US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the statement Tuesday at the African and Diaspora young Leaders Forum, first event to happen at the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit taking place in Washington DC.

The forum has elevated the African diaspora young leaders engagement aimed at strengthening dialogue between them and American officials and offered platform for the young leaders to fashion ways of amplifying their voices and different creative industries.

Said Blinken; “US government will over the next few days, be announcing additional investments to make it easier for students to participate in exchange programs to increase trade opportunities for members of the African diaspora, and to support African entrepreneurs and small businesses.”

Currently, Washington is already running a number of programs targeting the youths including the Young African Leaders Initiative – YALI and the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program which since its inception in 2019 has provided more than 5,400 women throughout Africa with the training and the networks needed to start and to scale small businesses.

Discussions during the forum which was attended by Africans and people of Africa descent living outside Africa brought together ideas on how African and diaspora young leaders can have their voices amplified and change the narrative about Africans whose stories are mostly told in a negative and pessimistic way.

Most of the speakers said the narrative can be changed if young Africans can fully utilize the creative industries and improve the narrative about Africans and amplify positive image about the continent.

“through creative industries you can tell a story beyond entertainment, stories with a new narrative and also about the global Africa which stems beyond the continents’ borders” they said.

This she however said can be possible if America can come in to provide financial support and partner with the creative industries.

Meanwhile Executive Director for Youth and Society Charles Kajoloweka says the commitment by the US government could have not come at a better time especially now where Malawi is bolstering efforts towards achieving the upper middle-income status by 2063 which is a youth centric vision

"US investment in youth will go a long way in supporting Malawi in tapping on the youth as a critical social capital for its development prospects as we race towards the 2063 agenda. Most crucially, the cooperation must focus on bolstering trade and wealth creation focused skills in which young people should be the heartbeat," said Kajoloweka.

The Diaspora and Africa Young Leaders forum attracted African and people of Africa decent living outside Africa