On Saturday, October 5th, the International Youth Edu-Skills Foundation (IYESF) and the South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA) came together to co-host the second South Africa—India Youth Forum 2024. 

The forum was held over Zoom with 50 participants, 25 each from India and South Africa. The Program Directors Asfia Kulsoom, Project Associate at IYESF and Luvuyo Madikane, Deputy Director of the Projects Department at SABYA welcomed everyone and commenced the forum. 

Akil Mohammed, Founder and Chairperson of the International Youth Edu-Skills Foundation and Deputy Head of the Russia-BRICS Project Office along with Raymond Matlala, Founder and Executive Chairman of the South African BRICS Youth Association joined the forum and delivered the welcome speeches. 

The forum hosted some distinguished experts from different fields as speakers under the 3 sub-themes:

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Empowering Youth from Education to Entrepreneurship –

• Janvi Sonaiya (Journalist, IANS)

• Aluwani Chokoe (Spokesperson-National Youth ICT Council, Youth leader)

STEM and Future Technologies –

• Rahul Sharma (IT expert, youth leader, GM at Smart Mir Services LLC and Director of International and regional projects at IYESF. )

• Aluwani Chokoe (Spokesperson-National Youth ICT Council, Youth leader)

Understanding the impact of social media on mental health –

• Nityarajsinh Solanki (MBBS, Youth Activist)

• Steve Morifi (Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing, SABYA)

The first session saw a panel discussion with speeches from the speakers, followed by a Q&A round. After a brief technical break, the forum resumed with the second session where the participants were divided into 3 breakout rooms. Here, the participants engaged in productive discussions with their fellow delegates and prepared a PowerPoint Presentation. After which back at the main session, representatives from the 3 groups presented their work to everyone. 

The event concluded with the closing remarks from the program directors. The forum was a resounding success with active and enthusiastic engagement from the delegates and guidance from the speakers. 

About the Organisers: 

IYESF – 

The International Youth Edu-Skills Foundation (IYES Foundation) is a not-for-profit, non-commercial and non-government youth organization registered under the charitable Indian Trusts Act, 1882, Government of India to empower youth through education, skills, employment and entrepreneurship to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. IYES Foundation was founded in 2018 by enthusiastic young professionals dedicated to bringing change to society.

SABYA – 

The South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA) is a non-profit organisation registered with the Department of Social Development in South Africa (205-671 NPO). SABYA is a youth-led organization that focuses on promoting youth development, international relations and cooperation, entrepreneurship, and innovation in South Africa and other BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)). SABYA aims to create opportunities for young people to engage with each other, share best practices, and collaborate on projects that address key challenges facing their communities and respective countries. The organization also seeks to enhance cultural exchange and promote mutual understanding among youth from different BRICS nations.