Africa Catalyzing Action for Nutrition

AFRICA DAY 2026 | Our Water, Our Environment, Our Responsibility

As we commemorate Africa Day 2026 under the African Union theme:

“Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”

Africa Catalyzing Action for Nutrition (AfriCAN) is proud to officially launch its Africa Day 2026 campaign:

Our Water. Our Environment. Our Responsibility.

This campaign shines a spotlight on the critical connection between water, sanitation, nutrition, food systems, environmental sustainability, and healthy communities across Africa.

This Africa Day, we reaffirm that achieving Agenda 2063 requires both individual and collective responsibility—because good nutrition, clean water, safe sanitation, and healthy environments begin with each one of us.

Through AfriCAN’s "Good Nutrition Starts With Me" Youth Initiative, young people and media practitioners in Cameroon, The Gambia, and Ghana are demonstrating that real change begins with informed choices, personal action, and community ownership.

These young leaders are championing healthier lifestyles, environmental cleanliness, safe sanitation, and nutrition-secure communities—and inspiring others to do the same.

Under this year’s campaign theme, AfriCAN is mobilizing action across communities through:

• Community clean-up campaigns
• School outreach and awareness activities
• Nutrition and WASH advocacy discussions
• Home gardening and healthy lifestyle promotion
• Digital advocacy campaigns promoting positive behaviour change and collective action

25 May 2026 marks the official launch of the campaign, which will continue through December 2026. Today also marks AfriCAN’s fourth anniversary.

Africa’s youth are not only the future—they are leading change now.

Good Nutrition Starts With Me
Our Water. Our Environment. Our Responsibility.

Join the movement.
Act.
Be the change.

Learn more: http://african-network.org

AfriCAN – Africa Catalyzing Action for Nutrition Africa Catalyzing Action for Nutrition (AfriCAN) stands as a continent-wide, African-led organization dedicated to advancing nutrition throughout Africa. The group comprises a diverse and multidisciplinary team of committed individuals, all united by a shared vision: fostering a healthy and well-nou...

Daily Dose of Wellness: Nyanya Manneh’s Journey in Nutrition Advocacy.
Nyanya Manneh is a trainee of the AfriCAN “Good Nutrition Starts with Me”initiative and a member of Health4Me Gambia. Following the training, she reduced her consumption of sugar and ultra processed foods, and her diet now includes local grains like findi (fonio) and chereh (millet based couscous).

She became a passionate advocate of nutrition at home and to her college mates, promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging exclusive breastfeeding for infants, supporting regular health check-ups for older individuals, and reinforcing proper Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices. Nyanya plans to expand her outreach with guidance from AfriCAN.

Leveraging her skills as a trained agro-food processor, she is dedicated to adding value to local produce and raising awareness about nutritious food options. Thus, in September 2025, she launched Daily Dose Juice – Your Daily Shot of Wellness, a natural juice business (e.g. baobab juice) that encourages healthier beverage choices. At the same time, she supports local farmers and contributes to reducing post-harvest losses by using seasonal fruits that could otherwise go to waste.

Despite her progress, Nyanya faces challenges common to young entrepreneurs, including limited access to efficient processing equipment, suitable packaging materials, and market visibility. She hopes for support in these areas to scale her business and enhance her impact.

Nyanya commends the AfriCAN team for their continued support and encourages more updates on social media to enhance visibility and promote youth .
National Nutrition Agency- The Gambia

From Waste to Resource: Composting and Nutrition Education in Cameroon
Putting into practice what he learned during the AfriCAN “Good Nutrition Starts with Me” training, Ngole's passion for nutrition and sustainability inspired him to organize a unique learning experience for Class 5 pupils at the Government Primary School Mermoz in Buea, Cameroon.

Etape partnered with his organization, Cameroon Youth Initiative for Development and engaged 68 pupils in combined discussions and practical sessions, to introduce the concept of composting, highlighting its significance in producing healthy crops and promoting good nutrition. He emphasized that good nutrition begins with them, and it's not just about knowing what to eat, but also about the quality of the food they are consuming.

Etape explained how organic fertilizer produced from kitchen waste, could be used to grow their own food and he put this theory into practice by asking the pupils to bring food waste from home, and together, they created a compost heap for the school garden.

These interactive sessions sparked curiosity and excitement among the pupils, who actively participated in every step of the process. By empowering these young minds with knowledge and skills, Etape hoped to inspire a lifelong commitment to healthy eating and sustainable living.

Meet the African Youth Championing Good Nutrition

Meet Arabiatou Badjie, a vibrant changemaker from the African Youth Leadership Hub - Gambia Chapter. In March 2024, she participated in the “Good Nutrition Starts with Me” training, organized by the Africa Catalyzing Action for Nutrition (AfriCAN) and National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), determined to make a difference. Inspired by what she learned, Arabiatou committed to helping her family embrace healthier habits, starting by encouraging her brother’s wife to hold off on complementary foods for her young baby until the recommended age of six months and reducing sugar intake at home.

Fast forward a few months, and Arabiatou’s efforts were already bearing fruit. She proudly shared that her nephew was exclusively breastfed for the first six months, giving him the best start in life. Furthermore, her family adopted better hygiene routines, by replacing shared wash basins with individual handwashing. Together with her sister-in-law, Arabiatou started a small backyard garden, encouraging her family to consume homegrown vegetables and legumes, and even to cut back on artificial seasonings in their meals. Her efforts have brought her family closer to better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle.

Arabiatou’s passion for promoting good nutrition and healthy practices was extended beyond her family home, to her workplace, the Agro-Incubation Hub, where she promotes healthy eating habits during their business training sessions with farmers. She also joined an organisation called Njaboute Foundation, which focuses on issues related to family, sexual and reproductive health, as well as communicable and non-communicable diseases. The foundation is working on developing an app that will feature all its areas of focus, making educational resources accessible to all. Drawing from her experience, Arabiatou is encouraging the foundation to expand its focus to include nutrition and to empower individuals and communities to improve their health, nutrition and overall well-being.

Arabiatou is currently pursuing entrepreneurship opportunities, including the production of moringa, neem, and honey soap. Although sourcing materials remains a challenge, she has begun processing with available resources and intends to train others, particularly women and girls.

The “Under the AfriCAN Baobab Tree” Spotlight Series kicked off on the International Day of the Youth, by shining a spotlight on children and youth living with Diabetes in The Gambia. These were represented by the Young Gambian Diabetes Association (YGDA), where members expressed their experiences through personal stories and a role-play to raise awareness, promote stronger support networks, and encourage positive perspectives.
Key Takeaways:
1. Children and youth living with diabetes in The Gambia face daily challenges, including access to insulin, testing materials, and education on diabetes care.
2. Stigma and misconceptions about diabetes remain strong, affecting emotional well-being and community support.
3. Peer support networks empower young people to share experiences, build confidence, and advocate for their needs.
4. Amplifying young voices creates a powerful platform for change in policy, healthcare, and social attitudes.
5. Training on basic nutrition and diet management, incorporating local foods, is critical.

Join us and be part of the support system!

JOIN US UNDER THE BAOBAB TREE!

A webinar to review Phase 1 of “Good Nutrition Starts With Me” Youth Initiative and contribute to Phase 2 - Focusing on Actions, Expansion, and Sustainability.

Date: 14th December, 2024
Time: 10AM to 12PM GMT

Register now, to make your voice heard:
https://forms.gle/KQmn4B7zopjF6BTU9