UNICEF Youth Leading in Water Resilience

Community and Youth Engagement Beyond Schools 5 The Youth Leading in Water Resilience Project extended beyond formal school settings to engage unemployed youth, local community members, and government officials—ensuring the broader community became active participants in building climate resilience. In both the Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, the project created pathways for youth to gain practical environmental skills, while also strengthening community capacity to monitor and respond to water challenges.

Community members in Villiers ready to conduct water testing in their communities.

More than 3000 unemployed youth and community members participated in training workshops, where they learned how to test water quality using WaterCAN kits, interpret results, and upload data to digital platforms. In the Northern Cape, this was done in collaboration with the Community Works Programme (CWP), which mobilised participants from seven towns in the Namaqualand district. The programme offered unemployed youth an opportunity to engage in meaningful work, equipping them with practical, transferable skills that can support future employment in environmental monitoring, community health, or public works programmes. In KwaZulu-Natal, over 240 youth from groups such as DUCT, Working with Fire, Liberty NPO, ImagineIf, Virtual State Programme, and the Mpumuza community received similar training. Many of these participants had limited prior exposure to water quality testing, yet quickly gained confidence in using scientific tools and interpreting environmental data. We conducted water quality testing at Durban University of Technology in collaboration with the Green Campus Initiative and residence heads training. These trained leaders will now use a multiplier approach to cascade the training to the broader student community, promoting awareness and action on water quality across campus. Crucially, the training provided more than just knowledge—it gave

unemployed youth a sense of purpose and a practical skill set that can be applied in future job opportunities or entrepreneurial initiatives within the green economy. Giving unemployed youth these kinds of opportunities is vital in communities where access to formal employment is limited. By empowering them with knowledge, hands-on training, and leadership roles in environmental stewardship, the project helped build both individual confidence and community resilience. Youth who once saw themselves as passive recipients of services are now citizen scientists and community change-makers, contributing actively to water conservation efforts. Additionally, government officials and local stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC), were involved to ensure the sustainability and institutional alignment of the project. Their support reinforces the importance of cross-sector collaboration in tackling environmental challenges. In all, the project not only improved water awareness but also created valuable learning and empowerment opportunities—especially for unemployed youth— paving the way for a new generation of environmental leaders. UNICEF Youth Leading in Water Resilience Report 2025 23