LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The Youth Positive Change (YPC) Strategic Plan 2025--2030 presents a comprehensive, ambitious, and results-oriented roadmap for empowering young women and men as agents of positive, inclusive, and sustainable development.

The strategy positions YPC as a credible, accountable, and high-impact youth-led organization, fully aligned with international NGO standards and United Nations frameworks, including the UN Youth Strategy (Youth2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These challenges disproportionately affect girls, young women, youth with disabilities, and other marginalized groups, reinforcing cycles of exclusion and vulnerability.

At the same time, the strategy recognizes young people as a powerful demographic force and a critical driver of innovation, social cohesion, peacebuilding, economic transformation, and climate resilience.

Four Interlinked Strategic Priorities (2025-2030):

Youth Positive Change (YPC) is a youth-led, non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young women and men as agents of positive, inclusive, and sustainable social transformation.

Core Beliefs and Approach

YPC was founded on the belief that young people are not merely beneficiaries of development interventions, but critical drivers of change, innovation, and resilience within their communities. The organization adopts a rights-based, inclusive, and participatory approach that places youth leadership, ownership, and accountability at the center of all its programs and institutional practices.

Delivery Models

The organization operates primarily through community-based and youth-centered delivery models, engaging young people in:

• Schools and educational institutions
• Local communities
• Organized youth clubs and networks

Target Groups

YPC's programming prioritizes inclusive youth development, with a strong focus on reaching and supporting:

• Girls and young women
• Out-of-school youth
• Youth with disabilities
• Other marginalized or vulnerable groups

Partnerships

YPC actively collaborates with:

• Government institutions
• Civil society organizations
• International and national NGOs
• UN agencies
• Academic institutions
• Private sector actors

Youth Positive Change (YPC) is a legally registered, non-profit, and non-partisan youth-led organization operating in full compliance with national laws and regulations governing civil society organizations.

Governance Structure

Compliance and Risk Management

YPC is firmly committed to the principles of good governance, including transparency, accountability, participation, integrity, and effectiveness.

• Compliance: Adheres to donor and partner requirements related to financial management, reporting, safeguarding, anti-fraud, and anti-corruption
• Safeguarding: Applies a zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption, sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based violence, and all forms of discrimination
• Standards: Progressively strengthening internal control systems to meet international NGO and UN standards

4.1 Global and Regional Youth Context

Young people represent one of the largest and most dynamic population groups globally, particularly in Africa, where youth constitute a significant demographic majority. While this presents a powerful opportunity for social, economic, and political transformation, it also poses substantial challenges when young people lack access to quality education, decent employment, health services, and meaningful participation in decision-making processes.

According to global and regional development evidence, youth face interconnected and compounding vulnerabilities linked to:

• Unequal access to quality and inclusive education and digital skills
• High levels of youth unemployment and underemployment
• Limited access to youth-friendly health, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), and mental health services
• Disproportionate exposure to climate change impacts and environmental degradation
• Persistent gender inequalities and social exclusion
• Weak representation in governance, policy dialogue, and economic systems

4.2 Youth as Drivers of Sustainable Development

Despite these challenges, young people are increasingly recognized as key agents of innovation, resilience, and positive change. Evidence from international development research highlights that strategic investments in youth education, skills development, health, entrepreneurship, and leadership generate long-term returns in economic growth, peacebuilding, climate resilience, and social inclusion.

4.3 Strategic Alignment with Global Frameworks

This Strategic Plan is intentionally aligned with key global and regional development frameworks:

4.4 Rationale for Integrated Approach

The complexity of challenges facing young people requires integrated and systems-oriented responses rather than isolated sectoral interventions. This Strategic Plan therefore adopts a holistic, youth-centered approach that:

• Integrates education, health, climate action, and economic empowerment
• Strengthens institutional systems and governance alongside service delivery
• Embeds Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) across all priorities
• Promotes youth leadership, ownership, and accountability
• Leverages partnerships to scale impact and sustainability

4.5 Organizational Positioning

Within this strategic context, Youth Positive Change (YPC) is uniquely positioned to contribute to youth empowerment and sustainable development outcomes. As a youth-led organization with strong community presence and growing institutional capacity, YPC bridges the gap between grassroots realities and national and international development priorities.

