Celebrating Two Years of Partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation
August 12, 2024
On International Youth Day 2024, we’re celebrating the second anniversary of our partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation (ZZF), a collaboration designed to empower young people to succeed as innovative job creators and well-qualified job seekers, while addressing issues of social equity, mental health, and sustainable development.
Launching Our Partnership
Two years ago, on International Youth Day 2022, JA Worldwide proudly announced our partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation. “The partnership integrates the education and economic ecosystems of the countries in which we work,” said JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani in 2022, “leading to long-term sustainability that will impact the lives of more than 550,000 young people across nine African countries.”
Grégory Renand, Head of Z Zurich Foundation, agreed. “JA is best known for utilizing volunteers to deliver educational experiences. We are very proud of this new partnership, delivering interventions and skill-based expertise with the aim to create brighter futures in Africa, building on impactful programs we’ve already built with JA around the world. The Z Zurich Foundation’s expertise on social equity and mental well-being nicely complements JA’s track record in building resilience and self-efficacy in young people.”
The launch event included inspiring speeches and a video link showcasing the potential impact of the partnership. The shared vision was clear: to create sustainable, long-term benefits for the next generation.
In addition to this exciting partnership announcement, Grégory and Asheesh co-authored a thought-leadership piece for the World Economic Forum blog, “Building resilience and youth entrepreneurship in Africa.”
Introducing the JA-ZZF Social Equity Program
During our first year, we launched the Social Equity Program (SEP)—a joint initiative between JA Worldwide, JA Africa, and Z Zurich Foundation (ZZF)—to tackle the challenges of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET), while addressing the issues of social equity, mental health, and sustainable development.
At the core of the program is entrepreneurship training, designed to empower young individuals to start businesses, employ others, and be equipped with the skills they need for the work world, whether they are starting a job search or creating their own job opportunities. The program is crafted to equip participants with the essential knowledge needed to launch and sustain social enterprises and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for social equality and economic growth.
Focusing on Mental Wellbeing
SEP integrates content on mental health and wellbeing developed by UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, to improve program outcomes. To determine which content to use, in 2023, JA Africa piloted mental-health tools and content developed by UNICEF under the University of Pretoria’s ethics-approved pilot study, and then assessed the results. The social emotional skills (SES) content selected and adapted was a result of those pilots and assessments.
Most participants (96%) appreciated the program's effectiveness in various mental health and well-being aspects. 65% of respondents -attested to the program's significant role in enhancing their mental wellbeing as individuals and in academic pursuits and professional endeavors. This insight from the year-end survey is noteworthy because it reflects the program's potential in skill development and in raising awareness about the importance of mental health in achieving overall life success.
To further promote mental wellbeing among Africa’s youth and educators, JA Africa organized two impactful webinars. The first, "Your Mental Well-being: Your Wealth #LetsTalk," featured Dr. Rita Sonko, a public-health physician and Founder/CEO of Body Mind Wellness Clinic, as moderater, with a keynote speech by Dr. Joanna Lai, Health Specialist at UNICEF HQ. Panelists, including mental health specialists and JA alumni, shared personal experiences, fostering insightful discussions.
The second webinar targeted educators, showcasing real-life case studies and empowering them to address mental health challenges effectively, thus enhancing student well-being.
Celebrating our First Year of Impact
In its first year, SEP trained over 10,000 young people through workshops, training sessions, and mentorship programs. These initiatives focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education, enabling youth to acquire critical skills for their future careers and entrepreneurial endeavors.
391 individuals have secured full-time employment
2,369 have obtained part-time employment
1,724 have become self-employed
6,372 are actively seeking employment
In its pilot year, the JA-ZZF partnership facilitated 135 SEP bootcamps for over 17,000 young people in Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa that resulted in 454 social equity projects. Participants formed teams, identified the biggest challenges in their communities, and came up with solutions. In addition to entrepreneurship and financial skill building, participants gained knowledge in project management and team management.
