At the forefront of a renewed push for youth-led development, Fondation Botnar has reaffirmed its dedication to empowering young voices in shaping their communities and futures.
Speaking at a Youth Engagement Strategy Meeting in Koforidua over the weekend, Elsbeth Muller, Board Chair of Fondation Botnar, underscored the organization’s belief that young people must be active participants and not passive beneficiaries in the decisions that impact their lives.
The meeting formed part of a series of activities of Board Members of Fondation Botnar during their recent working visit to Koforidua, the Eastern Regional to assess the KOFKRO project and engage various stakeholders on the implementation of the project.
The meeting emphasized the urgent need for localized support systems amid looming concerns over reduced funding from traditional development partners, including pullbacks by USAID.
“We believe in co-creation,” said Madam Muller. “Young people know what they need. Our job is to support them in designing and implementing solutions that work for them.”
She acknowledged this shift and highlighted Foundation Botnar’s continued investment in youth-led initiatives across urban areas.
One of the key themes of the discussion was the need for youth inclusion in programs such as “Clean Cities” and “Healthy Cities”, which aim to improve urban health and infrastructure through adolescent-driven solutions.
These initiatives were presented as examples of how young people can play a central role in transforming their own environments.
Education and well-being were also key topics, with speakers advocating for the integration of youth perspectives in curriculum development and mental health policies. The conversation pointed to a growing recognition that adolescents should not only be consulted but involved in designing the systems that serve them.
The dialogue concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between policymakers, funders, and youth networks to ensure that adolescent voices are heard—and acted upon—at all levels of governance.
“When young people lead, communities thrive,” Madam Muller concluded.
The meeting marks another milestone in the global movement toward meaningful youth participation and sets the stage for sustained, youth-led transformation in cities across Africa and beyond.
capital to keep themselves abreast of progress being made in projects funded by the Fondation Botnar in Ghana.
Other members of the delegation were Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Vice Board Chair; Dr. Otto Bruderer, Chair of Investment Commission; Amalie Molhant Proost, a Board Member Representing the Founder’s family as well as Prof. Urs Gasser and Florian Schweitzer, who are Board Members were in Koforidua
While in Koforidua, Board Members of Fondation Botnar participated in several programmes and activities related to the KOFKRO project.
These included the Koforidua youth parliamentary sitting, inclusive education forum jointly spearheaded by BBF Foundation and Divine Mother and Child (DMaC) Foundation at the Nsukwao School for the Deaf, a Town Hall Meeting and a youth forum organized Nyamekrom by the Anchito Foundation for Education and Selfhelp (AFES) – Ghana.
The KOFKRO Project, part of STAR-Ghana Foundation’s “Our City Project,” is focused on strengthening the capacity of youth in Koforidua to deepen their involvement in local governance and community development.
It is funded by Fondation Botnar under the Action for Youth Development and seeks to empower youth by providing them with tools and skills to analyze data, gather information, and contribute to decision-making processes.
STAR-Ghana Foundation is the primary implementer, with partners like AFES-Ghana, Bibiaa Bɛyɛ Fine (BBF) Foundation and the New Juaben South Youth Parliament.
Story by Ishaq Umar Rahima, Adolescent Journalist
