On 9 July 2026, Youth & Contemporary Development (YCD) was recognised with the Environmental Impact of the Year Award at the CYECD 2026 Awards in Buea, Cameroon.
For our team, receiving the award was a proud moment. But beyond the trophy itself, the recognition gave us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the journey that brought us there — the young people we have worked with, the communities we have engaged, the volunteers who have given their time and energy, and the different initiatives through which we continue to explore practical ways of creating positive change.
For a young organization, recognition like this matters.
Not because an award defines our impact, but because it reminds us that the work we are building is being noticed.
Who is Youth & Contemporary Development?
Youth & Contemporary Development, commonly known as YCD, is a Cameroon-based organization working to empower young people and support sustainable community development.
The organization grew from a simple idea: that young people should not only be seen as beneficiaries of development, but as active participants and leaders in creating solutions for their communities.
Today, YCD's work sits at the intersection of youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, community engagement, sustainable agriculture and innovation.
Our approach is rooted in the belief that meaningful development is not created by one organization working alone. It is built through collaboration — by equipping young people, engaging communities, creating opportunities for learning and action, and supporting locally relevant solutions.
YCD's stated values include sustainability, innovation, equity, collaboration and education, with a focus on helping young people become active contributors to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Putting young people at the centre of environmental action
One of the things that makes YCD's environmental work important to us is the connection between environmental action and youth leadership.
Environmental challenges can sometimes feel too large or distant. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and food insecurity are global issues, but their consequences are experienced in communities and households every day.
Our response has therefore been to create opportunities for young people to understand these challenges and participate in practical solutions.
Through environmental education and youth engagement activities, YCD has worked with students and young people to connect learning with action.
For example, in January 2026, YCD engaged more than 60 students at GBHS Obala as Green Champions during an International Education Day activity. The students explored environmental sustainability through interactive learning, creative plastic recycling for gardening, and hands-on fruit-tree grafting using avocados.
These experiences are important because environmental education becomes more meaningful when young people can move from simply learning about a problem to asking:
What can I do about it?
From planting trees to building environmental awareness
Our environmental work also includes activities around trees, sustainable agriculture and practical environmental stewardship.
Tree planting and nursery activities may appear simple, but they create opportunities for young people to understand the relationship between people, land, food systems, biodiversity and climate.
The goal is not simply to plant a tree and take a photograph.
It is to encourage a culture of responsibility — helping young people see environmental protection as something connected to their everyday lives and to the future of their communities.
This philosophy was reflected in YCD's Youth Week activities, where students participated in environmental action and learning around seedlings, planting and sustainability.
As we wrote during the 2026 Youth Week reflection:
“One classroom. One tree planted. One recycled bottle. One grafted branch at a time.”
The message is simple: meaningful change can begin with small, practical actions.
Using innovation to respond to real community challenges
Environmental impact is also about finding new ways to respond to the challenges communities face.
One area YCD has been exploring is sustainable agriculture and digital innovation.
Smallholder farmers across Cameroon face challenges including plant diseases, changing weather patterns, post-harvest losses and limited access to reliable information.
In response, YCD has been developing the Farmer Guide App, a youth-led digital innovation designed to provide farmers with practical information and tools to support better decision-making.
The concept includes features such as crop disease identification, weather information, guidance on sustainable farming practices, connections to buyers and storage, and peer learning. The project is being developed with accessibility in mind, including support for basic smartphones and offline use.
For us, this is another expression of environmental impact: using the creativity and skills of young Cameroonians to explore solutions to problems affecting food security, livelihoods and climate resilience.
Innovation beyond agriculture
YCD has also explored solutions at the intersection of youth innovation, education and clean energy.
In November 2025, YCD was shortlisted among the top 40 projects for the pitching phase of the Global Health System Solutions Youth Innovation Challenge in the West Region.
The team presented its Solar Bag initiative, a solution designed to support underserved learners and improve access to learning in communities where electricity remains a challenge.
The initiative reflects another part of YCD's approach: identifying a community challenge and exploring practical, youth-led solutions that can improve people's lives.
So, what does this award mean?
For YCD, the Environmental Impact of the Year Award is not simply a recognition to display on a shelf.
It is a moment of reflection.
It tells us that the work we are doing — from environmental education and youth engagement to sustainable agriculture, innovation and community action — has value beyond the individual activities themselves.
It also tells us something important about the power of community.
An organization may have an idea, but it is people who bring that idea to life.
Volunteers give their time.
Young people participate.
Communities open their doors.
Partners share knowledge and resources.
Supporters amplify the message.
And people who believe in the mission create the encouragement needed to keep going.
The award therefore belongs, in many ways, to everyone who has contributed to the YCD journey.
Recognition is encouraging. Responsibility is greater.
Winning an award can be a moment of celebration, but for us, it is also a reminder that recognition comes with responsibility.
There is still much work to do.
Cameroon's young people continue to face challenges around access to opportunities, education, livelihoods and meaningful participation in development. Communities continue to experience environmental pressures, while farmers and households face the realities of a changing climate.
We do not have all the answers.
But we believe young people can be part of creating them.
That means continuing to learn, experimenting with new ideas, strengthening partnerships, listening to communities and turning knowledge into action.
For YCD, the award is therefore not the finish line.
It is encouragement to keep building.
Looking ahead
As we move forward, we want to continue growing YCD as a platform where young people can learn, lead, innovate and contribute to sustainable development.
We want to strengthen environmental education.
We want to support practical community-based solutions.
We want to explore technology and innovation that respond to real needs.
And we want to build partnerships that allow good ideas to move beyond small initiatives and create lasting impact.
The Environmental Impact of the Year Award is one milestone in that journey.
We are grateful for the recognition, grateful for the people who have walked with us, and grateful for every opportunity to learn and grow.
Most importantly, we remain committed to the work.
Empowering Youth. Building Sustainable Communities.
That is the journey we are still on.
