African Youth Academy 2025

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From the Blue Community Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone:

Participation in the Youth Academy 2025.

Day 1 (August 31): Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone is honored to be part of Day 1 at the #YouthAcademy2025 At this important gathering of young leaders from the African #Youth4Adaptation Network, with participants from more than 50 countries, Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone proudly represented our nation, Sierra Leone .

Today’s sessions laid the foundation for our work ahead, focusing on:

Proposal Writing

Budgeting

Grant Management

These in-person trainings are equipping us with practical tools to design impactful projects and create lasting change in our communities. With the support of small grants from GCA, we will take these lessons home and strengthen climate adaptation efforts at the national level.

Grateful to the Kenya School of Government, the University of Nairobi, the University of Groningen, and the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology for making this possible.

Day 2 (September 1) at the #YouthAcademy2025 : Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone is honoured to continue learning and contributing to this transformative journey on adaptation leadership.

Today, youth voices from Eastern Africa took centre stage:

Burundi |

Djibouti |

Ethiopia |

Kenya |

Rwanda |

Seychelles |

Somalia |

South Sudan |

Tanzania |

Uganda.

The sessions explored:

Fundamentals of climate adaptation by University of Groningen

Implementation, replication & monitoring by MMUST – Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (Official)

Climate Change Policy by United Nations Development Programme – UNDP

Sunrise is proud to be part of a network that is building knowledge, strengthening youth voices, and shaping leaders who will go on to train others.

Day 3: Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone is proud to share that today our Executive Director delivered a presentation at the #YouthAcademy2025, highlighting the unique nature of Sierra Leone, the country’s climate change policies, and the contributions of our organization to advancing climate adaptation and sustainable development.

This global platform brought together delegates from over 50 countries across 4 continents. It was an honor for Sunrise to represent Sierra Leone and to contribute to discussions that centered on training, development, and facilitation, with participants working collaboratively to design educational program models for diverse contexts.

Engaging in these dialogues reaffirmed the importance of equipping young people with the skills to teach, inspire, and scale impact. Such opportunities strengthen our collective capacity to build long-term resilience in Sierra Leone, across Africa, and around the world.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Global Centre for Adaptation for entrusting young leaders with this responsibility and for their ongoing commitment to ensuring that youth voices remain central in shaping adaptation solutions globally.

Day 5 (September 5) at the #YouthAcademy2025 was a day of deep learning and inspiration for Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone. Our delegation joined fellow participants at the University of Nairobi, Department of Agriculture, where we explored practical approaches to climate-smart agriculture. From innovative irrigation systems to the cultivation of unique African crops, we witnessed firsthand how technology and traditional knowledge are being combined to strengthen resilience and secure Africa’s food systems in the face of climate change.

We also had the privilege of visiting the Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies, established in honour of the late Professor Wangari Maathai. Her sacrifices, leadership, and groundbreaking work in the environmental space continue to inspire movements across Africa and the world. Standing in a space dedicated to her legacy reminded us of the importance of courage, persistence, and innovation in advancing environmental justice.

These visits reinforced Sunrise Movement Sierra Leone’s commitment to promoting community-driven climate adaptation, with agriculture and environmental stewardship at the core of our work. The knowledge and lessons gained today will guide our ongoing efforts to empower young people, strengthen rural resilience, and advance sustainable development in Sierra Leone.