Talent into Action
From Local Stories to Global Stages
When young people are trusted, empowered, and given the right support, they become the storytellers, changemakers, and leaders our world needs. Talent Into Action is a shining example of that truth. This powerful three-year youth engagement project has connected young creatives across Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Ireland through storytelling, theatre, and community activism, building a bridge between African youth and their international peers.
Young Voices of Africa proudly joined in the second and third years of the project, with participation from YVA Ambassadors in Sierra Leone and Ireland. The project was facilitated by YVA President & CEO Kelvin Akpaloo and coordinated by Creativity and Change (Cork, Ireland) with generous funding support from Irish Aid.
Meet our partners and funders
Creativity & Change is a dynamic Global Citizenship Education program, funded by Irish Aid and based at MTU Crawford in Cork City.
Creativity and Change
Creativity & Change is a dynamic Global Citizenship Education program, funded by Irish Aid and based at MTU Crawford in Cork City.
Established in 2009, the program connects artists, educators, community actors, changemakers, and young people across Ireland and the Global South to co-create transformative learning experiences, artworks, and resources that address the challenges of an interconnected world.
Accredited as a 20-credit, Level 9 Special Purpose Award, this program is designed for individuals seeking to develop skills in creative, transformative processes; apply them within education and activism; and engage critically with global justice themes.
Irish Aid
Irish Aid is the Irish Government’s official overseas development program, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which aims to reduce poverty, combat hunger and inequality, respond to humanitarian crises, and promote sustainable development, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and other vulnerable regions, in collaboration with governments, NGOs, international organisations, and local communities.
Year 2: Women Empowerment
Introduce your brand
Year Two: Mires of an African Woman—Honouring a Trailblazer
In the second year of the project, YVA Ambassadors from Sierra Leone and Ireland joined forces to create a local project inspired by African Youth Goal 4: Female Empowerment. Their contribution took the form of an original audio drama titled "Mires of an African Woman."
The drama tells the compelling story of Madam Ella Koblo-Gulama (1921–2006), the first female Paramount Chief in Sierra Leone and the first woman in sub-Saharan Africa to serve as a cabinet minister. Born into the royal Mende family in Kaiyamba Chiefdom, Madam Ella was a formidable advocate for women's rights, education, and national development.
Through immersive storytelling and rich historical detail, the audio drama celebrated her legacy, giving today’s youth a role model whose strength continues to inspire. This project was part of Talent Into Action, founded by YVA President and CEO Kelvin Akpaloo and supported by Creativity & Change Ireland.
Year 3: Blood Diamond
From Film to Stage
At Young Voices of Africa, we are committed to telling the untold stories of Africa’s youth and communities. The Blood Diamond Project is one of our most powerful and urgent initiatives, a youth-led documentary and theatre campaign that brings to light the brutal truths of the 1991–2002 Blood Diamond Civil War in Sierra Leone.
Led by our President and CEO, Kelvin Akpaloo, who is also the project manager, and Vice-President Alhassan Kallon, alongside YVA Ambassadors in Sierra Leone, the project is supported by Fatima Ismail, President of our Women’s Forum, and our Diaspora Ambassadors in Ireland. Together, we are trusted to amplify the voices of survivors in the Amputee and War-Wounded Camp in Panla-Makeni, individuals who have lived through unimaginable violence and have waited far too long to be heard.
Turning Testimony into Global Awareness.
This project begins with a documentary that captures the real stories of resilience, trauma, and survival. These deeply personal accounts form the heart of the movement and have now been adapted into a live theatre production by our diaspora team in Ireland, utilising spoken word and dance to bring African experiences to global audiences.
Our Voices. Our Stories Our Healing
Voices of Courage:
Honouring the Survivors Who Inspire Our Mission
Meet the brave survivors of the 1991–2002 Blood Diamond Civil War in Sierra Leone, alongside our dedicated Young Voices of Africa ambassadors from the Amputee and War-Wounded Camp in Panlap-Makeni and the diaspora.
These courageous individuals entrusted us with their powerful stories of pain, resilience, and hope. Their voices are the soul of this project, and their truths fuel our mission for justice, healing, and transformation.
We pay special tribute to Ambassador Alanssan, one of our own, whose passion and commitment to amplifying these voices left an indelible mark. Alanssan sadly passed away during the interview stage of this documentary while working closely with survivors in the Amputee Camp. His compassion, courage, and unwavering belief in the power of youth storytelling will never be forgotten. This project is not only a voice for the silenced; it is also a legacy of his dedication.
May his soul rest in peace, and may his spirit continue to guide our work.
Year Three: The Blood Diamond Project—Giving Voice to the Silenced
The third and final year of the project aimed to deepen international collaboration. Although a planned youth exchange between Ireland and West Africa was not possible due to financial limitations, YVA embraced the spirit of cross-border storytelling by developing one of its most emotionally impactful initiatives: The Blood Diamond Project.
Led by Kelvin Akpaloo (CEO/Project Facilitator), Vice President Alhassan Kallon, and Women’s Forum President Fatima Ismail, and supported by YVA ambassadors in Sierra Leone and Ireland, this initiative gave voice to the survivors of the 1991–2002 Blood Diamond Civil War in Sierra Leone.
