About Empowering African Youth
Who We Are
Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and public charity, qualified to receive tax-deductible donations, bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts.
Our Mission
To equip K–12 students in the U.S. and Africa with equitable, culturally responsive academic support, global learning experiences, STEM innovation, and leadership skills, grounded in African identity, values, and community strength.
Our Vision
To unite and inspire African youth across the continent and the diaspora to lead innovative solutions to Africa’s challenges, rooted in Pan-Africanism, shared identity, and community empowerment.
Our Core Values
Equitable & Culturally Responsive Education: Delivering inclusive, relevant K–12 education and STEM programs.
Teaching African Values: Promoting African history, culture, and Pan-Africanism to cultivate future leaders.
Sweat Equity: 99.5% of our team and Board members are local youth from the communities we serve, ensuring ownership, sustainability, and leadership from within.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Using data to guide, evaluate, and improve our programs and impact.
Sustainability: Designing long-term, community-led solutions that are financially and operationally sustainable.
Create long-term impact by changing the life trajectories of the K12 students in Africa and the U.S.
Our Story
Founded by Dr. Darius Coulibaly, Empowering African Youth is rooted in Darius’s lived experience and lifelong calling to combat poverty, social injustice, and inequities in Africa and beyond.
Dr. Coulibaly was born and raised in rural northern and southern Côte d’Ivoire, where he experienced the harsh realities of poverty firsthand.
Like millions of youth across rural Africa, he grew up without electricity, clean water, nearby health centers, or indoor plumbing. He walked long distances to attend under-resourced schools where student desks, textbooks, electricity, indoor plumbing, whiteboards, computers, and Internet did not exist.
By the grace of God, the blessings of his ancestors, and the guidance of his mentor, “Vieux Père” Agnimel Aristide, Darius arrived in the United States at age 17, alone and far from his family, village, and continent. However, from a young age, whether Darius was shepherding cows or working on his father’s mango and cashew farms, he felt a profound calling from God to uplift impoverished communities.
As a teenager, Darius understood his calling: to put God’s love into action through service and empowerment. He believes his lifelong mission is to confront poverty, social injustice, and inequity by equipping underserved youth and communities to achieve self-reliance with dignity, through culturally responsive K–12 education and leadership development deeply rooted in the principles of Pan-Africanism. Darius’s legacy lives on in every student who dares to dream boldly, lead with purpose, and uplift others with compassion and courage
Dr. Coulibaly’s frustration grew even taller than his towering 7-foot frame as he grappled with a painful paradox:
How could a continent so abundantly rich in human, cultural, natural, mineral, and agricultural resources remain so deeply impoverished?
He firmly believes that Africa is not inherently poor, but has been systematically impoverished by a complex web of internal and external forces, including:
Colonial education systems: Designed to serve colonial interests, these outdated and Eurocentric systems are still upheld by many African governments, failing to equip youth with the tools to solve Africa’s challenges.
Inept and Kleptocratic Leadership: Corruption and self-interest among political elites hinder national development.
Dependence on Foreign Aid: Reliance on Western aid and international financial institutions often comes with coercive political and economic strings attached.
French Monetary Colonialism and the CFA Franc: The CFA franc (Communauté Financière Africaine franc) is a currency used by 15 African countries, primarily in West and Central Africa. Despite gaining political independence decades ago, these countries remain economically tethered to France through this currency system. A pervasive and persistent legacy of colonial rule:
To this day, the CFA franc is physically printed in France, not in the African countries that use it. This symbolizes a lack of full monetary autonomy.The CFA franc is pegged to the euro at a fixed exchange rate, which means these 15 African countries cannot devalue their currency to boost exports or respond to economic shocks by implementing flexible monetary policy (decisions about interest rates, increasing or decreasing money supply, etc.) that true independent nations often use.
50% of the foreign exchange reserves of CFA franc countries continue to be deposited in the French Treasury. This means that these countries have limited access to their own reserves, reducing their ability to invest in development or respond to crises independently.
The CFA franc is not just an economic tool—it’s a symbol of political and cultural oppression for these 15 African countries, including mine. It impoverishes Africa.
Post-Traumatic Colonial and Neocolonial Syndrome (PTCND): A psychological and cultural legacy that stifles self-determination and the re-imagining of Africa as a space of prosperity, unity, and freedom.
Darius founded Empowering African Youth with the belief that we are God’s hands and feet, called to serve and show His love in tangible ways. Our programs allow you to empower K12 students in Africa and the U.S and create lasting impacts. We are a Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and public charity, qualified to receive tax-deductible donations, bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts.
Our Approach
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Academic Skills
Math
Reading
STEAM:
Science Technology Arts Mathematics -
Functional Skills
Speaking English, African Languages, and French.
Reading in English, African Languages, and French
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Leadership Skills
Global cultural competencies
Cultural and political awareness
Social-emotional intelligence
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills