The YouthTeamUp project has officially come to an end, marking the completion of a multi-year initiative that connected young people from Africa and Europe through virtual collaboration, skills development and innovation.

Waziup was among the project partners contributing to this initiative, which used Shallow Virtual Exchange (SVE) and Deep Virtual Exchange (DVE) activities to equip young people with the skills and opportunities to address real-world challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Between November 2023 and February 2026, the project delivered five SVE cycles, engaging 2,554 young people from approximately 65 countries, including 24 African countries. Through additional outreach activities, more than 12,000 young people were also reached. Participants developed 49 Global Impact Project ideas addressing challenges in areas such as renewable energy, smart agriculture, water and environmental sustainability, healthcare, education, climate resilience and digital inclusion.

The journey continued for selected teams through four DVE cycles implemented between 2024 and 2026. These provided more intensive mentorship, technical training and project development support in areas including IoT, Artificial Intelligence, data-driven solutions, system design and prototyping. In total, 16 Global Impact Projects completed the DVE programme, exceeding the original target of 15 projects and achieving 106.67% of the target.

Beyond technical development, YouthTeamUp strengthened participants’ communication, teamwork, leadership, project management, entrepreneurship and collaborative problem-solving skills. The initiative also fostered institutional connections, knowledge exchange and opportunities for continued cooperation between African and European organisations.

Although the funded project has concluded, its impact is expected to continue through the 16 Global Impact Projects, which provide a foundation for further technical development, local validation, engagement and potential pilot implementation.

Waziup is proud to have been part of this initiative and to have contributed to a programme that demonstrated the value of youth-led innovation, international collaboration and digital skills development.

We extend our appreciation to the project partners, participants and everyone who contributed to making YouthTeamUp a success.