Written by Candrice Aling & Mohamed Barrie, 2022 YLC Members

Today, our planet is home to the largest generation of young people with more than 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 - 24. Young people are becoming more aware of the social challenges faced within their communities but efforts to mobilize and be part of the solution are often disregarded by decision-makers under the pretext that young people are too immature to contribute to positive change. But we believe that a safe and healthier world can only be achieved when youth are actively involved in discussions around the big issues currently facing the world and not only be seen as the “leaders of tomorrow.”

Creating a Space for Young People

At YLabs, we design with the youth, not for the youth. How do we do this in the Youth Leadership Cohort? By working with mentors and designing projects on issues affecting young people, sharing our expertise, and giving our unique perspective on ongoing projects to improve young people’s health and economic opportunity. During our program, we are also trained on how to apply a human-centered design approach to our individual projects.

Youth at the Heart of Decision-Making

The desire to make the world more diverse, equitable, and inclusive has never been greater and youth inclusion can be one of the most effective ways to break barriers and build a sustainable world for everyone. This is because young people bring fresh perspectives to the world and a unique ability to think up creative solutions that can help world leaders during the decision-making process and inform funding priorities and policy-making.

“Being part of the Youth Leadership Cohort at YLabs has been instrumental in my professional growth journey and I’m happy to be representing young people by providing relevant insights on issues that are affecting them. ”

— Mohamed Barrie

Lessons Learned from Human-Centered Design

We’ve had the opportunity to assist in projects like Tegura Ejo Heza; a youth-driven, holistic digital learning and self-care platform aimed at increasing mental health literacy for youth ages 10-19 through human-centered design and it is quite inspiring to see youth speak up and be the voice and change they want to see.

“One of the things that struck me is how empathy is an important principle while designing for the community – I’ve learned to always listen to the needs of the people rather than coming up with conclusions of what I think they need.”

— Candrice Aling

We feel honored to have been part of YLabs, an organization that empowers, nurtures, and pushes youth to believe in themselves! If you’re a young adult who is interested in promoting the health and economic wellbeing of young people around the world, we recommend that you apply for the Youth Leadership Cohort 2023.

Inspired by this story? If you’re a young leader committed to improving young people’s health and economic opportunity, consider applying to our 2023 Youth Leadership Cohort!