Two years ago, our Glocal Hub journey began with the launch of our inaugural hub in Lagos, Nigeria. Since then, our vision has expanded, our roots have deepened, and today, we're excited to share the launch of 8 more hubs across the African continent. Each of these Glocal Hubs represents a beacon of hope, collaboration, and action. These hubs aren't just physical spaces; they are vibrant ecosystems where diverse voices harmonize, dreams intertwine, and initiatives spring forth. They embody the spirit of community, uniting youth activists and adult allies dedicated to building a world where learning and education serves everyone!
What makes these hubs truly unique is their 'glocal' focus—we define 'glocal' as the symbiotic intertwining of the global and local, where a global ecosystem of knowledge and solidarity nourishes local action and accelerates transformation, and vice versa. Our 'glocal’ approach ensures that any community-serving work is contextually rooted and led by local weavers. While grounded in their respective communities, these hubs are interconnected nodes in our global community, bridging geographical distances and borders.
With half of our YouthxYouth community calling Africa home and now 9 Glocal Hubs across 6 countries on the continent (Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa), our goal is to nurture a sense of belonging, collaboration, and empowerment.
This January, each Glocal Hub will host an in-person Meet-Up the week before our 4th annual Learning Festival, making this year’s convening more hybrid and glocal than ever.
Let's hear from our YxY Activists who are weaving some of these hubs:
YxY Yaoundé Hub (Cameroon): Woven by Kumo Walters
“It's that wonderful time of the year when YxY hosts various meetups at the Glocal level. Our meetup for Yaounde, Cameroon, will take place at Mboa Hub on January 20, 2024. During this Glocal hub meetup, we will explore the question of peace education: How can we foster peace as youths (students) and as teachers, both inside and outside the classroom? This event will serve as the first step in addressing the issue of insecurity and instability in Cameroon.
As victims of the anglophone crisis, we have been forced to leave our original settlements. With the increasing instability in our community, we believe it is not enough to simply preach peace. We must take action to promote peace, and the best way to do that is through peace education. This is why we have created a Glocal hub in Yaounde. Through this hub, we aim to provide a sustainable solution to the issue of instability plaguing our country. We will showcase a practical toolkit on peace education and conflict resolution during the meetup.
We firmly believe that young people are not just the future, but also the present. They need to be fully aware that the solution starts with them, and they must move beyond words and take action if they want to bring about change.” – Kumo Walters
YxY Abeokuta Hub (Nigeria): Woven by Stephens Adekunle
The Abeokuta glocal hub will be taking place in Ogun State, Nigeria and will be exploring the question of 'How can young Nigerians be empowered to become self-sufficient and diligent citizens through digital training?' When we asked Stephens Adekunle, one of the weavers of this glocal hub, what inspired the creation of it, he shared, “We saw the untapped potential and challenges faced by young people in Abeokuta. We recognized the need for relevant skills, opportunities, and a platform to nurture creativity and innovation. We intend to be a catalyst for change, equipping youth to contribute to local development and become agents of positive transformation” When asked what his vision for this glocal hub was, Adekunle shared “We dream of a thriving digital ecosystem in Abeokuta, where young people launch successful startups, tackle social and environmental challenges using technology, and contribute to local development projects. We envision our hub as a model for similar initiatives across Africa, showcasing the power of youth empowerment and collaboration.”
“We want young people to know that their potential is boundless. They have the power to shape their future, their community, and the world. We're here to provide them with the tools, resources, and support they need to turn their dreams into reality.” – Stephens Adekunle
YxY Cape Town Hub (South Africa): Woven by Bongumusa Walter Ngema
“At the upcoming YouthxYouth Cape Town Hub Meetup on the 19th of January, 2024, we are embarking on a journey to co-create systemic change for decolonised education in underserved communities. The meetup, hosted at Toplin House Residence Hall, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, aims to explore the learning question: How can we provide equitable access to decolonised education for children and youths in underserved communities? As facilitators, our intention is to foster a profound learning experience, delving into root causes, systemic challenges, and potential solutions. We envision a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere, where diverse perspectives converge to address educational inequalities. Our radical imagining is a dynamic exchange of ideas leading to practical steps for positive change, exploring factors such as socio-economic challenges, infrastructure issues, community engagement, remote learning barriers, and cultural impacts. We desired to create an increase of awareness, tangible collaborations, and a mindset shift, empowering participants to be catalysts for quality, free, and decolonised education in underserved communities.
"One thing we want young people in our region to know is that the journey for equitable education has just begun, and together, we can make a difference.” – Bongumusa Walter Ngema
YxY Namutumba Hub (Uganda): Woven by John Omusugu
The Namutumba glocal hub will take place in the Namutumba district in Eastern Uganda. John Omusugu, one of the weavers of this glocal hub, shared “During the learning festival, we hope to explore the learning question; How can we ensure sustainable contribution and productivity of the youth in our communities? This looks at addressing the problem of unemployment that is currently rampant in the communities. Skilling the youths in the community here in Namutumba with hand and soft skills like bar soap and Vaseline making which will help them create jobs and earn a living. This will also reduce on the poverty levels which are currently at the alarming rate” He continued sharing “Starting a glocal Hub was after realizing majority of families and youths struggle to meet their basic needs brought about by unemployment and, thought of ways the recurring problem would be mitigated and the glocal hub was a platform to support them through skilling and sensitization hence having an empowered generation, this will in turn reduce dependency.”
“Our vision: To create a self-reliant community through skilling. and one thing we would like young people to know in our region is that they have the power and ability to transform societies once empowered” – John Omusugu
YxY Kampala Hub (Uganda): Woven by Charles Oyet Omoya
“The Kampala Glocal Hub is taking place in Nakawa Division, Kampala City, in Uganda. The teachers, students, NGO leaders and students will explore the question, How can we collectively end corporal punishment in our schools? This question is informed by the truth that many children suffer from violence in Uganda schools. According to the Conversation, 93% of boys and 94% of girls in Ugandan schools have ever been physically violated. The Kampala Glocal Hub was started to increase opportunities for professional development for teachers in Kampala and surrounding districts. The Hub envisions that all teachers in their program will become competent and purposeful in their work, beginning with skilling in protecting children and creating positive learning environments for them.
"I would love young people in my region to know that they can choose to be creators of change, they should start today!” – Charles Oyet Omoya
YxY Nakivale Hub (Uganda): Woven by Ruphin Kungwa
“Focused in Nakivale, a refugee camp where our glocal hub will be taking place at the Nakivale Library community in January 20th 2024, it embarks on a transformative journey led by a compelling learning question: "How can we promote prosperous peace in undermined communities, considering various perspectives?" This question serves as our compass, steering us towards an analysis and exploration of peace-building that extends beyond conventional boundaries.
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities, our Glocal hub strives to unravel the complexity of achieving not just peace, but a prosperity that resonates through the diverse perspectives that shape our collective narrative. Our commitment to this learning question is rooted in the belief that true peace is multifaceted, embracing economic stability, cultural understanding, health and food security, social cohesion by engaging youths in our glocal hub.
We are co-creating a crucial space for dialogue, where the voices of the marginalized are not only heard but integrated into the fabric of a vision that envisions a prosperous peace.” – Ruphin Kungwa
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