About Us
MISSION
To advocate for and empower young people, women, and children with relevant social skills through capacity building, support programmes, learning exchanges and business incubation.
VISION
To raise well-endowed and productive young people that will take up leadership roles and make meaningful contributions in their communities
END IN MIND
To be a global organization of every race, color, tribe, culture that empowers young people, women and communities to significantly increase their performance in all spheres of life in order to achieve worthwhile purposes.
Moses Baffour Awuah
Global CEO and Executive Chairman
A Message from our Executive Chairman:
The Architect’s Vision
From the Desk of Moses Baffour Awuah
Twelve years ago, I embarked on a journey that began with a simple observation: the incredible potential of the African youth was being stifled by a lack of sustainable systems. What started as a grassroots effort to empower “game-changers” has since evolved into a lifetime mission to architect Social Sovereignty.
As I reflect on over a decade as the Global CEO of the Youth Arise Organisation (YAO), I have come to a profound realization. True development is not merely a matter of capital or infrastructure; it is a matter of Narrative. For too long, the African story has been told through the lens of external observers—focusing on deficit rather than design, and aid rather than agency.
My life’s work is now dedicated to reclaiming that narrative. I call this Narrative Sovereignty.
Through my research and the methodology established in my book, Leading By Your Life Story, I have codified a three-phase journey—the Unplanned, the Pause and Reflect, and the Planned—that allows social entrepreneurs to transition from reactive survival to institutional permanence. We have tested this framework within our “West African Lab,” scaling YAO into a federation of seven specialized agencies that address everything from agricultural transformation to holistic health.
We are no longer just “helping youth”; we are building a Poly-Centric Institution that proves African solutions can be self-sustaining, data-backed, and globally influential.
As we move into this next chapter, our focus is on Knowledge Production. We are synthesizing 12 years of longitudinal field data to inform global policy and ensure that the “African Journey” is documented and led by Africans themselves. I invite you to explore our ecosystem—not just as a collection of programs, but as a blueprint for a resilient, independent, and prosperous Africa.
The story is ours to tell. The future is ours to build.
Respectfully,
Moses Baffour Awuah
Executive Chairman, Youth Arise Organisation
