What does it mean to be African? Showcasing 54 Faces of Africa

The #54FacesofAfrica campaign was launched in December 2023 at the 6th YouthConnekt Africa Summit in Nairobi. It is a collaboration of United Nations Volunteers, the United Nations Development Programme, and the YouthConnekt Africa Secretariat. The campaign empowers African youth by offering them a platform to share their stories, solutions, and innovations, and contribute to dialogue and policy on Africa’s development.

The campaign has reached over 10 million people across all 54 African countries and its content has been viewed more than 30 million times across various social media platforms.

Over 1,000 stories were received from African youth across the continent in 2024 and are compiled in a magazine showcasing compelling narratives from each country. The magazine was launched at the 7th YouthConnekt Summit in Kigali on 9 November 2024.

The 54 Faces of Africa campaign sought to explore the topic of African identity and links to peace and development, posing the question “What does it mean to be African?” to African youth." Lucy Ndungu, Regional Manager, UNV East and Southern Africa.

To download an e-version of the magazine, please click here.

Please click on the YouTube link below to watch the magazine launch event.