Spread the word!
Download and share these #DanceforChange cards in support of more opportunities for rural youth.
Join the #DanceforChange challenge in support of rural youth and agriculture.
We want to make an impact and help young people in Africa and around the world. More investment in farming means more food, jobs and opportunities for rural youth.
How to get involved:
Download and share these #DanceforChange cards in support of more opportunities for rural youth.
The global youth population is growing fast and many countries are struggling to employ young people and create opportunities that safeguard their futures.
Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Poverty, drought and conflict are driving young people to leave the countryside in search of a better life. Overcrowded cities put vulnerable youth at risk and pose even more challenges.
Investing in agriculture is the solution. With greater rural investment, many countries have the potential to increase food production by providing young people with jobs, access to land, credit and training, and ultimately to reduce poverty.
There has never been a more important time to invest in the power and potential of young people. Creating a vibrant future for all starts now.
At IFAD, we understand that investing in rural youth is crucial for boosting national economies and helping to end global poverty and hunger.
The potential returns of investing in young people are boundless in terms of food security, poverty reduction, employment generation, as well as peace and political stability.
Young people are better at taking risks, innovating and adopting new technology. These skills will be critical for reforming food systems and adapting to the global challenge of climate change.
Agriculture is key to driving Africa’s development, creating a vibrant future with zero hunger and creating jobs for young people across the continent.
IFAD-supported projects and activities help young people access the resources, assets and services they need to be productive and have a positive impact on their communities.
We promote youth-sensitive development, incorporating the needs and aspirations of young people into many of our projects, and supporting innovative proposals and initiatives.
We also provide training and support to create rural employment and enterprise options that are appropriate for young people, in both the farm and the non-farm sector.
With IFAD financing and support, Gabrielle Etah (25 years old) has been able to launch a successful agri-business and provide homes for his family and parents in Cameroon.
Sherrie Silver is the United Nations’ IFAD Advocate for Rural Youth. Silver has helped to create special choreography for the #DanceforChange dance challenge and music video.
An accomplished actress, dancer, choreographer and activist she was made world-famous by her work in Childish Gambino’s multi award winning video “This Is America”.
Born in Rwanda and educated in the UK, Silver recently won the 'Best Choreography' category at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. She has provided moment direction for the likes of American Vogue and V Magazine.
She is passionate about helping young people thrive and educating the world about African cultures through the dance, while giving back to African countries through her philanthropy.
Silver has always made philanthropy a key part of her work as a rising star of the dance world, holding dance workshops for African children, and even starting homes for at-risk youth in Lagos and Kigali.
Mr Eazi is a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and humanitarian. He has created a special song for the #DanceforChange campaign called “Freedom” to engage young people on the issue and highlight the positive benefits of farming and agriculture.
One of Africa’s fastest rising stars, the singer and star has had a number of global hits with artists including Kwesi Arthur, Diplo, Rita Ora, Wiz kid, Sarkodie, Lil Kesh and Burna Boy. His most recent release is ‘Life Is Eazi – Vol.2: Lagos to London.’
Mr Eazi has a strong passion for promoting the creative arts and youth entrepreneurship in Africa and also eradicating poverty and ensuring people have access to food and water.
He recently launched the emPawa Africa project, which is set to empower Africa’s best young talent to shoot for global success through entrepreneurship training, mentorship and financial support.
Our Future is Here is a global, youth-led campaign to raise awareness of the untapped potential of rural young people to feed nations, boost economies and end extreme poverty for good.
The campaign involves some of Africa’s brightest rising stars from dance and music to help capture the energy and creativity of young people to call on world leaders to invest in their futures.
TikTok, a mobile app for creating and sharing short-form videos, have joined the campaign and are helping to launch Dance For Change — a global dance challenge in support of creating more opportunities for young people in rural areas around the world.
Inspired by the message and opportunity to use its platform to share such an important cause, TikTok is bringing the issue to life through an in-app hashtag campaign and will use its global reach to distribute it to its millions of monthly users.
IFAD will use the video creations to create a virtual petition and within its ongoing advocacy efforts to call on world leaders to increase funding for agriculture and create opportunities for young people in rural areas of Africa and developing countries around the world.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is a United Nations agency dedicated to reducing poverty, increasing food security, improving nutrition and strengthening resilience.
For more information and partnership opportunities, please contact us.
IFAD is listening to and working with youth from around the world.
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Ronald Banful, better known as Guilty Beatz, is a popular Ghanaian record producer known for producing viral social media dance tracks (#Awkwaba and #Genging) and futuristic songs and beats. He has produced the beat and track for the #DanceforChange campaign called “Freedom” to engage young people on the issue and highlight the positive benefits of farming and agriculture.
Born in Italy and raised in Ghana, he has worked with a variety of top artists including Mr Eazi, WizKid, Sarkodie, Tiffany, Dcryme, Stonebwoy, KaySwitch, Mr Walz, Mr Silva, Tribal Magz and Moelogo.
Fast-rising dancehall artist Derrick Obuobi Junior, popularly known as J.Derobie, is a singer and songwriter from Nungua in Accra, Ghana. He helped write the #DanceforChange campaign song called “Freedom” to engage young people on the issue and highlight the positive benefits of farming and agriculture.
J.Derobie has been topping the charts with his debut song ‘Poverty’ which gives his personal observations on life and poverty.
J.Derobie is signed to Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa, which equips young artists with tools, knowledge, network and investment so they subsequently become independent music entrepreneurs.
Popularly known as Incredible Zigi, Michael Amofa is an influential dancer and choreographer from Ghana who has gained popularity throughout Africa and worldwide, with his viral dance challenges, including the Kupe and Pilolo.
Zigi defines dance as "the poetry of the foot". Armed with this definition, he has been dancing his whole life - his professional journey began 15 years ago on the streets of Accra.
Zigi is the founder of the Afrozig Movement and a choreographer on the international Afrobeats circuit. Zigi tours regularly as a choreographer and dance instructor, teaching dance workshops throughout Ghana, Russia, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Rwanda. Zigi’s talent has led him to work with some top African artists in the music industry.
He is thankful to have the opportunity to travel the world and share his relentless passion for dance and is happy to devote his talent to IFAD's #DanceforChange challenge to help raise awareness of the issues facing rural youth and the need for investment.
TikTok is hosting the #DanceforChange challenge to support more opportunities for rural youth! Download the mobile app and join the challenge!
TikTok is the world's leading destination for short-form mobile videos. Their mission is to capture and present the world's creativity, knowledge and moments that matter in everyday life. TikTok empowers everyone to be a creator directly from their smartphones, and is committed to building a community by encouraging users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos. Learn more at tiktok.com and for more information contact: pr@tiktok.com.
