By Karima Rhanem, Senior Managing Editor
The inaugural YES Africa Summit – Youth Empowerment Summit for Africa, led by the Jadara Foundation in partnership with the Pan‑African Youth Union, is taking place in Marrakech on June 19–20, 2025. With over 72 million African youth currently classified as NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the summit aims to elevate African-led responses to a critical and growing challenge.
On the eve of the YES Africa Summit, the city of Marrakech is preparing to host leaders, civil society actors, grassroots organizations, and institutional partners for a pivotal dialogue on the future of African youth. As the continent’s demographic shifts intensify, the exclusion of tens of millions of young people from education and work systems has emerged as a structural crisis—one that calls for coordinated, community-based, and continental action.
“With over 70 million African youth classified as NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), the continent faces a major structural challenge,” Hamid BEN ELAFDIL, president of Jadara Foundation said in an exclusive interview with The New Africa Magazine. “This ever-growing figure reflects a generation often marginalized, undervalued, yet full of immense potential. In the face of such urgency, diagnosis alone is not enough, we must act, hand in hand with those who know the field and are already providing solutions.”
The YES Africa Summit is more than an event—it is conceived as a platform for visibility, dialogue, and co-creation. It brings together NGOs, institutions, companies, youth leaders, and experts who are already building community-rooted, scalable solutions. “We believe the continent’s transformation will come first and foremost from African solutions, for African youth—shared, adapted, and amplified,” BEN ELAFDIL said.
This initiative is grounded in the long-standing experience of the Jadara Foundation, previously known as the Moroccan Student Foundation. Since 2002, the organization has supported more than 3,000 young people across Morocco, offering not only academic scholarships but also comprehensive personal development support.
“At Jadara, the support we offer is long-term, tailored to the path each young person chooses,” BEN ELAFDIL explained. “This journey is far more than academic or financial assistance, it is one of personal transformation, where we instill strong values: perseverance, solidarity, responsibility, and leadership.”
Jadara’s flagship initiative, Réussir avec Jadara, receives over 20,000 applications annually. Selection is managed through a digital platform that integrates both academic performance and social vulnerability. “This system allows us to accurately identify often-invisible talent by valuing both academic merit and the difficulty of their life circumstances,” he said.
The foundation also operates the Nouvelle Chance Avec Jadara program, which supports NEET youth outside conventional education systems. “These are young people who fall outside conventional educational paths. They are numerous, often forgotten, yet brimming with potential,” BEN ELAFDIL said. “We offer them short-term training—but always within a holistic approach.”
To prepare for the YES Africa Summit, over 7,670 hours of training have already been delivered in French, English, and Arabic to participating NGOs. “YES Africa is not just an event; it is a movement that trusts African NGOs and equips them to act,” BEN ELAFDIL said.
The event is co-organized with the Pan-African Youth Union (PYU), founded in 1962 in Guinea. As the official representative body of African youth, the PYU brings decades of advocacy for youth inclusion, peace, and development.
Looking ahead, BEN ELAFDIL reflects on what truly drives this effort. “What I hope to take away from YES Africa is the look in the eyes of a young African who, for the very first time, feels they truly belong,” he said. “That gaze says everything: the pain of where they began, the strength of the path they’ve walked, and the light of what’s possible.”
