JA Worldwide and JA Africa announce partnership with Z Zurich Foundation to create a bright, borderless future for African youth

The Z Zurich Foundation (ZZF) announced today, World Youth Day, that it will partner with JA Worldwide and JA Africa (www.JA-Africa.org), based on already established relationships with JA Canada and Junior Achievement Spain (JA Spain). ZZF made a strategic decision to venture into and fund Africa, and chose us, the largest and most influential youth service NGO in Africa, JA Africa, as its implementing partner.

This three-year partnership will allow thousands of young people to access JA programs to set them on the path to success, not only as individuals but as leaders who will impact positive change within their communities. The partnership will also allow JA Africa to expand its existing operations in four countries and launch operations in five new countries.

According to the African Development Bank, between 10 and 12 million African students complete their education each year and compete for three million jobs (https://bit.ly/3pbVAZ0), which causes sub-Saharan youth to become entrepreneurs out of necessity rather than choice. The ZZF-JA Partnership empowers young people in Africa to succeed as highly skilled job creators and job seekers, following the path that best suits their economic realities.

“The partnership integrates the educational and economic ecosystems of the countries in which we operate,” said Ashish Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide, leading to long-term sustainability. Over the next three years, this partnership will impact the lives of more than 550,000 young people in nine countries: Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda, increasing capacity in four countries. Existing JA Africa countries and completely new operations in five more. «

JA Africa is a trusted and respected NGO that has been associated with leaders and communities across the African continent for over 40 years. As part of the global JA network, JA Africa has the advantage of relying on best practices, curricula, pedagogy, effective governance models, fundraising capacity, communications and financial management of over 100 JA member locations, five additional JA regions and global headquarters, all of which provide a strong foundation for building this association.

Gregory Renand, president of the Z Foundation Zurich, agrees. JA is known for its use of volunteers to deliver educational experiences. We are very proud of this new partnership, providing skills and experience-based interventions with the goal of creating a brighter future in Africa, building on the impactful programs we have already established with JA around the world. The Z Zurich Foundation’s expertise in social justice and mental health well complements JA’s track record of building resilience and self-efficacy in more than 12 million young people each year. «

JA Africa CEO Simi Nwogugu has led efforts in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa for over 25 years. She said: “Many young Africans are naturally entrepreneurs, but their ability to develop and benefit from solutions to the challenges around them may be limited. The ZZF-JA partnership will help African youth develop resilience, problem-solving and design thinking skills. Mental health needs to understand the complex problems of On their own and design sustainable solutions, communication plays an important role.

Nogogo continued: “Exposing young people in Africa to Zurich Insurance Group employees as global mentors, as well as JA Africa alumni and role models such as Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, who founded not one but two companies in Nigeria, will help develop the essential social skills and confidence needed to validate their ideas and pass them on to a global audience of financiers and clients.”

The day was announced at an event where members of the African media were able to ask questions, with a particular interest in expanding business education in Africa. Committee members noted that the Z Zurich Foundation, JA Worldwide, JA Africa, and JA member states in Africa are working to create a new generation of partnerships that develop an ecosystem of models and mentors who work with young people through a combination of high technology. and digital learning experiences. Low-tech options like TV, radio, and podcasts; Face-to-face experiences. Then, after students graduate, regional and local vehicles connect students with employers or help young people start businesses through incubators and startup grants.

Nogogo said: “For Africa to succeed as a continent, all of our youth need access to inclusive education that leads to economic success. Through this partnership, we will create entrepreneurship ecosystems that work together to nurture young Africans to become agents of change, creating businesses. That solve the continent’s challenges. with climate change.” and food shortages and inadequate health and education infrastructure.”

Distribution by APO Group on behalf of JA Africa.

Media contact:
Terry Stover
Head of Marketing JA Worldwide
+ 1-212-641-0747
[email protected]

Mugeni Assili
Marketing and Alliances Manager JA Africa
+254719457434
[email protected]

About JA around the world:
As one of the largest and most influential youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide offers immersive learning in work readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship, sustainability, STEM, economics, citizenship, ethics and more. Reaching more than 12 million young people each year through more than 400,000 educators and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of the few organizations with the scale, experience and passion to build a boundless future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Visit us on www.JAWorldwide.org.

About JA Africa:
As one of the largest and most influential youth-serving NGOs in Africa, JA Africa has a presence in 13 sub-Saharan African countries, collectively reaching more than 300,000 young people in more than 3,000 schools each year. JA Africa operates in Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana and Kenya,