Focusing on the Amputee and War-Wounded Camp in Panla-Makeni, the documentary and theatre project shed light on untold stories of war, trauma, and resilience. These stories were later transformed into a theatre performance by Irish youth and diaspora ambassadors, and premiered during Africa Day in Ireland—a powerful cultural exchange that highlighted the strength of African voices.
The Event
Blood Diamond/Africa Day
Year
18/05/2025 - 24/05/2025
More images from Africa Day.
Young Voices of Africa at Electric Picnic - 2025
29-31/08/2025
What is Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic is Ireland’s largest annual music and arts festival, held at Stradbally Hall in County Laois. Known as much for its creativity as its music, it attracts tens of thousands of people every year and is often described as Ireland’s answer to Glastonbury.
Headliners
Hozier: Headlined on Friday, marking the 10th anniversary of his debut album.
Chappell Roan: Also headlining Friday, the Grammy-winning “Midwest Princess” made her Electric Picnic debut.
Sam Fender: Took the main stage on Saturday with music from his chart-topping third album.
Fatboy Slim: Closed out Saturday with a high-energy set.
Kings of Leon: Headlined on Sunday, performing at Electric Picnic for the first time.
Becky Hill: Joined the lineup also to headline Sunday, adding pop flair to the rock-dominated close.
Alongside live concerts
While the festival hosts world-renowned musicians and performers, it is also celebrated for its diversity of experiences. Alongside live concerts, it includes: Theatre and spoken word performances, comedy and visual arts, political and social discussions, and sustainability and wellness spaces. Electric Picnic is more than entertainment; it’s a gathering that blends art, activism, and community. To be invited to perform here is not just an opportunity to entertain but to share meaningful stories with a wide and diverse audience.
Our Involvement at Electric Picnic
This year, YVA, in collaboration with Creativity & Change, was invited to one of Ireland’s biggest cultural festivals, Electric Picnic 2025, to perform our moving piece, Blood Diamond.
The performance was part of our wider collaboration project, TALENT INTO ACTION, which united African and European youth through art and theater. Together, we explored parallel challenges faced by young people in different contexts and presented them creatively to diverse audiences.
At Electric Picnic, our group:
Performed music and spoken word poetry inspired by our Blood Diamond project.
Used theater to raise awareness of the devastating impact of blood diamonds and conflict on communities, especially in Sierra Leone.
Created a space of dialogue and celebration, where awareness met joy, and where the power of youth shone as a source of hope and change.
Reflective Report
Being invited to perform at Electric Picnic is a milestone for YVA. It marks not only recognition of our work but also an opportunity to bring African youth voices to a global stage. Through our Blood Diamond performance, the young people involved shared not just art but lived realities, histories, and visions for a more just world. The combination of poetry, song, and theatre gave our audience an emotional journey, raising awareness of a painful issue while also celebrating resilience and hope.
The collaboration with Creativity & Change has been instrumental in making this possible. Their expertise in using art as a tool for dialogue complements our mission of using youth creativity as a driver for social change. Together, through TALENT INTO ACTION, we continue to build a cross-cultural movement where African and European youth stand side by side to tackle shared struggles and imagine new futures.
The response at Electric Picnic reminded us of the power of art to spark conversation and shift perspectives. Audience members were moved, engaged, and inspired, many reflecting that they had never considered the human impact behind conflict minerals before.
For our youth participants, this was more than a performance. It was an act of reclaiming narrative, telling untold stories, and showing that youth are not just the future, they are the present, actively shaping the world today.
A Parallel Story in Sierra Leone - 31st August 2025.
While YVA’s diaspora members in Ireland were raising awareness at Electric Picnic, an equally powerful moment was unfolding in Panlap–Makeni, Sierra Leone. There, YVA Ambassadors, alongside survivors of the Blood Diamond Civil War, premiered the Blood Diamond documentary with the Amputee and War-Wounded community.
For the survivors, this was the first time many of them saw their stories told and shared with the world. It was not an easy watch; revisiting such painful memories reopened deep scars. Yet, they expressed appreciation that their stories were finally being told with dignity, honesty, and compassion, rather than being used or exploited as had happened in the past.
The screening also created a bridge between generations. Young people in the community, many of whom were too young to remember the war, heard firsthand the testimonies of survivors. This experience gave them a deeper understanding of their community’s history and struggles and a renewed commitment to ensuring that such horrors are never repeated.
The aim of this moment was not only to honour the survivors but also to bring the community together—stronger, more united, and with a shared sense of resilience.
Powered by Youth, Rooted in Community
Talent Into Action was not just a project; it was a movement of voices rising across borders. Through Creativity and Change's coordination, Irish Aid's support, and the passionate leadership of YVA, this initiative enabled African and Irish youth to work together in shaping narratives of empowerment, heritage, and justice.
At Young Voices of Africa, we believe in the unstoppable power of youth-led storytelling. These projects are proof that when we invest in young minds, we unleash waves of change.