World Youth Festival Directorate and Kenya’s Government Bodies Discussed Youth Cooperation
On March 16–23, representatives of the World Youth Festival (WYF) Directorate made an official visit to Kenya. The delegation met with representatives of government bodies, international organizations, and major media associations of the country. Key discussion topics included education and science, employment, media and creative industries, as well as encouraging Kenyan youth to participate in projects by Rosmolodezh and WYF.
Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the WYF Directorate, noted that Russia is becoming a hub for discussing various practical initiatives of young people from across the world.
“A Kenyan youth delegation participated in the World Youth Festival, thus fostering our further cooperation both through Kenyan partners of the Directorate and International Friendship Clubs, as Kenya is a partner country of the Tver Region. This visit demonstrated the willingness of both Kenyan youth and government representatives to intensify cooperation with Russia, particularly in education. Training programmes at Russia’s Year-Round Youth Educational Centers “Senezh”, “Mashuk”, “Meganom”, and “SHUM” turned out to be of special interest to Kenyan colleagues as a means to develop their national talent pool. We, in turn, are ready to support them by sharing expertise and opportunities that Russia’s youth ecosystem offers”, said Dmitry Ivanov.
On the opening day, the delegation met with Wangari Njuguna, Co-Chair of the Nairobi Entrepreneurship Community. She noted that despite the lack of close historical or economic ties between the two countries, Kenyan youth have a positive attitude towards Russia and are eager to pursue education in Russia.
The delegates also had a meeting with Derick Mutiria, a representative of the UN Headquarters in Nairobi. The talks focused on the top-priority concerns for Kenyan youth: employment, education, and opportunities for professional and personal growth. The WYF Directorate presented its flagship projects, including International Friendship Clubs, international shifts at Year-Round Youth Educational Centers, and forums by Rosmolodezh.
“I am delighted to have gained an insight into the further development of the World Youth Festival’s ideas and the Directorate’s efforts to foster international youth cooperation. I am also glad that Russia looks to help young people achieve more not only in their country but also outside. We know Russia supports many nations here in Africa, and our youth are increasingly interested in your country. I urge all young leaders to come together at the WYF Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod to discuss how youth can grow in the global scene”, said Derick Mutiria.
On March 18, a meeting with representatives of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association was held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Meeting participants included the Association’s Executive Director Anthony Buluma, Chairman Gitonga Mukunji, Kenyan senator Hezena Lemaletian, Wangari Njuguna, and officials of the Russian Embassy in Kenya.
The delegation introduced partners to the WYF Directorate’s development strategy and discussed cooperation opportunities across six tracks: Media, Creative industries and creativity, Public administration, Education and science, Entrepreneurship, and Sport. Kenyan youth were also invited to take part in the WYF Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod in September this year. Association representatives expressed their willingness to provide assistance in forming a Kenyan delegation for the event. Additionally, they shared their ambition to participate in media projects of young bloggers, and nuclear energy cooperation.
The closing day featured a meeting in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, attended by Gloria Wawira, Head of the National Youth Council.
Talks were also held with representatives of a youth organization under Kenya’s County Assembly at the Council of Governors. The sides focused on the opportunities for young Kenyan managers to participate in “Senezh” Summer Schools and the promotion of WYF Directorate’s initiatives among Kenya’s leading universities.
Another key discussion topic was advancing youth cooperation and creating educational content. The Star Group, Kenya’s largest media association, highlighted the country’s willingness to support WYF Directorate’s international initiatives through joint media projects and campaigns.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.