This situational analysis examines the internal and external factors influencing Youth Positive Change (YPC)'s capacity to deliver its mandate effectively during the 2025--2030 strategic period.

5.1 Internal Analysis: SWOT

5.2 External Analysis: PESTLE

6.1 Overview

The Theory of Change (ToC) of Youth Positive Change (YPC) articulates how and why the organization's strategic interventions are expected to contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and transformative outcomes for young women and men.

6.2 Problem Statement

Young people face intersecting barriers related to limited access to quality education and digital skills, inadequate health and psychosocial support, unemployment and economic exclusion, climate vulnerability, gender inequality, and limited participation in governance and decision-making.

6.3 Change Pathway

6.4 Strategic Inputs and Interventions

To operationalize this change pathway, YPC will invest in:

• Transformative education and digital skills development
• Youth health, SRH, mental wellbeing, and protection
• Climate action and environmental stewardship
• Economic empowerment and livelihoods
• Organizational excellence, governance, and systems

6.5 Expected Outputs and Outcomes

6.7 Cross-Cutting Principles

6.8 Key Assumptions and Risks

Core Values

8.1 Purpose of the Strategic Framework

The Strategic Framework provides the overall architecture through which Youth Positive Change (YPC) will translate its Vision, Mission, and Theory of Change into measurable results during the period 2025-2030.

8.2 Strategic Logic and Results Chain

8.3 Strategic Pillars and Priorities

8.4 Cross-Cutting Commitments

8.5 Implementation Enablers

• Strong governance and leadership structures
• Robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems
• Strategic partnerships with government, UN agencies, INGOs, private sector, and academia
• Diversified and sustainable resource mobilization
• Skilled and motivated staff, volunteers, and youth leaders

8.6 Strategic Coherence and Alignment

The Strategic Framework ensures coherence and alignment with:

• YPC's legal mandate and governance documents
• National youth, education, climate, and employment policies
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The African Union Youth Agenda and Agenda 2063
• The UN Youth Strategy (Youth2030)

9.1 Goal

To equip young women and men with foundational education, digital competencies, leadership skills, and clear career pathways that enable them to thrive in a rapidly changing socio-economic and technological environment and to contribute meaningfully to community and national development.

9.2 Strategic Rationale

Education, digital skills, and leadership development form the cornerstone of sustainable youth empowerment. However, many young people—particularly girls, out-of-school youth, youth with disabilities, and those living in marginalized communities—continue to face barriers to quality learning, digital inclusion, and leadership opportunities.

9.3 Intended Outcomes (by 2030)

• Young people demonstrate improved literacy, language proficiency, digital skills, and critical thinking
• Youth are empowered as ethical leaders and active participants in civic and community life
• Improved education-to-employment and education-to-entrepreneurship transitions
• Increased and meaningful participation of girls and marginalized youth in learning and leadership spaces
• Strengthened youth confidence, agency, and lifelong learning capacities

9.4 Target Groups

9.5 Key Focus Areas and Strategic Interventions

9.6 Cross-Cutting Approaches

9.7 Partnerships and Delivery Modalities

Partnerships with schools, educational institutions, government ministries, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and universities. Delivery through youth clubs, community platforms, peer education, and blended learning approaches.

9.9 Contribution to Global Frameworks

10.1 Goal

To empower young women and men as leaders of climate action and environmental sustainability, strengthening community resilience while promoting green innovation, sustainable livelihoods, and climate justice.

10.2 Strategic Rationale

Climate change is one of the most significant threats to sustainable development and disproportionately affects young people and vulnerable communities. Young people represent a powerful force for environmental stewardship, innovation, and advocacy.

