Rural Youth
As the farmers and producers of tomorrow, rural young people have the potential to feed the world's growing population.
Our Future is Here - IFAD
A global, youth-led campaign to raise awareness of the untapped potential of rural young people to feed nations, boost economies and end extreme poverty for good.
The campaign involves some of Africa’s brightest rising stars from dance and music to help capture the energy and creativity of young people to call on world leaders to invest in their futures.
#DanceforChange
TikTok, a media app for creating and sharing short videos, have joined the campaign and are helping to launch Dance For Change — a global dance challenge in support of creating more opportunities for young people in rural areas around the world.
Inspired by the message and opportunity to use its platform to share such an important cause, TikTok is bringing the issue to life through the innovative in-app hashtag campaign and will use its global reach to distribute it to its millions of monthly users.
IFAD will use the video creations to create a virtual petition and within its ongoing advocacy efforts to call on world leaders to increase funding for agriculture and create opportunities for young people in rural areas of Africa and developing countries around the world.
Young innovators
At IFAD, we understand that investing in rural youth is crucial for boosting national economies and helping to end global poverty and hunger.
The potential returns of investing in young people are boundless in terms of food security, poverty reduction, employment generation, as well as peace and political stability.
Young people are better at taking risks, innovating and adopting new technology. These skills will be critical for reforming food systems and adapting to the global challenge of climate change.
Bringing young voices to the table
Agriculture is key to driving Africa’s development, creating a vibrant future with zero hunger and creating jobs for young people across the continent.
IFAD-supported projects and activities help young people access the resources, assets and services they need to be productive and have a positive impact on their communities.
We promote youth-sensitive development, incorporating the needs and aspirations of young people into many of our projects, and supporting innovative proposals and initiatives.
We also provide training and support to create rural employment and enterprise options that are appropriate for young people, in both the farm and the non-farm sector.
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