I am a PanAfrican

Building the next generation of Pan-African leaders - rooted in heritage, united in purpose.

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Je Suis Panafricain (in French) or I Am a Pan-African (in English) is a transformative and culturally responsive youth development program designed to cultivate a strong sense of African identity, unity, and purpose among young people across the African continent and the diaspora. Rooted in the principles of Pan-Africanism, the program empowers youth to embrace their cultural heritage, connect with African peers across borders, and become active contributors to Africa’s future.

Program Goals:

  • Foster pride in African cultural and linguistic heritage, history, and contributions to the world.

  • Promote cross-cultural understanding and solidarity among African youth in the continent of Africa and in the diaspora.

  • Develop leadership, civic engagement, global citizenship skills, and mentorships.

“…History one day have its say. Africa will write its own history, and it will be a history of glory and dignity.”

— Patrice Lumumba

Portrait of a PanAfrican Youth Leader

Through our K–12 STEM, education, and leadership development programs, we strive to cultivate a new generation of Pan-African youth who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to transform their communities and the continent. We nurture the following core qualities in the youth we serve:

Critical Thinking

The ability to question, analyze, and solve complex problems.

Pride & Agency

A strong sense of African identity, cultural pride, a commitment to unity, solidarity, and progress across African nations and the diaspora, and the confidence to lead change.

Cultural & Political Awareness

Understanding systems of oppression and the intersections of identity and power, and the courage to take action.

Social-Emotional Intelligence

Practicing self-awareness, empathy, and resilience.

Collaboration

Embracing diverse perspectives and working interdependently.

Effective Communication

Mastering reading, writing, speaking, listening, and digital literacy to share and shape ideas.

Our Programs

Pan-African Heritage Workshop

  • Interactive sessions on African history, ancient civilizations, liberation movements, and influential African leaders.

  • Storytelling, music, dance, and art from various African cultures.

Dialogue Circles and Mentorship

  • Online forums connecting youth from different African countries and the diaspora.

  • Discussions on identity, shared challenges, and visions for Africa’s future.

  • Pairing youth with African professionals, creatives, and changemakers.

  • Monthly talks or Q&A sessions with inspiring figures from across the continent.

Leadership & Civic Engagement Training

  • Workshops on youth leadership, advocacy, mentorship, and community organizing.

  • Projects that address local issues with Pan-African collaboration.

  • Panafrican youth summit (virtual or in-person) during which students showcase youth projects, host keynote speakers, and celebrate African unity.

“We have to work at decolonizing our mentality and achieving happiness within the limits of sacrifice we should be willing to make. We have to recondition our people to accept themselves as they are, to not be ashamed of their real situation, to be satisfied with it, to glory in it, even.”

— Thomas Sankara

Leadership Labs 

  • Thomas Sankara Anti-Poverty Lab: youth co-create solutions to combat poverty in their local community. 

  • Kemi Seba-Patrice Lumumba Lab: youth think critically about the challenges facing Africa and propose solutions. 

  • Kwame Nkrumah Lab: Focus on sustainability, technology, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.

“Ce que les élites africaines ne font pas pour le peuple, le peuple le fera lui-même.”

— Kemi Saba