The first year of the program culminated in the inaugural AfrInnovate Youth Challenge (AYC), showcasing the social equity projects that positively impacted communities in Uganda, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire. At this culminating event, three teams—Red Heart from Côte d'Ivoire, Transcendence from South Africa, and Bed Mot from Uganda—presented their innovative ideas in health, technology, and environmental sustainability to a panel of judges comprised of employee volunteers from Zurich Insurance Group and other esteemed organizations. According to one of the participants, Team Red Heart from Côte d’Ivoire, “We were taught how to be leaders, how to be managers, how to be innovative, and not to stop because you’ve hit a wall.” SEP equips young people with the tools they need to be positive change agents not only in their communities but also in their countries. “We have learned to work as a team. We have learned how to overcome challenges,” said South Africa team Transcendence.
The winning team, Bed Mot from Uganda, impressed the judges with its environmentally sustainable bricks made from plastic waste, securing $5,000 in seed funding to support expansion of the business. Check out the compelling story of the 2023 AYC winner, Bed Mot—and its founder, Odyek Haron, who dropped out of school at age 16 as was classified as NEET, or “not in education, employment, or vocational training” before meeting his future business partners in a JA Uganda SEP bootcamp—in the video below.
Launching JA Career Connect
In November 2023, JA Africa, in collaboration with ZZF and Google, unveiled JA Career Connect, a cloud-based platform connecting young African talent with global employment opportunities. Accenture in Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted the event, which aligned with JA-ZZF's commitment to nurture youth for a bright, boundless future.
Deepening Impact in Year 2
In August 2023, SEP returned for Year 2, deepening our impact on youth in Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, and Uganda:
Côte d’Ivoire: The second year of the SEP in Côte d'Ivoire is reaching 6,000 participants in Abidjan, Bassam, and Yamoussoukro, more than double the reach in our inaugural year.
South Africa: In its second year in South Africa, JA Africa and JA South Africa is facilitating SEP for 10,000 South Africans ages 16–35, fostering job creation and equipping them with essential skills.
Uganda: SEP in Uganda is set to reach 20,000 out-of-school youth ages 16–25 during its second year.
Expanding Reach to Four Additional African Countries
In 2024, SEP is also expanding to Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Togo, part of a broader strategy to reach underserved regions and provide more young people with the tools they need to succeed.
Burkina Faso: In collaboration with Association GEFED, CFPEM-ESIM Group, and Association des Jeunes Leaders pour le Développement (AJLD), SEP aims to reach over 1,200 Burkinabe youth. Participants will benefit from comprehensive entrepreneurship, leadership, and employability skills training and create lasting social impact in their communities.
DRC: Over the course of the year, at least 3,200 Congolese youth will receive comprehensive training designed to enhance their entrepreneurial abilities, financial literacy, and work readiness skills. SEP will equip the next generation with the tools they need to succeed in today's dynamic world.
Tanzania: JA Africa and E3empower Africa are working together to bring SEP to Tanzania, marking a crucial step forward in youth empowerment in the country. SEP will benefit a minimum of 5,200 individuals ages 16–35, with a focus on fostering job creation and imparting essential skills.
Togo: Through JA Africa and YMCA Togo, SEP will reach at least 1,200 participants aged 16–35 in Togo. The program will help cultivate job creation and participants will acquire invaluable tools to drive positive change in their communities.
Looking Ahead
As we enter the third year of this impactful partnership, our focus remains on expanding our reach to additional countries around the world and deepening the impact of our programs, and building on work already in progress to expand them globally The collaboration with the Z Zurich Foundation continues to be a powerful force in empowering the next generation of leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We’re excited to continue working together to empower young people around the world and build a more resilient and prosperous society
We celebrate the successes of the past two years and look forward to many more years of impactful collaboration. Together, JA Worldwide and the Z Zurich Foundation are creating a brighter future for young people everywhere.
