The National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) has taken a significant stride in connecting Ugandan youth advocacy with continental and cross-continental development frameworks, through active participation in the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab — Power of the Collective.

The National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) National Chair, Matte Jockas also HoP at the Wilmat Development Foundation represented the platform at a series of engagements held in Monde Village, Luwero District, Central Region, Uganda. The participation reinforced NYAP’s commitment to amplifying young people’s voices in high-level policy processes and building strategic partnerships across the Africa-Europe development corridor.

01 — Overview About the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab

The AU-EU Youth Voices Lab — Power of the Collective is a four-year initiative co-funded by the European Union, running from March 2024 to February 2028. Implemented by a consortium of five internationally recognised organisations like Oxfam, Restless Development, Search for Common Ground, Youthmakers Hub and ComDev Africa — the programme envisions a society where youth engagement, empowerment and connection actively drive policy-making at local, national, continental and cross-continental levels.

Operating across all 54 African countries, the programme aims to train 24,000 young people aged 15–35 on advocacy-related skills and to establish a digital platform that meaningfully integrates youth voices into the AU-EU Partnership at all levels.

Key Programme Pillars

02 — Representation NYAP’s Participation

Through this engagement, NYAP joined a collective of youth-led organisations and advocacy networks from across Africa and Europe, contributing to a shared vision of a more inclusive, youth-responsive society. The engagements provided the National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) with a critical platform to network with peer organisations, exchange best practices and position Ugandan youth voices within the broader continental advocacy framework.

National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP) representation alongside AU-EU Youth Voices Lab delegates “Engage. Empower. Connect.”

03 — Activities Key Engagements Attended

During the programme activities, NYAP’s National Chair Mr. Matte Jockas participated in a series of engagements convened under the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab and its implementing partners, notably Youthmakers Hub. These included:

• a

  Advocacy Skills & Leadership Training

  Participatory training sessions focused on equipping youth advocates with tools for policy engagement, effective communication and community-led accountability. Practical skills were developed through collaborative exercises and real-world case studies.

• b

  Youth Voices Lab Community Engagements

  Engagements brought together youth representatives from across intervention countries to share experiences, co-develop advocacy strategies and build a collective vision for youth participation in decision-making reinforcing the “Power of the Collective” ethos at the heart of the programme.

• c

  Youthmakers Hub Capacity Building

  Sessions focused on social impact, digital advocacy and organisational development, providing NYAP with practical tools to enhance its internal advocacy capacity and digital outreach.

• d

  Intergenerational Dialogue & Networking Forums

  Dialogue forums bridged the gap between youth organisations, CSOs and institutional decision-makers — establishing connections with EU-funded project implementers, pan-African youth networks and diaspora organisations.

Youthmakers Hub capacity-building session  |  Youth participants in an outdoor advocacy training activity

Youth participants celebrating collective energy and solidarity at the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab.

High-energy team activity during training  |  Youth participants engaged during a plenary session

04 — Results Key Takeaways & Outcomes for NYAP

NYAP’s participation yielded concrete outcomes that will strengthen its work in Uganda and beyond: