From 10–12 March 2026, partners of the Kuyenda Collective gathered for a reflection and sustainability workshop to review our journey since 2021 and shape the path forward beyond the current Education Out Loud (EOL) funding period ending in December 2026.
Over the past four years, the Collective has built a powerful transnational alliance across Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, supporting Rural Youth Collectives (RYCs) to advocate for equitable access to quality education. Through training in systems thinking, social accountability monitoring, and evidence-based advocacy, rural youth have moved from being beneficiaries of the education system to credible actors influencing education decisions.
During the workshop, we undertook a collective review of key advocacy and system change milestones since 2021. Together, we analysed how roles across partners evolved, how collaboration patterns strengthened our reach, and where the Collective created the most value. We also reflected on how partner diversity and networks opened important policy access points, enabling rural youth voices to reach district, national, and transnational education spaces.
Another key focus was understanding how learning shaped our practices. Continuous learning cycles within the Collective strengthened approaches such as user experience (UX) research, systems mapping, and youth-led social accountability monitoring, enabling partners to adapt strategies and deepen advocacy impact.
The reflection was grounded in real examples of change emerging from youth leadership across the four countries:
In Tanzania, Rural Youth Champions successfully engaged local government and community leaders to expand school feeding initiatives, demonstrating how local collaboration can improve attendance and learning outcomes for students in rural schools.
In Zimbabwe, in partnership with Rural Youth Champions in Mutoko, Chiredzi, and Binga, the Collective is tackling period poverty by training youth to produce and distribute reusable sanitary pads. These initiatives include menstrual health education and have significantly reduced school absenteeism while creating safe, supportive spaces where girls can openly discuss menstrual health, dignity, and management.
In Mozambique, Rural Youth Champions have mobilised communities and engaged education authorities to increase school enrolment and improve accountability in education service delivery. Through evidence-based advocacy and community dialogue, youth leaders have raised awareness around issues such as exam administration challenges and access to learning resources, strengthening trust between communities and education officials.
In Malawi, Rural Youth Champions are actively working through district youth networks to engage education authorities using community-generated data, contributing to improvements in school infrastructure, learning materials, and support for vulnerable learners.
These examples illustrate a central lesson from the workshop: meaningful system change often begins locally when youth organise, gather evidence, and engage decision-makers constructively.
As we mapped impact stories and lessons learned, partners also discussed strategies to sustain and scale the movement. These include diversifying funding sources, strengthening strategic partnerships, expanding youth-led research and storytelling, and supporting locally driven solutions addressing issues such as school feeding, gender equality, and climate resilience.
One message stood out clearly throughout the workshop: the strength of the Kuyenda Collective lies in its transnational youth movement. By connecting rural youth voices across countries, the initiative has created a unique platform where grassroots experiences inform regional and global education conversations.
As we move toward the next phase, the Collective remains committed to ensuring that rural youth continue to shape more inclusive, accountable, and resilient education systems across Southern Africa.
#KuyendaCollective