The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office, in partnership with the European Union(EU) and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), has held a graduation ceremony for young emerging political leaders following the conclusion of the European Union’s Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Project in Ghana.
The ceremony which was themed ‘’Celebrating and Shaping the Future of Democratic Participation”, celebrated the achievements of the thirty (30) participants and recognized the
contributions of facilitators, mentors, partners, and other stakeholders who supported the successful implementation of the project in Ghana.
Over the past six months, the EU WYDE Project has empowered young leaders with opportunities to develop their leadership, communication, advocacy, and personal development skills.
In her welcome address, the Country Representative of KAS Ghana, Mrs. Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall admonished the participants to ensure they make positive impact with the training they have received.
“The actual success of this program will be measured by what happens when you leave this room today. It will be measured by the conversations that you are starting in your communities, by the young people that you encourage, and by colleagues that you inspire. By the integrity that you lead with when nobody else is watching.
Because good leadership is very contagious. We often think of leadership as something very extraordinary. We imagine it on big stages, in parliament, behind podiums, or attached to very important titles.
But in reality, leadership, and good leadership in particular, spreads much more quietly. It actually spreads through example”, she stated.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Jonas Claes, the EU Delegation Representative underscored the importance of investing in youth empowerment and the project’s continuity in Ghana
“It’s always very important to invest in youth empowerment, youth engagement, particularly future politicians.
Surely there will be continuity in our youth engagements here in Ghana.
We engage with youth of various parts of the country in various different ways and we will continue to do that for the years to come,” he revealed.
On his part, Mr. Laurenz Van Ginneken, the ENoP EU Representative, Brussels, highlighted the distinctiveness of the WYDE project
“The WYDE was conceived with a clear conviction: that democracy in Ghana – and beyond – depends on young people who are willing to step forward, across party lines, and take ownership of their political future.
What made this programme distinct was never the training sessions alone, but the space it created for genuine encounters: between young leaders of different political convictions, between experience and ambition, between theory and lived political reality. This is precisely the kind of exchange EnOP was built to support, and we are proud to have facilitated it here,” he added.
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The Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) is a flagship initiative of the European Union (EU) aimed at strengthening democratic participation by empowering women and young people to take on more active roles in political and public life. In Ghana, the programme was implemented in 2026 by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office, in partnership with the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), to support the development of ethical, capable, and collaborative young leaders.
The 2026 cohort brought together 30 young political leaders from six universities across Ghana, with equal representation from the country’s two major political traditions and a 50/50 gender balance.
