YME was invited to The Cluster Meeting for the The Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) initiative a conversation that took place during the AfCFTA conference ” Women and Youth: The engine of AfCFTA Trade in Africa”. at which aims to unlock key systemic bottlenecks that perpetuate poverty, deprivation, and social injustice among women and youth in Africa. The goal was to create a workplan that supports, harmonizes, and facilitates the implementation of women and youth financial and economic inclusion initiatives and programmes across the continent.
This meeting presented another opportunities for members of the Africa-Caribbean Climate Action Network to continue conversations that started in Rwanda. Of top priority for YME was to understand where there were opportunities within the wider AfCFTA conversation for YME to develop or co-design sustianable financial models that would help to ensure a steady cashflow for the operational costs of our organisation and collective climate action.
The power packed opening session of the AfCFTA Conference on Youth and Women started with a High level delegation of the President of Tanzania, President of Ethiopia, Vice Chair of the AU, Vice President of Liberia, Vice President of Uganda, former President of Malawi and Former President of Mauritius all of which were women. It was during this meeting that the concept of Ocean Love Coffee was nurtured by business leaders from Southern Africa.
The most powerful takeaway from this conference was inspired by a statement made by one of the high level speakers who expressed her disappointment at the fact that she had to speak English to inform us that she would not be speaking English on the panel and that it was time for Africa to learn Swahili. We received the message and invite you to learn Kiswahili with us at the next Grouper School Party.
