LocationsUNDP Tanzania Empowers Youth Leaders Through YAP Capacity Building and Portfolio Co-Creation Workshop
April 24, 2026
Moments of joy, connection, and shared laughter as participants bonded and built new friendships during the YAP Capacity Building Workshop in Dodoma
Dodoma, Tanzania- From 20–22 April 2026, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tanzania convened a transformative Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) Capacity Building and Youth Catalyst Portfolio Co-Creation Workshop in Dodoma. The three-day workshop brought together members of the Youth Advisory Panel alongside UNDP facilitators and stakeholders to strengthen youth leadership, advisory skills, and meaningful participation in national development processes.
The workshop forms part of UNDP Tanzania’s commitment to ensuring that young people are not only beneficiaries of development programmes, but active partners, innovators, and decision-makers. The Youth Advisory Panel, composed of 15 young Tanzanians from diverse professional and social backgrounds, was established to provide strategic and evidence-informed advisory inputs into UNDP programming and partnerships.
The workshop was guided by several key objectives, including strengthening YAP members’ understanding of UNDP Tanzania’s mandate and programme portfolios, building practical advisory and policy engagement skills, and enhancing participants’ ability to apply gender equality and disability inclusion lenses in youth programming. The sessions also explored climate change as a youth development issue while identifying pathways for youth leadership in climate action. In addition, participants worked together to co-create a Youth Catalyst Portfolio aligned with both UNDP priorities and the realities facing young people in Tanzania.
Building on these discussions, Josephine Sepeku, Project Officer, Governance Portfolio at UNDP, delivered a session on governance and the importance of creating an enabling environment for youth engagement. She highlighted the role of inclusive institutions, accountability, and policy frameworks in empowering young people to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes and contribute to sustainable development outcomes.
Josephine Sepeku leads an insightful session on governance and fostering an enabling environment for meaningful youth participation in development processes.
A major highlight of the workshop was the focus on inclusion and sustainability. Participants explored gender equality, disability inclusion, and climate action as central pillars of youth development.
“True inclusion means creating spaces where every young person, regardless of ability, can participate, contribute, and lead”- Daniel Reuben, Disability and Inclusion Assistant, UNDP
Through participatory activities and systems-thinking approaches, YAP members reflected on how young people can lead innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges while ensuring that no one is left behind.
Josephine Laswai, IRFF National Coordinator inspiring the next generation
The workshop also provided a collaborative platform for co-creating the Youth Catalyst Portfolio, aligning youth priorities with UNDP Tanzania’s broader development agenda. Through group work and facilitated discussions, participants refined portfolio pillars, proposed interventions, and contributed ideas that reflect the realities, aspirations, and lived experiences of Tanzanian youth.
Adding further value to the discussions, participants had the pleasure of receiving a guest speaker, Godfrey Massawe, Acting Director for Youth Welfare and Upbringing, Ministry of State in the President's Office (Youth Development), who shared insights on government priorities for youth development and emphasized the importance of youth participation in shaping inclusive national policies. His engagement inspired participants to continue taking active roles in governance, leadership, and community transformation.
Godfrey Massawe sharing valuable insights on youth development, leadership, and the importance of meaningful youth participation during the YAP Capacity Building Workshop in Dodoma
The workshop was facilitated by a multidisciplinary UNDP Tanzania team led by Joseph E. Manirakiza, Programme Manager and Youth Catalyst Portfolio Lead, alongside experts in governance, communications, disability inclusion, administration, and youth engagement.
Joseph E. Manirakiza facilitates an engaging session on youth leadership, advisory roles, and collaborative approaches to shaping inclusive development solutions during the YAP Capacity Building Workshop.
By the end of the workshop, participants had strengthened their collective vision, enhanced their advisory confidence, and co-created guiding principles for the Youth Advisory Panel’s way of working. The initiative reaffirmed UNDP Tanzania’s dedication to meaningful youth engagement and demonstrated the critical role young people play in driving sustainable development and shaping the future of Tanzania.
Collaborative discussions and strategic planning sessions aimed at shaping innovative, youth-driven solutions and strengthening inclusive development initiatives
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