This year’s International Youth Day (IYD) celebration in Susan’s Bay was a remarkable showcase of youth empowerment and grassroots activism. Over 22 youth-led organizations, with Secure Her Empowerment for Peace (SHE4Peace) as the lead partner, came together to celebrate the theme: “Youths for the SDGs: Localizing the SDGs for National Development.”
The event, held on August 12, 2025, kicked off with a lively community dialogue at the Susan’s Bay Community Center. During the session, volunteers introduced their organizations, shared their goals, and engaged in discussions about how to achieve impactful change. The community collectively identified four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as top priorities: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
Following the dialogue, the excitement continued with a female football match between the IYD Volunteers and the Susan’s Bay and Mabella community youth. The match was followed by a community lunch, which served 250 young people, and a day filled with music, dance, and games. These activities fostered a strong sense of unity and connection between volunteers and local residents.
In preparation for the day, a Training of Trainers (TOT) session on the SDGs was held on August 9, 2025. This training provided youth groups with a deeper understanding of the SDGs and emphasized their role in achieving these global goals at the local level.
What makes this celebration even more remarkable is that the initiative was entirely youth-funded, reflecting the dedication and initiative of young people committed to creating change in their communities.
Looking ahead, SHE4Peace and the IYD Volunteers, in partnership with the Africa Disability Network (whose member serves as the Susan’s Bay community chair), plan to return for additional training aimed at strengthening youth economic skills. They also plan to explore strategies for financing local initiatives, ensuring sustainable community growth long into the future.
The success of this event marks just the beginning of what promises to be a long-term, youth-led movement for national development and the achievement of the SDGs in Sierra Leone.
