The African Union Development Agency – AUDA-NEPAD held a two-day workshop “Youth and Media Awareness and Orientation on The AU Year of Nutrition” for stakeholders including the youth and the media with the outcome of creating more awareness of the need for proper nutrition and ensuring food security in Africa and launch the call to action.
This comes off as a prelude to the main event of the AU declaring 2022 as the Year of Nutrition under the theme “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development”.
The theme which was launched during the 35th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in February 2022 aims to celebrate gains made in nutrition and focus the continent on maintaining strong political momentum on nutrition. The year 2022 further provides an opportunity to strengthen continental, regional, and national commitments to end malnutrition in all its forms, given the increase in morbidity and mortality related to malnutrition and the associated socio-economic impacts.
“By engaging the youth and the media, the idea is to find the best entry point to push the agenda and get the message across and to fully engage them in our quest to change the mindset and narrative and improve on food security,” as stated by Madam Bibi Giyose, Senior Special Advisor to the AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Officer (CEO) during the workshop in her address.
The Ag. Head of Nutrition at AUDA-NEPAD, Kefilwe Moalosi, also highlighted the works of AUDA NEPAD in the focus areas of nutrition, healthy living, and food security and also the major objectives of the workshop; to raise awareness and orientation on the AU Year of Nutrition and visibility for AUDA- NEPAD’s role in Nutrition, to engage Africa’s youth and the media towards sustainable action on nutrition for the Africa we want, unpack the year of nutrition and develop media tools with a call to action on nutrition investments and commitments to introduce Agenda 2063 and Malabo Declaration Media Network on nutrition targets and goals.
The workshop also gave birth to the Call to Action on a campaign dubbed, #Youth4Nutrition and #YearofNutrition where the youth and media will spearhead and advocate in creative ways the importance of nutrition to the human capital of the populace.
AU Year of Nutrition has four priorities including advocacy for increased commitment, investment in nutrition, and institutional capacity enhancement, enabling an environment for intensified action and delivery of results and impact.
The Youth Consortium was ably represented at the workshop by its Focal Points, Dr. John Aggrey (CEO, HIRED Consult Ghana) and Ms. Soumaya Zaddem (Independent Consultant & MENA Region Director, Great Minds Empire Africa, Tunisia). The team used the avenue to share best practices and practical experiences on Youth, Food Systems, and Climate-Smart Agriculture. The team will also be championing the call to action alongside its major two hybrid side events happening in October; World Food Forum, Italy, and Africa Day of Nutrition, Mauritius. More details on these side events will be shared later with the public.
About The Youth Consortium
The Youth Consortium (TYC) is a coalition of Individuals and Organizations with the futuristic mindset of collaborating, engaging, and executing ideas into sustainable projects, towards achieving the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development & Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
TYC is hosted under HIRED Consult, which is a legally registered business in The Republic of Ghana. TYC has 3 Core Team Members as part of its governance and operating structure; Musa Olatunji (CEO, BeMORE Global Consulting Nigeria), Monday Tama Yari (CEO, Great Minds Empire Africa, Nigeria), and Hope Maurishia (PR, Sprout Up Youth and Women Initiative Uganda)
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Youth for nutrition