Funder
Fondation CHANEL
Project Goals
Strengthen capacity of Youth Climate Champions and peer groups to lead, advocate, and engage on climate and SRHR through the development and roll-out of an innovative, youth-focused, and gender-responsive training curriculum and mentorship program
Engage Youth Climate Champions and peer groups to take action in their communities on climate change and SRHR by identifying and implementing community-based solutions to specific risks impacting their communities
Disseminate youth-led efforts around climate and SRHR to connect broader networks and expand the reach of youth advocacy
Overview
The Youth Champions for Climate Resilience in West Africa (YCC) project is funded by Fondation CHANEL and implemented by Pathfinder in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d’Ivoire. The project aims to catalyze West Africa youth as leaders and innovators at the intersection of climate and reproductive health by working with youth champions to reach over 100,000 young people over three years.
Climate change poses a range of risks to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including increased HIV/AIDS and STI risks, maternal and child health challenges, gender-based violence, and limited access to reproductive health resources. Youth, are particularly vulnerable, especially young women and girls, and are often underrepresented in conversations around creating climate solutions and increasing access to resources.
The YCC project will work with Youth Champions in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d’Ivoire to strengthen their advocacy and leadership skills to lead community-based dialogues, foster common understanding of climate and health risks affecting their communities, and mobilize community resources to support climate change resilience activities and reproductive health care delivery. The project takes a youth-led and community-led approach, wherein Youth Champions and their communities collectively determine the most relevant approaches for addressing these risks.
Project Activities
Year 1
- Activity 1: Integrate climate change risks into existing Youth Champions’ work through Amplify
- Activity 2: Develop an innovative youth-focused curriculum for climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Activity 3: Pilot the innovative youth-focused curriculum for climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights
Year 2
- Activity 4: Youth Champions lead peer cohorts for climate and reproductive health learning
- Activity 5: Youth-led Peer Cohorts Implement Local Climate Solutions
- Activity 6: Amplification of Youth Climate Solutions
Year 3:
- Activity 7: Repeat Activities 4-6 with a new peer cohort, adjusting to apply best practices
