Cairo, Egypt: 1 December 2019: “The African Union Youth Volunteer Corp (AU-YVC) requires your full commitment and dedication. And it is not easy! But by keeping an open mind, resilience and pan African solidarity, you should be unstoppable.” These were the words of the African Union Commission’s Prudence Ngwenya, Head of Youth Division said at the opening ceremony of the African Union youth volunteers 10th cohort pre-deployment training hosted by the Government of Egypt.

The Head of Youth Division thanked the government of Egypt for the warm hospitality and noted that it was due to this that the AUYVC training had returned to the Arab Republic. She further spoke about the importance of youth involvement in the socio-economic and political aspects of the continent, as young people constitute the biggest segment of the continents’ population.

“Volunteerism is one of the key modalities to promote youth civic engagement. As a unique set of emerging young leaders, you carry the cross not only of your individual carrier track, but you represent every young person on our continent who has applied for this program and wish they were in your seat today. If you forget everything else, just remember the 4 A’s of the AUC youth engagement and leadership framework;
1. Aptitude
2. Attitude
3. Awareness
4. Action”

The Under Secretary in the Egypt Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ms Dina Fouad in her statement noted that hosting the AUYVC is the most important programmes on the African continent implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports under Egypt's presidency of the African Union. She welcomed the youth to Egypt and which wished then a prosperous training.

The 10th cohort, whose training began on 1st December ends on the 11th December 2019, is made up of 200 young professionals who were selected through a completive process from across all African Union Member States. This year’s training focuses on equipping the new cohort of volunteers with skills and knowledge in the areas of pan Africanism, youth development and mainstreaming, their role as volunteers, the importance of mental health, youth advocacy and community engagement, and having candid conversations about gender dynamic.

Note to Editors

The AU-YVC is a continental development program that recruits and works with youth volunteers, who are deployed to work across the continent for various African union organ, agencies and partners. The program promotes volunteering to deepen the status of young people in Africa as key participants in the delivery of Africa's human development targets and goals. It brings people together to share skills, knowledge, creativity and learning to build a more integrated Continent and by implication strengthen Africa's relevance in the globalized world.

Prior to their deployment, AU Youth Volunteers take part in a mandatory two weeks long pre-deployment training to adequately prepare them for their role as African Union youth champions.

The overall objectives of the training are:
• Establishing a common understanding of the values and philosophy of the AUYVC;
• Build leadership and professional ability of AU-YVC and to;
• Prepare volunteers for their one-year service to the African Union.

The AU-YVC is the biggest volunteer program in Africa, was launched in 2010. The program brings to life Agenda 2063’s aspiration 6 which calls for All the citizens of Africa will be actively involved in decision making in all aspects as well as H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat’s youth flagship project 1 Million by 2021 initiative which aims at equipping young professionals required to build the Africa we want https://au.int/en/agenda2063/aspirations

Media Contact:
Nontobeko Tshabalala / Communications Officer / E-mail: NontobekoT@africa-union.org