Kumasi holds a special place in our journey. In October 2023, we came to the city for the AfriConEU Bootcamp at hapaSpace Innovation Hub, part of our first Horizon 2020 project. There, tech hub leaders, startups, and young entrepreneurs worked together on ideas that connect African and European innovation ecosystems. Three years later, almost to the day, we returned with a new focus: young people’s voices.

From 6 to 8 October 2026, Youthmakers Hub organized a 3-day training in Kumasi, Ghana, as part of the AU–EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective programme.

The training, “Lead the Narrative: Communication for Youth Advocacy,” brought together 46 young changemakers (27 women and 19 men), guided by a diverse team of 9 local and international trainers.

The programme unfolded in three connected steps: Connect & Communicate, Strategize & Connect, and Act & Amplify. After team-building activities that turned a room of strangers into a group ready to learn together, participants worked on shaping what they wanted to say and practiced saying it with confidence. They then moved from individual voices to collective action, mapping the people and organizations who could help their ideas grow.

One of the most memorable activities was the one-minute video challenge. In small groups, participants created short videos on issues they felt deserved more attention, learning how much a clear, focused message can carry. 

Lead Trainer Marco Valerio Battaglia saw participants move from having ideas to communicating them with purpose: “That shift, from simply having something to say to knowing how to say it effectively, is exactly what turns passion into influence.”

On the final day, participants put everything into practice through role-playing and pitching, adapting their message to different audiences. The highlight came during the closing pitches, when Nana Yaw Akuoko, Sepaasehene and Otumfuo Asenehene, Ashanti Chiefs, joined the training to listen to the groups present their ideas. Speaking in front of traditional leadership turned practice into a real-life test of everything they had learned.

Participants also explored the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab App, a free mobile app, designed by Youthmakers Hub, that helps young people find learning, funding and networking opportunities. After sharing what young people need when searching for opportunities online, they tested how the app responds. Their input contributes to the app’s co-creation journey with 10,000 young people to be involved.

For Josephine Edu, Trainer and Digital Skills Mentor, the most important takeaway was a simple one: 

“I hope they leave this experience knowing that their voices matter as young people and that they don’t have to wait for the future to become changemakers. They can start right where they are and make a difference today.”

The training closed with a certificate ceremony, networking, and a group photo. With Kumasi, Youthmakers Hub has reached 106 young people through two in-person advocacy trainings in Africa this year, following Uganda, in February 2026. And in Kumasi, the city where our African journey began, the story keeps growing.