YORI -Youth Rise International, Winneba (2026)

19/09/2026

Livelihoods Empowerment Against Violence & Exploitation
(L.E.A.V.E).

17/09/2026

AFRICAN UNION LAUNCHES STRATEGIC PLAN ON PEACE AND SECURITY

The African Union Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) has launched its Strategic Plan 2026–2028, with a focus on closing the gap between continental commitments and implementation.

The Plan highlights key areas for engagement, including women’s meaningful participation in processes, conflict prevention, protection, recovery and reintegration, accountability, and sustainable financing.

The Office will work with Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, and other partners to advance these priorities and strengthen coordination and accountability.

Read all about it: https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20260915/au-office-special-envoy-women-peace-and-security-launches-2026-2028

Source: African Union ECOSOCC

17/09/2026

WE ARE ENDING THE ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY THAT MAKES RURAL WOMEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV).

YORI -Youth Rise International and it's communities are ending IPV through economic empowerment for women in rural communities where extreme poverty combined with economic vulnerability triggers diverse violence against women (VAW).

To dismantle this endemic economic trigger, we are equipping at-risk and vulnerable rural women with market-relevant and demand-driven TVET skills. This week has seen another cohort of selected women receiving different TVET skills and are equipped to start their own businesses in order to become economically self-reliant.

"I sell ice-cream in my community. Usually, my customers ask of pastries, but because I can't make it myself, I buy from someone and sell. Unfortunately my profit margin is usually small and doesn't help me to take good care of my kids. But through the training am receiving from , am going back to my community to make the pastries myself. With this, I am confident that I will make enough profit to provide for my family. Thank you for empowering me" said Salomey, one of the project constituents.

This is just one of the many stories that inspires us to continue this important work of liberal rural women from IPV.

Stay tuned for more update as we journey together towards creating SAFER FAMILIES, SAFER COMMUNITIES WITH HAPPY CHILDREN."

The Livelihoods Empowerment Against Violence and Exploitation (LEAVE) is under our CSSF_ project supported by STAR-Ghana Foundation and West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) with funding from Comic Relief and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

Brandie Dieterle Raddadi Mastercard Foundation Global Fund for Women EPIC-Africa Liberian Women Empowerment Network-LIWEN UNFPA Ghana UN Women CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

15/09/2026

URGENTLY PROTECT CSOs AND POLICY ACTIVISTS
TO MAXIMIZE DEMOCRATIC DIVIDENDS.

YORI -Youth Rise International joins the global community to celebrate the International Day of Democracy 2026.

However, as we celebrate this day, urgently calls for immediate action to prioritize the safety and protection of CSOs Leaders, Policy Activists and Advocates around the world especially in Africa where support is lacking or very scanty. This is on the basis that they are essential players in democratic governance which is grounded in international human rights laws guaranteed by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which has also found practical expressions in various national constitutions globally.

This overdue call is more urgent than before at a time when, today, according to the CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Monitor Report, consistently, the civic space globally is shrinking and civil society activists, advocates and CSO leaders have been under serious attacks, persecutions and diverse forms of harassments despite the essential work they do and critical role they play in shaping and sustaining democracy.

Yet undeniably, no country can practice democracy in its true sense without the critical role being played by civil society leaders, activists and advocates. For instance, with the majority of the population of Africa living in rural and very remote communities, poor and marginalized, the only way their needs, aspirations and voices can be heard or dully represented in the decision-making spectrum and policy cycles is through the work of CSOs leaders and activists.

For instance, at the heart of our work is advocacy and policy influencing. And to achieve this, on a daily basis, we collect data as we engage with our communities, key stakeholders and the very vulnerable population groups we serve. These data serve as the basis for our advocacy and policy influencing work which has undoubtedly shaped several national, regional and global conversations, policies and programs.

Nevertheless, just like many CSOs, CSOs leaders and activists globally, we have had our fair share of diverse "targeting" and "persecutions" over the years. Such unfortunate negative experiences have forced many CSO leaders and activists into exile and silence. Sadly, such exile or silence deprives millions of the voiceless and marginalized populations of true representation which further drives them deeper to the margin of development and deprive them of quality of life.

