THE YOUTH FESTIVAL 2023
“BE INSPIRED, OWN YOUR FUTURE!”
MILLENNIUM HALL, ADDIS ABABA
APRIL 29 and 30, 2023
Background
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Youth Activity Kefeta is organizing The Youth Festival – “Be Inspired, Own Your Future” on April 29 and 30, 2023 at the Addis Ababa’s Millennium Hall.
Amref Health Africa (Amref), the lead implementing partner, is planning The Youth Festival 2023 in collaboration with its consortium partners, Miella Events, The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Addis Ababa City Administration, development partners, and the private sector.
Through this first of its kind annual youth festival, Amref’s vision is to celebrate, connect, inspire, and empower Ethiopian youth during this two-day festival. More than 10,000, young people will participate in a variety of activities: peace forum and intergenerational dialogues, inspirational youth change-maker stories and fireside chats, youth-targeted skill training labs on technology, business and entrepreneurship, communications and youth health and well-being, a tech village bringing innovations and planting seeds in young people’s mind, sports and games, a market fair for youth product exchanges, comedy nights and music concerts featuring young performers, and much more.
The Youth Festival is part of the five-year USAID Integrated Youth Activity-Kefeta launched in March 2022 to elevate two million youth in18 cities by building their agency and capacity for advocacy, linking them to economic opportunities, and improving their access to youth friendly services.
FESTIVAL GOALS
#Celebrate youth: The festival will bring 10,000 youth together to #celebrate their contribution to society, and positively engage them in a series of activities ranging from fun concerts to educational exchanges.
#Connect youth: The festival will #connect youth from different walks of life. There will be cultural exchange, experience sharing and networking among youth from different parts of the country.
#Inspire youth: The festival will #inspire youth by engaging them with well-known prominent figures and youth change-makers to facilitate learning and sharing of ideas and engage them with entrepreneurs and successful community leaders who can serve as role models.
#Empower youth: The festival will #empower youth with various skill-building opportunities ranging from communications, to coding and entrepreneurship skills.
#Promote services & products of the youth: The festival will #promote youth-led businesses and connect them with private companies with potential for partnership and learning through market fairs.
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
THEME 1: ARTS, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Concert: ‘A’ listed musicians, including Rophnan, Veronica Adane, Nina Girma, Jambo Jottee, Asege Dendesho, and Mesfin Birhane, will be performing and attracting youth followers.
Comedy nights: Comedy nights featuring comedians Zedo, Dereje, Filfilu, Beki 4 kilo, and Muaz Jemal are in the lineup to entertain youth.
Art gallery show: Talented youth will showcase their painting, art, and photography skills through a gallery walk-through.
Smart film workshop: Youth who have participated in Zeleman Production’s smart film training will showcase their final products and the finalists will be awarded during the festival.
Talent shows: Youth of various talents will take the stage to perform in circus, dance, music, and poetry reading.
Sports and games: Various carnival games including table tennis, football, darts and other traditional games will be made available for youth.
THEME 2: YOUTH-LED DIALOGUES
Spotlight on youth changemaker stories: Youth who are leading powerful change initiatives in their communities will share their stories of change to inspire other youth participants.
High-level fire-side chats: Policy makers, successful and prominent personalities, and young entrepreneurs and business people will exchange on health, education, and youth economic empowerment through fire-side chats or informal panel discussions.
Inter-generational dialogues: Youth advocates and stakeholders from different sectors of civil society, private sector, and institutions of higher learning, will hold open dialogue on challenges and solutions to promote youth economic empowerment, education and quality youth-friendly health services.
Peace forum: Youth will exchange ideas in a forum on peacebuilding and conflict resolution to come up with solutions that respond to their context.
THEME 3: YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES
Kefeta social grants: In partnership with Awash Bank ‘Tatariwochu’, an initiative that aims to support the cultivation of potential entrepreneurs across Ethiopia by awarding top winning business ideas, Kefeta will contribute additional funding to selected youth with business ideas supporting community engagement activities.
Skills-building training camps: Creative and fun learning methodology will be used during this training hour for youths, to gain an understanding of key topics on advocacy, wellness, employability and entrepreneurship, access to finance and much more.
Trade fair and business-to-business forums: Youth business start-ups will exhibit their goods and services and engage with successful business leaders in business-to-business forums.
Tech Village: Youth will have the exposure and opportunity to try out new technological advancements such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
THEME 4: EVIDENCE, PARTNERSHIP AND DECISION MAKERS
Evidence Corner: a platform for exchange will be set up for organizations working with youth to disseminate research findings and learnings from their program implementation.
Partners Corner: A gallery walk-through where local and international partners working with youth and for youth will showcase youth centric projects and activities for the festival community.
THEME 5: KEFETA YOUTH FRIENDLY SERVICE CORNERS
Kefeta Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO): Youth will be oriented on the benefits of savings and credits, receive membership guidance and SACCO registration.
Youth Well-being: Counselling services including family planning counselling, voluntary counselling for HIV and STI, and psychological/social counselling will be available during the festival. Vital signs screening and blood donation corners will also be set up to check on youth well-being.
CONTACT
Chalachew Tiruneh, Kefeta Chief of Party, AMREF Health Africa
Tel: +251944284525
Email: [email protected]
Kibrewosen Worku, Kefeta Senior Knowledge Management and Communications Advisor, AMREF Health Africa
Tel: +251911233941,
Email: [email protected]
Kenaw Gebreselassie, Communications Manager, AMREF Health Africa
Tel: +251911704787
Email: [email protected]
Tirumich Yimer, Lead Event Organizer, AMREF Health Africa
Tel: +251912502864
Email: [email protected]
Shewit Tesfaye, Miella Events
Tel: +25121384748
Email: [email protected]
