Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders |
The chronicYoung people are growing up in an era of rapid technological change—and widening gaps in opportunity. CGHD works to ensure youth can access the tools, education, and health services they need to thrive. We partner with governments, schools, healthcare providers, innovators, and investors to strengthen the systems that shape youth outcomes, and to help scale solutions that deliver measurable impact in communities.  |
Our youth empowerment work focuses on three key pillars: 1.Technology that Expands OpportunityCGHD supports digital skills and innovation pathways that help young people translate talent into real opportunity. We work with training providers, employers, and government counterparts to build job-relevant curricula, credentials, and on-ramps to apprenticeships and entry-level roles, including in high-growth sectors like health, climate, and digital services. We also help make “tech for opportunity” practical in real settings by pairing training with access to devices, connectivity, mentorship, and job-matching support so young people can actually use what they learn. Where helpful, we integrate responsible AI and data literacy so youth can participate safely and competitively in modern workplaces and entrepreneurship ecosystems. 2. Education access, retention, and pathways to livelihoods CGHD advances youth empowerment by supporting programs that keep young people in school and strengthen the bridge from education to employment. We focus on interventions that reduce dropout risks, improve completion, and connect learning to local economic demand, especially in roles that strengthen community systems. A core emphasis is building pathways into community-needed professions such as health workers, laboratory and diagnostics roles, biomedical engineering, and allied health fields. We work with ministries, training institutions, and employers to align coursework with competency standards, support practical placements, and create clearer progression routes from school to certification to decent work. 3. Access to healthcare to keep youth in school and in the workforce Youth empowerment is impossible without health systems that meet young people where they are. CGHD works to expand access to essential health services that directly affect education and economic participation, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health support, nutrition and anemia prevention, and timely diagnosis and care for conditions that interrupt schooling and early employment. We support delivery models that reduce barriers for young people, such as school-linked services, youth-friendly primary care, community outreach, and digital tools that enable referrals and follow-up. By strengthening access and continuity of care, we help young people stay healthy enough to attend school consistently, complete training, and participate fully in the workforce. |
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2019 WORLD BANK/IMF SPRING MEETING |
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April 2019: The Center for Global Health and Development, Sarona, Gilead and AfricInvest co-hosted a high-level roundtable on the margins of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, dedicated to creating an action plan to catalyze private sector investment into African markets. This discussion features representatives from governments, development agencies, multi-lateral organizations, heads of investment firms and investment banks and select NGOs who came together to discuss a new way forward to create strategic partnerships with the private sector to catalyze sustainable financing of global development initiatives. Featured Speakers |
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Gerhard Pries QUESTION 1: Sarona was one of the first impact investors. Opening remarks including why Sarona decided to invest into emerging and frontier markets. QUESTION 2: From the private investor side, what is needed to begin to move the discussion from theory into action? |
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Ziad Oueslati Co-Founder and Managing Director, AfricInvest QUESTION 1: As one of the oldest impact investment firms in Africa, what is the investment landscape in Africa, and what needs to happen to increase investment? QUESTION 2: What is your view on how to guide the attendees towards a practical and action agenda moving forward? |
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Clifford Samuel Senior Vice-President, Access Operations and Emerging Markets, Gilead Science QUESTION 1: Gilead has catalyzed capital into healthcare in emerging markets. How do we unlock the necessary human capital to create access to healthcare? QUESTION 2: What do you see as concrete next steps to catalyze private investment into emerging markets? |
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Colin Buckley Chief Operating Officer, CDC Group QUESTION: Historically, how have development agencies catalyzed investment with private sector capital and moving forward, where do we go from here? |
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Dana Barsky Deputy Assistant Chief Operating Officer and Head of External Partnerships, Credit Suisse International QUESTION: Moving to the private sector, Credit Suisse has invested in education and other sectors. How do we get practical, that is, how can we engage the private sector in endeavors such as the education offering at USAID? |
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Julie Cram Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Economic Growth, Education and Environment, USAID QUESTION 1: Practicality requires solutions. As USAID has prioritized engagement of the private sector, what steps need be taken to increase private sector engagement and investments to develop partnerships from a financial and social impact perspective? QUESTION 2: There is quite a bit of private equity interest in what USAID is doing in education especially providing educational opportunities to the lower ends of the socio-economic pyramid, what insight can you offer regarding encouraging investment?" |
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Moatz Yeken QUESTION: Egypt has seen significant private investment in the past several years. What are the obstacles for private sector investment in Egypt and how can governments and foundations assist in mobilizing additional private sector capital. |
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Tim Evans QUESTION: What are some of the different interventions that are happening at the World Bank and in collaboration with USAID? |
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Erik Bethel QUESTION: Private investors are now working more closely with finance ministers and other government officials to create blended financing mechanisms. What needs to happen to complete these investments and thereby unlock the capital necessary to create sustainability? |
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Ann Wyman QUESTION: "How do we take private sector practical solutions and actually work with the development agencies?" |
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Etienne Grall QUESTION: We have 4 paths from the UK, three levels from the Dutch, what are Canada's views on how we go forward in the catalytic role that DFIS can play?" |
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Karl Hoffman |
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Sari Miller |
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Ikuo Takizawa |
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Pradeep Kakkattil |
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Omer Besbes QUESTION: JICA works in the area of moving private sector capital into Africa, what are JICA's priorities and mechanisms to catalyze more private capital into African markets? |
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Jason Grove |
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Charles Bleehen |
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