Youth Day of Service (YDoS)

The Youth Day of Service (YDoS), a pan-African initiative led by LEAP Africa harnesses the agency, passion, creativity, and leadership of young people to drive meaningful community action in commemoration of the International Youth Day. The programme continues to serve as a platform for young Africans to move beyond dialogue and contribute directly to sustainable development efforts within their communities.

In the most recent cohort, YDoS recorded significant reach and impact across the continent, with 70 SDG-focused action projects implemented by Project Leads, In-Country Partners, and Regional Partners in 11 African countries. Collectively, these initiatives reached 73,826 beneficiaries and addressed critical development priorities, including poverty reduction, quality education, climate action, gender equality, and inclusive economic growth. The programme also maintained its commitment to inclusion, with participation from marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities (1.3%) and internally displaced persons (0.5%).

Beyond project implementation, YDoS contributed to strengthening participants' understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to local development challenges. Approximately 78% of participants reported a deeper understanding of how the SDGs connect to issues such as poverty alleviation, education access, climate resilience, and gender equity. The programme also strengthened leadership capacity, with 77% of participants reporting improvements in self-leadership skills, 74% indicating enhanced transformative leadership capabilities, and 75% demonstrating stronger commitments to ethical leadership, transparency, accountability, and fairness.

Building on the success of previous cohorts, LEAP Africa has already commenced the call for applications for the next edition of the programme. This new cohort is open to young people across all African countries as part of a deliberate effort to deepen pan-African participation, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and foster a more sustainable continent-wide movement of young leaders committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

We remain grateful to our partners, supporters, and stakeholders whose contributions continue to make this work possible. Together, we are advancing youth leadership, inclusive development, and transformative impact across Africa.