDGs
Youth as Partners in Driving Change
At last year’s COP, one of the most striking highlights was the large number of youth present, asking hard questions and holding leaders accountable. This is not new young people have always challenged the status quo.
Unfortunately, many continue to do so without the resources, mentorship, or support they deserve. As a result, the world is missing out on a golden opportunity to collaborate with them. We need to move from seeing youth as beneficiaries to recognising them as true partners in achieving the SDGs.
Authentic mentorship is key—long-term guidance that builds capacity and expands opportunities. Equally important is giving youth a seat at the decision-making table, not just in side events. Moreover, trust and investment in youthful innovation must go beyond ideas and include actual budgets.
At the Safaricom and M-Pesa Foundations, we are supporting youth across the country to scale their work. For instance, we worked with Umoja Mazeras Baraka Juu Self-help group in Taita Taveta County to provide an electric carwash machine, replacing their unreliable diesel-powered one.
This has increased their revenue and efficiency. Similarly, in Nairobi, we partnered with Mwengenye Youth CBO by equipping them with an organic waste shredder and dryer. The innovation cut their composting time by 50% and tripled the amount of organic waste processed monthly.
In addition, through the Safaricom Foundation’s Wezesha Vijana TVET scholarship program, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, we continue to empower vulnerable youth with skills and opportunities to secure sustainable employment.
The youth are already living the SDGs daily. Supporting and scaling their efforts ensures that this year’s International Youth Day theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond”, is not just celebrated but realized.
So, on this International Youth Day, what role are you, as a field expert or corporate leader, playing to enable local youth action? I would love to hear your thoughts.
The writer is the Director, Sustainable Business and Social Impact at Safaricom.
https://africabusinessnews.co.ke/the-m-pesa-foundation-a-legacy-of-transforming-lives/
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