The largest European educational programme has officially crossed the equator and has done so with great impact, with 17 million euros for 55 projects that will unite young people from three continents. Erasmus+ is now active in Botswana and Zambia, creating a unique experience of mutual learning between organisations that previously did not even know of each other’s existence.
This expansion was made possible through the Africa-Europe Youth Academy initiative, funded under the Global Gateway programme. For the first time in the history of Erasmus+, organisations from Sub-Saharan African countries have gained access to funding, allowing them to become full partners of their European colleagues in creating educational solutions for young people.
While some projects teach young Africans green entrepreneurship, others help European organisations understand the specific challenges of working with youth in contexts where access to technology remains a privilege rather than a given. This exchange of experience has proven extremely valuable for both sides, as European experts discover creative solutions developed by youth organisations with limited resources, while African partners gain access to methodologies and best practices in non-formal education.
In addition to the traditional cooperation regions of the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership countries and the Southern Mediterranean, the programme now also includes Nigeria, Lesotho, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and others. Each of these countries brings unique contexts and challenges that enrich the overall experience of the programme.
The most symbolic projects address the most pressing issues of our time.
One project focuses on developing innovative approaches through art to combat cyberbullying, bullying and hate speech among young people in Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This project shows how creative methods can become an effective tool to address complex social problems.
The fight against disinformation in Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia has particular significance in the context of the information wars waged against these countries. A project on media literacy and responsible online behaviour is creating new methodologies for youth work to counter manipulative media content. This is especially relevant for Ukraine, where combating Russian propaganda has become part of national security.
The development of digital skills in Tanzania takes place within the framework of a broader green entrepreneurship project that also covers Nigeria, Lesotho, Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia and Botswana. The aim is to prepare young Africans for leadership in sustainable development and ecological entrepreneurship through cooperation among youth organisations, educational institutions and policymakers in both the EU and African countries.
The protection of women’s rights in Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon is being carried out through the development of methodologies for non-formal education organisations in the field of human rights, with a special focus on women’s rights and overcoming gender inequality.
Each project responds to the specific challenges of its country, using European experience and resources but adapting them to local realities. Education builds bridges where before there were only borders, creating a new reality of international partnership where geographical distance is no longer a barrier to the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The European programme becomes transcontinental
