Youth Leadership Matters.
With over 60% of Kenya’s population under 25, investing in youth leadership is essential for our country’s future and fundamental to SHOFCO’s impact. In places where government systems are stretched thin, SUN Youth Leaders are stepping in with innovation, resilience, and a deep understanding of their communities’ needs.
These are the are architects of Kenya’s future. Supported by key partners, such as the Mastercard Foundation, SHOFCO’s SUN (SHOFCO Urban Network) Youth Leaders are at the heart of county transformation. Trained to organize, mobilize, and drive change at the grassroots level, they are redefining what youth leadership can look like, from local forums to national impact across 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
What is a SUN Youth Leader?
A SUN Youth Leader is a commitment to community. SHOFCO identifies promising young people in underserved neighborhoods and trains them to become civic organizers and local changemakers. Through a structured curriculum, they gain tools in:
- Community advocacy and civic engagement
- Business Development Services (BDS) & Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Environmental stewardship
- Mental health awareness
- Youth mobilization and goal setting
Youth leaders are then supported to launch and sustain local forums in their wards, the smallest administrative units in Kenya, where they convene peers to discuss community priorities and take action.
The story of SUN begins with a youth leader trained to hold space, to mobilize, and to lead.
David Waiyaki, Director of Impact
The Power of Local Forums
SUN Youth Forums are dynamic community spaces led by the youth themselves. These ongoing platforms create a consistent and reliable space for organizing and accountability. During the forums, youth leaders follow a strategic framework for developing leadership.
- Mobilize peers to participate in open, inclusive forums
- Facilitate dialogue on the most pressing local challenges
- Support collective goal-setting to drive action beyond the meeting room
- Networking and idea validation to realize common interests and refine business models
Each SUN Youth Leader commits to three measurable goals, grounded in community needs. These goals become the foundation for ongoing initiatives, from advocating for national ID access to launching youth-led agribusiness cooperatives.
Featured Leaders
Daniel Ayugi, Korogocho
“I’ve learned to communicate, build partnerships, and most importantly, walk with people through their journeys. If there’s one message I’d share with Kenya’s youth, it’s this: Let’s not just wait for support. Let’s use our ideas, our networks, and our stories to build something lasting—together.”
Evance Obuya, Soweto, Kibera
“We are 70% of the population. We cannot afford to be jobless, voiceless, or sidelined anymore. For us to achieve sustainable development, we must give young people the tools and trust they need to lead. Let’s demand inclusion, build businesses, and shape policies. Our time is now.”
Meet Our Youth Leaders
Every youth leader has a unique story. Explore the journeys of leaders like Netto, Daniel, and Sylvia—what drove them to act, the goals they set, and the change they’re leading.
Transforming Challenges Into Action
This leadership model translates talk into tangible progress. Depending on the priorities set, SUN Youth Leaders and their peers drive initiatives. These actions are both solutions and training grounds for long-term civic engagement.
By the time all this happens, youth have taken real action. They have ideas, they’ve executed them, and they’ve seen that change is possible.
David Waiyaki, Director of Impact
From Community Action to Systems Change
As SUN Youth Leaders gain experience, many evolve from organizing local initiatives to influencing broader governance and policy. Leaders like Sylvia, Daniel, and Evance are now engaging directly with both local and national government officials, advocating for more inclusive public services and pushing for tangible policy reforms. SHOFCO monitors this evolution through a leadership tracker in our MEL department that sheds light not only individual leader activities, but also their growing contributions to systemic change. This includes fostering greater public participation in governance, increasing service accountability, expanding economic opportunities for marginalized youth, and shaping youth-centered policy discussions. What emerges is a new model of youth leadership—one that doesn’t just respond to the visible gaps, but actively works to dismantle the structural barriers that created them.
Explore the Impact
SHOFCO’s SUN Youth model is active in 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties and 84 SUN locations, impacting 2.5 million lives across Kenya.
1.3m
attended the SUN-Youth Forum training
25k
youth forums held to date
186
elected SUN youth representatives
Anchor Partner
Mastercard Foundation
Mastercard Foundation advances learning and promotes financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. Between 2022-2027, SHOFCO and Mastercard Foundation have taken on the ambitious goal of creating opportunities for 2.1 million young people in Kenya’s informal settlements, placing them in dignified and meaningful work.
