The Youth Charter has announced the launch of its “From Luanda to Legacy” Global Campus Campaign, a pan-African initiative aligned with the 4th African Youth Games and designed to ensure the event delivers long-term benefits well beyond the Closing Ceremony.
Led by the Youth Charter Community Campus the campaign positions the African Youth Games as a catalyst for sustainable youth and community development across the continent.
“From Luanda to Legacy” is not confined to one host nation or one sporting event. It is envisioned as a pan-African and global movement aimed at strengthening youth ecosystems, building resilient communities through sport, and positioning African youth at the heart of global development and peacebuilding.
Hosted in Angola across Luanda and five additional cities, the 4th African Youth Games come at a symbolic moment, coinciding with Angola’s 50th anniversary of independence.
The Games bring together young people from across Africa in a powerful expression of unity, aspiration and shared African identity.
Against this backdrop, the Youth Charter is calling on African institutions, governments, National Olympic Committees, corporate partners, development agencies and global allies to move beyond celebration and invest in a lasting youth legacy.
From Games to Global Legacy
The “From Luanda to Legacy” campaign reframes the African Youth Games as a launchpad for long-term development, embedding sport within education, health, culture, enterprise and digital inclusion.
Rather than treating the Games as a standalone event, the initiative seeks to integrate youth development into community systems that continue to deliver impact long after the final medal is awarded.
“Africa’s youth deserve more than moments of inspiration. They deserve systems, spaces and opportunities that endure,” said Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL, Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter.
“This campaign is about converting continental celebration into community impact — from Luanda to every village, township and city across Africa.”
The Youth Charter Global Campus Vision
At the centre of the campaign is the Youth Charter Global Community Campus model, a framework developed to transform major sporting moments into permanent community assets.
The model focuses on repurposing Games infrastructure and training facilities into inclusive Community Campuses that operate year-round.
These campuses are designed to integrate sport with education, arts, health services and enterprise development, creating safe spaces where young people can learn new skills, access mentorship, and take on leadership roles within their communities.
This campaign is about converting continental celebration into community impact from Luanda to every village, township and city across Africa.
Youth Leadership and Pathways
A core pillar of the initiative is youth leadership development.
The campaign proposes leadership forums and mentorship programmes linked directly to the African Youth Games, creating clear pathways from grassroots participation to continental and global opportunities.
This includes defined progression routes from the African Youth Games to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and beyond, with a strong emphasis on empowering young athletes as community leaders, advocates and role models.
Digital Africa Youth Platform
Recognising the importance of digital inclusion, the campaign also introduces a Digital Africa Youth Platform. The platform will connect young people across borders through digital learning, coaching and storytelling, while fostering pan-African dialogue grounded in Olympic values, peace and social cohesion.
By linking youth, educators and partners into a shared digital ecosystem, the platform aims to strengthen collaboration and amplify youth voices across the continent.
Economic and Social Impact
The campaign places strong emphasis on economic and social outcomes. It prioritises youth employment and skills development in sport, media, technology and events, while supporting youth-led enterprises in sport, culture and tourism. Health, wellbeing and inclusion programmes will target the most marginalised communities, ensuring that benefits reach those most often left behind.
A Call to African and Global Partners
The Youth Charter is inviting African and international partners to co-create this legacy through public–private partnerships, CSR and ESG-aligned investment, education and skills collaboration, infrastructure development, digital innovation, and robust monitoring and impact reporting aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The campaign aligns directly with African Union Agenda 2063, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Youth 2030 Strategy, IOC Olympism 365, and broader Sport for Development and Peace frameworks.
“Africa’s greatest legacy will not be medals won, but lives transformed,” Thompson added. “Together, we can ensure the African Youth Games are remembered as the moment Africa chose legacy over spectacle.”
