Youth Projects Development Platform (YPDP) is a registered Youth-Led Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to empowering young people to drive sustainable change in their communities. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, YPDP promotes innovation, entrepreneurship, civic participation, and environmental stewardship through deliberate, inclusive, and impact-driven programs. By equipping youth with skills, mentorship, and opportunities, YPDP is building a generation of creative, responsible, and resilient leaders shaping Zambia’s future.
The organization works to enhance youth capacities by nurturing invention, innovation, and creativity through practical skills development, mentorship, and advocacy, while providing platforms for young people to design, test, and scale solutions to real socio-economic and governance challenges. YPDP believes that young people are not merely beneficiaries of development but creative problem-solvers and innovators—key agents of transformation capable of generating original ideas, developing home-grown solutions, and driving sustainable change at both local and national levels.
Its programs are anchored in principles of self-help accountability, innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability, ensuring that interventions respond to real community needs while building long-term resilience at both local and national levels.
Our Vission, Mission and Objectives
— Vision
We envision a Zambia where youths are educated, empowered, and active participants in shaping a healthy, sustainable, and inclusive society, where their ideas, entrepreneurial initiatives, inventions, and innovations thrive within a framework of good governance and accountability.
— Mission
To empower youths to drive Zambia’s development by fostering economic independence, promoting cooperative entrepreneurial initiatives, supporting inventions and innovations, and advancing a green and sustainable environment, while championing transparency, accountability, and good governance as foundations for inclusive community development.
— Objectives
To promote youth invention and innovation through the mobilization of resources, strategic partnerships, and enhancement of technical and entrepreneurial skills.
To encourage and sustain the establishment of youth cooperatives and entrepreneurial initiatives through the effective implementation of the “100 Youths Programme” and other related empowerment projects.
To support vulnerable children and young people through mentorship, training, and educational assistance to vulnerable and marginalized youths and children. beneficiaries
To promote a sustainable natural environment through the implementation of the “Green-Clean Youth Response” initiative and other environmentally friendly programs.
To promote good governance and accountability as key pillars for
inclusive and sustainable community development.
Our Core Values
Our Story
The story of the Youth Projects Development Platform is one fueled by passion, vision, and a deep commitment to youth empowerment and national development. It began in 2011 when Mr. Patience Mumbi, a visionary leader, recognized a pressing need within Zambia’s youth community.
Mr. Mumbi’s involvement with the Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists (JETS) Club in 2011 served as a catalyst for his aspirations. While JETS created opportunities for scientific exploration and innovation, it also revealed a gap: many talented young innovators struggled to access platforms, support systems, and opportunities to advance their ideas. Inspired to bridge this gap, Mr. Mumbi envisioned an organization that would nurture invention and innovation among youth an idea that later grew into YPDP.
Driven by determination, he founded the Youth Projects Development Platform in 2017. The organization continued to take shape until August 3rd, 2021, when YPDP received official legal recognition marking the beginning of a new chapter.
Transitioning From STEM to a Broader Development Agenda
As YPDP grew, the experiences of its founding members brought new perspectives and expanded the organization’s mission.
One of the founders had personally struggled to access education from a young age. His journey supported by different organizations who helped him stay in school became a powerful motivation. He believed that YPDP should extend that same support to other vulnerable children and youth. This led to the inclusion of education and skills development as a core pillar of YPDP’s work.