JA Africa and the Z Zurich Foundation will train 20,000 young people in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Togo through Génération Équitable, the newest phase of the JA Social Equity Program. The three-year initiative concentrates on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital skills and work readiness. It aims to create jobs, launch businesses or raise incomes for 5,000 participants while improving skills and confidence for the remaining 15,000. Its reach will expand to 100,000 additional household and community members, bringing the total to 120,000 lives impacted by 2029—51,000 in Burkina Faso, 45,000 in the DRC and 24,000 in Togo.
It addresses gaps in Francophone Africa, where formal labour markets are weaker and access to training is limited. The approach blends in-person leadership bootcamps with the JA Digital Entrepreneurship Education Program (JA DEEP), an eight-module digital curriculum designed to teach coding basics, e-commerce management and online marketing. Participants will design community-focused projects, and they will receive support such as on-site childcare and learning materials adapted for visual or hearing impairments. Local partners, GEFED in Burkina Faso, KADEA/Fondation Kinshasa Digital in the DRC and YMCA Togo, are responsible for delivering the training on the ground.
Beyond financial support, the Z Zurich Foundation mobilises skills-based volunteering from employees of Zurich Insurance Group. Volunteers act as mentors, curriculum facilitators and career coaches. The foundation also collaborates with national TVET boards and ministries of youth and education to support formal curriculum adoption. A partnership with ANADEC in the DRC secures long-term sustainability by aligning the initiative with existing vocational training strategies.
This effort builds on the first phase of the JA Social Equity Program, which reached 175,000 young people across nine African countries between 2023 and 2025. That earlier wave indirectly benefited 612,000 lives. Lessons learned included uneven access to training venues and language barriers that limited participation in some regions. Those challenges informed the more localized design of Génération Équitable, which tailors content to French-speaking learners and leverages community centres as hubs.
“Peace is strengthened when young people can see a future for themselves and have the tools to contribute to their communities,” said Simi Nwogugu, President & CEO of JA Africa. “Through Génération Équitable, we are helping young people in Burkina Faso, the DRC, and Togo turn ambition into livelihoods and local challenges into solutions.”
Adriana Poglia, Head of Enabling Social Equity at the Z Zurich Foundation, added that social equity is key to building thriving communities. She explained that the collaboration merges funding, volunteer expertise and strong local partnerships to generate lasting opportunities for young people in Burkina Faso, the DRC and Togo. The combined effort aims to leave a measurable legacy of skilled entrepreneurs and digitally literate citizens by the close of 2029.