As we commemorate the International Day of Democracy, we call on the United Nations, African Union, African Union ECOSOCC and Council of the European Union to urgently partner with and CSOs around the world to put together and fund an easily accessible program that ensure that CSO leaders at the frontline of demanding for human dignity and driving advocacy for policy reforms and systemic change are safe and protected.

We call for an urgent scheme and support system for CSOs leaders and activists and their families. This will be such a critical demonstration of genuine solidarity thereby safeguarding the important work they do and sustaining the democratic dividends.

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) STAR-Ghana Foundation Comic Relief Global Fund for Women EPIC-Africa Brandie Dieterle Raddadi Citizens Platform on Constitutional Reforms

15/09/2026

RE-BUILDING SAFER FAMILIES WHERE CHILDREN ARE LOVED, HAPPY AND THRIVING.

YORI -Youth Rise International is on a mission to re-build happy families where children thrive and realize their full potentials.

However, such a dream is not the reality of thousands and millions of children especially those in rural communities in Ghana and across Africa.

Through no fault of theirs, these children are born into extreme poverty, abusive, violent and broken families giving them a rough start in life.

Thankfully, and its communities are changing this narrative through our innovative LIVELIHOODS EMPOWERMENT AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION (L.E.A.V.E) community-led initiative.

Through the alternative livelihoods and income-generating assistance, families are re-gaining control over their finances; lack of which, has been a major trigger of family tension, conflicts and violence in our communities.

is confident that, such strategic support will ultimately re-build broken families and restore their dignity sustainably.

The L.E.A.V.E initiative is under our CSSF_ project with support from STAR-Ghana Foundation and West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) and funding from Comic Relief and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

Mastercard Foundation Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection New Horizon Charity Foundation EPIC-Africa Liberian Women Empowerment Network-LIWEN Life Church International Lomé UN Women UNFPA Ghana

15/09/2026

"SAFER FAMILIES, SAFER COMMUNITIES WITH HAPPY CHILDREN NOW!"

YORI -Youth Rise International envisions "Africa without poverty but empowered youth and thriving families by 2063."

At the heart of achieving this vision is a passion to mobilize and partner with our communities to co-create safer families and safer communities where children are happy, safe and protected from all forms of violence and abuse.

And through our LIVELIHOODS EMPOWERMENT AGAINST VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION (L.E.A.V.E) initiative, we are seeing this happening.

This week, another batch of vulnerable and marginalized rural women who are experiencing diverse forms of violence and struggles are receiving economic skills and financial literacy.

Like the precious batches, they are walking away with practical skills and some technical and logistical assistance to set up their own income-generating businesses.

Our goal is that, these women, who hitherto, due to economic vulnerability were exposed to various violence will be liberated and become financially self-reliant.

And through such economic empowerment, they will be free from all forms of abuse and violence while providing quality care and needed support for their families especially their children.

Here is the exciting news: our field monitoring and evaluations demonstrated the significant transformation in the lives of the families from the previous batches clearly validating the impacts of our women economic empowerment model.

The L.E.A.V.E initiative is part of the CSSF_ project with support from STAR-Ghana Foundation and West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) and funding from Comic Relief and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. We are excited that together, we can, co-create safer families and safer communities with happy children.

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

UN Women CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Survivor Alliance Global Fund for Women GIZ Ghana Mastercard Foundation Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

14/09/2026

SHIFTING THE POWER: THE URGENT NEED TO DE-COLONIZE AID AND PHILANTHROPY.

YORI -Youth Rise International strongly believes in and advocates for the urgent need to de-colonize aid and mainstream the principles of among development partners globally.

Our passion for this global movement is the urgent need to prioritize community-centredness, organizational sustainability, respect for indigenous and local-led organizations and mutual accountability.

This is the exact opposite of the rather "out-dated", "disruptive" and "colonial-style" of grant-making and philanthropy being practiced today until the emergence of the movement.

Unequivocally, to lead local or community level development grounded in westernized metrics, indicators and extremely stressful requirements usually to the detriments of the quality of project delivery and local CSOs hasn't produced the real impacts and project sustainability.

Besides, a grant-making and philanthropy model that only focus on meeting donor requirements and upward accountability won't produce the required impacts.

