Youth Network for Sustainable Development - YNSD

17/08/2026

Small Acts, Big Impact | U-Report Volunteerism Activity

As part of our commitment to promoting youth volunteerism and community engagement, Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD), through U-Report Ethiopia, successfully conducted a volunteerism and donation delivery activity at Wede Enat Fikir Charitable Association in Adama.

A group of high-school students joined the activity, bringing together donations collected through our campaign and essential supplies for the community supported by the organization. The students also had the opportunity to visit and interact with some of the elderly people receiving support from the association.

The experience went beyond simply delivering donations. It gave the young participants an opportunity to learn about the realities and experiences of others, develop empathy, and understand the importance of giving back to their communities.

Many left with a renewed motivation to help others and a powerful realization that you don't have to wait until you are older or have more resources to make a difference, you can start now.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the donation campaign, our U-Report volunteers, and Wede Enat Fikir Charitable Association for making this meaningful experience possible.

Small acts can create big impact when we choose to act together.

12/08/2026

International Youth Day 2026: “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”

Today, on International Youth Day 2026, the Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD) joins the global community in celebrating the power, resilience, and vision of young people under the theme: “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”

As an umbrella network representing over 1,000 youth organizations and institutional members across Ethiopia, we witness daily how varying environments shape youth experiences. Whether navigating economic shifts, climate vulnerabilities, or digital divides, young people face distinct local realities.

Yet, their core aspirations remain universally aligned: the demand for quality education, dignified employment, a healthy planet, and a meaningful seat at the decision-making table.

Through strategic initiatives like our Community Service as a Pathway to Work (CSPW) program, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, YNSD bridges these diverse contexts. We turn local challenges into structural opportunities, equipping youth with the skills needed to transition into the modern workforce while uplifting their communities.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved in silos. Achieving the SDGs requires systemic investments that match the scale of youth ambition.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners, member organizations, and donor networks who continue to co-invest in the next generation of Ethiopian leaders.
Together, we are turning shared aspirations into a shared reality.

31/07/2026

31/07/2026

Building Communities, Creating Pathways in Central Ethiopia

In central Ethiopia’s Kambata zone, a quiet revolution of hope, skill-building, and resilience is unfolding. Through the Community Service as a Pathway to Work (CSPW) program, implemented by the Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and, locally, through Tamera for Social Development (TSD) in the S**o Cluster, young changemakers are transforming their communities and their own futures.

In Hadaro, Tekle Binchamo, his wife, and their four children were living in a tiny, collapsing shelter where wind and rain came right through. "As an aging day laborer, I found affording a new home completely out of reach." Tekle Binchamo

That changed when Tekle's family was selected for community service support by CSPW program participants during community service problem identification based on struggle and need. Working hand-in-hand with the program implementation team and local government structures, a team of more than 20 energized local youth mobilized resources, provided the labor, and built a sturdy, roomy home, turning a vulnerable household into a supported beneficiary, and serving as one of four homes being built for families in the area.

"I didn’t expect the young people here to do anything like this before. It has changed my opinion of them, and it has changed other people’s opinions too... In our old house, I felt hopeless. Now I have been seen and heard." Tekle Binchamo, Homeowner

"This is opening doors for me... Now people are giving us compliments and blessings. It is motivating the youth to participate more. It feels like we are doing something important, serving our community." Kebebush Olonje, CSPW Youth Leader

• CSPW Total Targets: Aiming to equip 500,000 young people with work skills through community service, with a dedicated target of 70% young women and 10% disadvantaged groups. Furthermore, the program strives to enable 200,000 participants to secure dignified work or self-employment.
• Core Impact: Beyond building physical infrastructure like homes and roads, the program fosters social cohesion, bridges generational gaps, and shifts community perceptions of youth from perceived delinquents to valued, productive leaders.

Join us. Support youth-led community service. Partner with us to expand these pathways. Together, we can build a future where every young person has the chance to lead, serve, and thrive.

14/07/2026

Skills for a Shared Future: Empowering Youth to Lead, Empathize, and Adapt!