10.3 Intended Outcomes (by 2030)

• Young people demonstrate increased climate knowledge, environmental awareness, and sustainable behaviors
• Youth-led environmental initiatives contribute to ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation, and community resilience
• Green enterprises and climate-smart innovations led by youth are established, strengthened, and scaled
• Youth meaningfully participate in climate governance, advocacy, and policy dialogue
• Increased leadership of girls and marginalized youth in climate action and environmental decision-making

10.5 Key Focus Areas and Strategic Interventions

10.9 Contribution to Global Frameworks

11.1 Goal

To enhance youth economic resilience and self-reliance by equipping young women and men with market-relevant skills, entrepreneurial capacities, financial inclusion, and access to sustainable livelihood opportunities, contributing to inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction.

11.2 Strategic Rationale

Youth unemployment and underemployment remain among the most pressing development challenges. Young women, youth with disabilities, and marginalized groups face additional structural barriers. At the same time, young people represent a critical engine for innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and local economic transformation.

11.3 Intended Outcomes (by 2030)

• Youth-led enterprises and cooperatives are established, strengthened, and sustainably scaled
• Young people, especially women and marginalized groups, gain market-ready skills and access to decent work
• Youth increase access to financial services, savings mechanisms, and investment opportunities
• Improved youth income, productivity, and economic resilience
• Local economies benefit from youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation

11.5 Key Focus Areas and Strategic Interventions

11.9 Contribution to Global Frameworks

12.1 Goal

To build Youth Positive Change (YPC) into a professional, accountable, well-governed, gender-responsive, and financially sustainable youth organization capable of delivering high-quality, inclusive, and scalable impact in partnership with national and international actors.

12.2 Strategic Rationale

Strong, accountable, and resilient institutions are essential for sustainable youth development and effective program delivery. Limited core funding, evolving systems, and capacity gaps present risks to organizational sustainability if not proactively addressed.

12.3 Intended Outcomes (by 2030)

• YPC operates in full compliance with national regulations and international NGO standards
• Governance and leadership structures are transparent, effective, and accountable
• Staff, volunteers, and youth leaders demonstrate strengthened technical, managerial, and leadership capacities
• YPC has diversified, predictable, and sustainable funding sources
• Gender Equality, Social Inclusion, safeguarding, and accountability are fully integrated across systems and programs
• YPC is recognized as a credible and trusted partner in youth-focused development initiatives

12.4 Key Focus Areas and Strategic Interventions

12.5 Gender Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI) Integration

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion are embedded as core institutional principles, guiding governance, staffing, programming, and partnerships.

Key Focus Areas:

• Promote girls' education, leadership, and meaningful participation at all organizational levels
• Engage boys and men as positive allies in challenging harmful gender norms
• Prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and discrimination
• Ensure inclusion of youth with disabilities and other marginalized groups

12.9 Contribution to Global Frameworks

Cross-cutting themes represent foundational principles that guide all programs, partnerships, and institutional practices of Youth Positive Change (YPC).

13.6 Integration Across Strategic Priorities

These cross-cutting themes are embedded across all four strategic priorities and operationalized through planning tools, MEAL systems, capacity building, and partnership frameworks.

Total Estimated Budget (2025-2030): USD 8,500,000

Budget by Strategic Priority

Annual Phasing of Strategic Budget

Budget by Cost Category

Indicative Funding Sources

STRATEGIC TARGETS 2025-2030

The Youth Positive Change (YPC) Strategic Plan 2025-2030 presents a coherent, ambitious, and achievable roadmap for empowering young women and men as drivers of inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable development.

Through four interlinked strategic priorities, YPC commits to delivering integrated, high-quality interventions that strengthen youth capacities, protect rights, promote resilience, and create lasting opportunities.

This Strategic Plan reflects YPC's alignment with national development priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Youth Strategy (Youth2030). It provides a strong foundation for partnership with government institutions, United Nations agencies, international and national NGOs, donors, the private sector, and communities.

As YPC looks toward the future, this Strategic Plan represents both a commitment and an invitation: a commitment to integrity, excellence, and youth-centered impact, and an invitation to partners and stakeholders to join in advancing a shared vision of empowered youth leading a more inclusive, just, and sustainable world.