The EMPOWER project officially started with a two-day Kick-off Meeting held on 26–27 January 2026 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The meeting was hosted by the project coordinator, GAL Napoca Porolissum, and brought together partners from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa for the formal launch of this Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of Youth project.
The meeting aimed to establish a common understanding of the project’s objectives, governance structure and implementation strategy. Partners from Greece, Italy, Botswana, Mauritius Island and Madagascar met in person, while the EACEA Project Officer and the external evaluator joined online.
During the first day, participants focused on project management, financial rules, quality assurance and consortium coordination. Work Package 3 activities related to youth participation and youth worker exchanges were introduced, with initial planning for the first mobility of young African participants in Romania.
The second day was dedicated to operational planning and technical discussions. Key sessions covered the Youth Policy Framework (WP2), the development of digital tools and the online platform, communication and dissemination activities, and internal evaluation and impact assessment methodologies.
The Kick-off Meeting concluded with a field visit and the agreement on a clear roadmap for the first phase of project implementation. The event also marked the start of the project’s audiovisual documentation, supporting transparency, storytelling and dissemination throughout the project lifecycle.
With a strong partnership and a shared vision, EMPOWER is now moving forward to support the establishment and strengthening of Rural Youth Parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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