That is why we strongly believe it's time to ask the uncomfortable questions:
1. Who holds the power and whose interest is being served? the people, the community or the funding organization?
2. Who makes the final decision regarding resources, what needs to be done and how it must be done?
3. Whose voice matter and who must we be accountable to: the people, the community or the donor?

Undoubtedly, these thoughts-provoking questions grounded in the ethos of movement demands solemn reflection and action.

Undeniably, here is the hard truth: if the current "colonial-style" of grant-making and philanthropy that serves the interest of the funding agency, deepens the existing power imbalances, diminishes the role of the people and local communities among others continue, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and lasting community transformation will only be a mirage.

That is why calls on all international development partners to reflect on the viability, sustainability and context-relevant nature of their grant-making and philanthropy model. Maybe it's time to openly admit that, just because the old way of working has been there for decades does not mean it's worth keeping!

Nevertheless, we are confident that such critical reflection will lead to one conclusion: the old way is not achieving real and sustainable impacts sparking the urgent need to change the way aid is managed and development is practiced.

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

Comic Relief STAR-Ghana Foundation African Union West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Zambian Governance Foundation CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation Mastercard Foundation United Nations Freedom United Brandie Dieterle Raddadi UN Women

13/09/2026

“We will not give up.”

“The United Nations is a living promise – a promise that despite our differences, we will solve problems together.”

Secretary-General António Guterres has pledged the UN will never give up its critical work with and for people around the globe to build a better future for all.

He said solidarity and justice must prevail, including in our often unsettling, rapidly-changing world.

“Even in the rough seas of today, we can anchor our action in peace, dignity, and hope.”

Source: United Nations

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

09/09/2026

AFRICA AT THE CENTRE: LEADING CHANGE, SHIFTING POWER

YORI -Youth Rise International last week joined over 200 delegates from across 30 countries in the world at the Continental Convening. At this prestigious and high profile convening were some of the finest experts and intellectuals within the Civil Society ecosystem in Africa and across the globe.

This spectacular convening was opened by Ambassador Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Presidential Special Envoy on Reparations.

Under the timely theme "Africa At The Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power, deep conversations ensured around reparation justice, shifting the power in institutions, partnerships and communities.

A major resolution was about agency for the continent of Africa, the urgent need to leverage on our numbers in terms of population in order to be at the center of global discussions that serves the interests and prioritizes the welfare of the people of Africa.

This was followed by deep conversations around the urgent need to put aside egos, stop working in silos but rather leverage on the power of meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships and collaboration for sustainable development.

was key paradigm that run through the entire 3-days. In that Africa must be of necessity and as a matter of urgency remain at the center driving decisions and power across the continent in the context of reparation justice and development that benefits us the and people of Africa.

This spectacular continental discourse was convened by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in partnership with EPIC-Africa , , (RINGO) and .

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

STAR-Ghana Foundation Comic Relief Zambian Governance Foundation Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office UN Women CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation African Union African Union ECOSOCC Otto per Mille Valdese

03/09/2026

MY AFRICA, YOUR AFRICA AND OUR AFRICA!

YORI -Youth Rise International strongly believes in and supports the continental dream or the , a 50years transformative agenda. It was our deep connection to this African Vision that we co-curated our collective vision of "Africa without poverty and modern slavery but shared prosperity for all citizens, health equity and strong families by 2063.".

Indeed, stands in solidarity with other pan-Africa organizations, CSOs, governments, the faith community, the business community and activists towards achieving the Africa We Want.

More so, it will interest you to know that our passion and commitment to advocacy and policy influencing over the years is geared towards achieving the critical systemic change essential to achieving the Africa We Want.and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Particularly, this week has been an insightful and learning week as we participate in Africa Regional level Convening. Through this Convening, we are sharing our deep indigenous knowledge and grassroots lived experiences to shape continental discourse and narratives as well as building critical strategic alliances and collaborations to advance our collective vision, mission and ultimately the Agenda 2063.

So far, our key take-away is that, there is hope for Africa! That Africa will rise again! As a matter of fact Africa is rising! And in our lifetime we will see Africa becomes great again!

YoRI - Empowered Youth, Thriving Families

African Union CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) Zambian Governance Foundation Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Otto per Mille Valdese African Union ECOSOCC STAR-Ghana Foundation UN Women Comic Relief Global Fund for Women

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