In September 2025, Healthy Cities for Adolescents projects are coming together across borders for two dynamic learning exchanges – each designed to strengthen adolescent leadership, participation, and well-being in urban contexts.
Ghana meets India to reimagine youth-led cities
In India, the Resilient Cities for Adolescents (RC4A) project from Ghana is meeting with Safe, Vibrant and Healthy Public Spaces (SVHPS) project to explore how adolescent leadership can be woven into urban development. SVHPS brings extensive experience in creating public spaces with adolescents at the centre, while RC4A shares its innovative adolescent parliament model from Ghana.
The exchange includes discussions in office settings and site visits in Jaipur and Bhubaneswar, giving participants the chance to see adolescent-led initiatives in action. The partnership will produce reports, papers, and joint sharing sessions – ensuring that the lessons learned inform both projects and inspire wider application in other contexts.
Ecuador meets Ghana to rethink adolescent well-being
Meanwhile, in Ghana, Alza Tu Voz (ATV) project from Ecuador, and Ghana’s Young & Safe (Y&S) project are engaging in an exchange focused on catalysing systems change for adolescent health and well-being in urban settings. The teams are exploring how to design sustainable, long-lasting strategies by learning from each other’s youth participation models and advocacy approaches.
Highlights include sharing Y&S’s experience with advocacy-driven reporting through the Ho Youth Report, site visits in Ho, and participation in a bootcamp on virtual reality and robotics. Together, the projects will create a roadmap on how to sustain youth-led initiatives – from documenting successful engagement strategies, to strengthening digital skills, to advancing communication and storytelling methods. An innovative AI-generated podcast will also recount the visit for wider dissemination.
These exchanges embody the spirit of Healthy Cities for Adolescents programme: learning from diverse contexts, co-creating solutions, and empowering adolescents as agents of change. The results – from new tools and reports to creative communications products – will extend beyond the participating projects, enriching the global HCA community.
