At present, every human endeavours is dependent on energy and most basic needs cannot be met without energy. This is why lack of energy in many sub-Saharan African communities is a challenge that many organizations have taken up.
And for 2024, like other solution-focused bodies, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI network) has commenced a project tagged, #YALI4OurFuture 2024, Empowering Communities, Sustaining Our Environment, with a specific focus on raising awareness about renewable energy as a means to provide new, improved, cleaner and often more reliable electricity to African communities.
YALI intends to use energy sources to cook food, charge laptops and mobile phones as well as provide light to study and work based on the belief that while Africa has abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, hydropower, wind and geothermal, 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity and there are vast opportunities to ensure sufficient energy for African communities to improve productivity, health, education, safety, and other important aspects of life. Energy transformation also provides opportunities to grow African economies.
The ‘Empowering Communities, Sustaining Our Environment project is predicated on the belief that there are many creative solutions to issues of energy availability and it intends to propel many young Africans into stepping into leadership roles to help power their communities and Africa through the use of renewable energy.
“Each of us has a role to play in ensuring Africa thrives through the use of renewable energy in the 21st century for improved quality of life, healthcare, education, and to spur job creation, business, and trade,” YALI stated, asking young leaders to think of how to lead the effort for your community and Africa’s future.
It also plans to showcase tools and opportunities for renewable energy project development which young leaders can use to help power communities as it believes that sustainable development is not just a global responsibility but also a collective effort that starts at the grassroots level.
It is said that local communities play a vital role in driving sustainable development initiatives as they are intimately connected to the natural resources, social fabric and economic well-being of their regions. And empowering local communities to actively participate in and lead sustainable development efforts is essential for achieving long-term environmental, social, and economic goals.
It is believed that when local communities are empowered to have a deep understanding of their unique needs, challenges and opportunities to take charge of sustainable development initiatives ensures that solutions are context-specific, relevant, and address the specific issues faced by the community.
And by involving community members in the planning, implementation and monitoring of sustainable development projects, initiatives are more likely to be effective, sustainable, and embraced by the community while it also fosters social cohesion, trust and collaboration among community members by encouraging working together towards a common goal and allow communities to develop social capital, which strengthens their ability to address challenges, share resources, and collectively pursue sustainable development.
Empowering local communities for sustainable development is a crucial step towards achieving global sustainability goals through education, capacity building, collaboration and access to information and technology, to make communities become agents of change, leading the way towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
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