Bridging the Gaps
How providing support and access to financing for young WASH innovators in the Horn of Africa can help achieve a water-secure future.
Water scarcity in the Horn of Africa (HOA) is a profound challenge with cascading effects — exacerbating food insecurity, impeding education, eroding livelihoods, and deteriorating health. These interlinked issues threaten the wellbeing of generations to come. To address them, we must tackle the root causes and work towards a water-secure future for the region, transforming millions of lives along the way.
Youth-led innovations are a powerful vehicle for sustainable and impactful change. With an exceptionally young population, the region's potential for innovative solutions to address water insecurity is immense! Most importantly, these solutions emerge from the lived experiences of young people themselves — individuals who are intimately familiar with the struggles to access water in their communities.
However, despite their passion and ingenuity, the full potential of young innovators has yet to be realized.
What holds young innovators back and how can we help?
Through my work with the Somali government and my participation in global platforms like COP 27 and COP 28, as well as youth platforms such as the Regional Conference of Youth (RCOY) Africa, I have seen firsthand both the barriers and opportunities that young people face when trying to develop and implement innovative Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) solutions.
It turns out that there is a striking difference between the support systems available to young innovators in developed countries and those in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), such as those in the Horn of Africa. In developed regions, young innovators benefit from established incubators, well-funded programmes and mentorship networks that help them develop their innovations. By contrast, young innovators in LDCs contend with political instability, limited technology, insufficient financial resources and a lack of awareness. These factors are needed to make the environment conducive for youth-led WASH innovation.
Reflecting on my experience at the 2024 Stockholm World Water Week (SWWW), themed ‘Bridging borders: Water for a peaceful and sustainable future’, I was inspired by the insights of various water sector representatives, particularly in relation to the HOA, who highlighted the role of youth in addressing water insecurity in the region. Co-facilitating a session on the topic, we explored how private sector participation and innovative financing could create an enabling environment for youth-led WASH innovation in the region.
It's not about what young innovators in the Horn of Africa don't have; it's about the changes they can make with the right support. The gap doesn't have to be so wide. If the environment is enabling enough, these young innovators can do just as much, if not more, with their inventiveness and drive.
How can we create an enabling environment for youth-led WASH innovation?
Meaningfully involve youth in water-related policymaking and governance.
Governance has a significant role in nurturing youth-led WASH innovation. Even though governments have taken steps to include youth in decision-making, more can be done to build trust and avoid tokenism, raise awareness among youth to improve participation in research, and address inequitable access to resources.
Ensure access to financing and mentorship opportunities.
Youth-led innovations in WASH must be seen as long-term investments, not short-term risks. We need flexible funding models, such as micro-grants or region-specific investment funds, designed to support young innovators. Equally important is mentorship. Young people in the Horn of Africa have brilliant ideas. Still, they need guidance to turn those ideas into actionable projects. Strong mentors can help young people gain skills and access the networks they need to scale their solutions.
Trust, collaborate and consult with young innovators at every stage.
Building trust between young innovators and key stakeholders—governments, businesses, and local communities—is essential. In the Horn of Africa, young people often face skepticism when presenting innovative ideas, usually stemming from concerns about security and fund management where political systems might be unstable. The private sector also has a huge role in helping youth-led WASH innovations succeed, but there's often a disconnect between young innovators and businesses. However, with support from key actors in the region, youth-led projects can demonstrate value and trustworthiness through evidence generation. By developing innovative financing models together with governments, and the private sector, we can build ecosystems that can help young innovators gain access to funding.
Provide youth innovators access to technology.
Technology is at the heart of many youth-led WASH innovations. Around the world, young people are harnessing mobile apps, digital platforms, and affordable tech to monitor water quality, track sanitation needs, and promote hygiene. Expanding access to these technologies in the Horn of Africa, where infrastructure is limited, is critical to increasing awareness and building community resilience to water crises.
There's no shortage of brilliant ideas from young people in the Horn of Africa. The challenge is ensuring these ideas don't remain just that—ideas. Governments, businesses, and development organizations must come together to provide the financial, technical, and policy support needed to turn these ideas into lasting solutions.
Moving beyond symbolic inclusion
There is no shortage of ideas among youth in the Horn of Africa, but we need to move beyond tokenism! Young people must be more than a checkmark for inclusion—they need to be true partners in the decision-making process. When young people are genuinely involved — when they're part of the governance structures that decide how WASH programs are run — we'll see not only innovative solutions but sustainable, community-driven progress.
It's time to stop talking about the potential of youth and start investing in it. The young people in the Horn of Africa are ready to lead—they just need the tools, the trust, and the chance to make a difference. Let’s start walking the talk!