Every year on July 15, World Youth Skills Day reminds us of the critical importance of equipping young people with the skills they need for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.

This year, under the global theme "Skills for a shared future," the focus is on developing innovative programs that prepare youth to lead with empathy, communicate across cultures, build resilience, and actively shape better societies.

At YNSD, we aren't just talking about this shared future; we are actively building it.

Through our Community Service as a Pathway to Work (CSPW) program, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and JHU-CCP, we recently wrapped up an intensive, two-day Career Guidance Training for youth leaders across the Addis Ababa cluster!

📍 Where: Ejersa Lafo, Ejere, Dembela, Dandi, and Dukem.
📈 The Impact: 172 youth leaders trained and equipped to mentor their peers! This includes 105 young women, 63 young men, and 4 youth from disadvantaged backgrounds (3 female, 1 male).

Over two action-packed days, our young leaders dove into five core modules designed to build both professional capacity and personal resilience:
• Self-Awareness & Vision Mapping (finding their "why" and where they want to lead)
• Asset Identification (leveraging local resources within their communities)
• Self-Employment vs. Wage Employment (navigating the modern economy)
• Feasibility Checking (making data-backed, realistic career choices)

By building the capacity of these 172 leaders, we are starting a powerful chain reaction of mentorship. They are now ready to step up in their communities, guiding fellow youth toward dignified work and a sustainable, shared future.

The momentum doesn't stop here. YNSD will keep investing, empowering, and transforming!

26/06/2026

Keeping the momentum going in Yirgalem!

We recently concluded our second round of Package-Based Training for U-Report Champions in Yirgalem. This impactful initiative was conducted in close partnership with Beza for Generation (B4G) and UNICEF Ethiopia.

The training brought together passionate young leaders from Yirgalem and surrounding communities to strengthen their skills in:
· Youth volunteerism & advocacy
· Leadership & communication
· Community mobilization

Participants also received hands-on orientation on how to maximize the U-Report platform to drive meaningful youth participation and social change.
Impact by the Numbers:
📊 100 total youth participants trained
👩 66 women | 👨 34 men
🤝 Inclusion matters: The cohort proudly included 2 youth with disabilities (1 man & 1 woman) actively leading the way.

The enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by these young change-makers reaffirm the vital role youth play in shaping their communities. A huge thank you to all participants, facilitators, and partners who made this event a success!

Together, we are empowering young voices and building stronger, more engaged communities.

25/06/2026

The Future4Binti Program Formally Launches in Oromia, Yabello
We recently gathered stakeholders at the Nigat Hotel in Yabello town for the official launch and stakeholder engagement workshop of the Future4Binti program. This 5-year initiative is focused on addressing and eliminating harmful practices, specifically Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage (CM), within the Amhara, Oromia, Afar, and Somali regions. This specific event marks a major milestone for the Oromia implementation.
This multi-sectoral effort relies on a strong collaborative network. Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ethiopia, led by Amref Health Africa, and co-led by Plan International and Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD), is one of the implementing partners of the program in the Amhara and Oromia regions.
The launch event brought together 50+ stakeholders from different governmental sectors at national, regional, and zonal levels, alongside community-based organizations (CBOs) and religious leaders, to establish a unified operational roadmap. The agenda included detailed technical briefings on the 5-year strategy, panel discussions addressing regional bottlenecks, and a site visit to the One-Stop Center in Yabello town.
A defining milestone of the workshop was the formal signing of a commitment framework. Rather than a simple formality, this signing represents a practical pledge of cross-sectoral accountability. By putting pen to paper, leaders from the Women & Social Affairs, Finance, Health, Education, and Justice sectors agreed to align their resources and mandates to actively support the Future4Binti program. Crucially, key community structures, including the Abba Gada's, religious leaders, and women's groups, also signed their commitment to protect adolescent girls and young women in their communities.
With this agreement in place, our focus now shifts to ex*****on and the delivery of measurable, lasting change over the next five years.