School of International Futures

Sprouting change for safe childhood: Learning from the Next Generation Leadership Programme

Challenge

Approach

Outcome

Ignite Philanthropy believes that radically different approaches are necessary to achieve a world where violence against children is eradicated and where children and youth exercise their rights, shape their futures, and live in peace. They wanted to develop a programme to help youth leaders in the sector become stewards of change and nurture the next generation of youth leaders.

We worked closely with IGNITE to test different potential models for the programme before co-designing an approach with their team as well as the participants themselves. 

Through the process we helped IGNITE to focus on what matters—Sprout wasn’t created to tweak around the edges, it was designed to reimagine leadership, to move beyond fragmented, siloed interventions and instead champion a systems-led approach—centred in youth agency, survivor leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and the bold rethinking of how power flows:

  • Personal: Helping young leaders embrace their role in shifting systems, leading with clarity, confidence, and care.
  • Relational: Strengthening people networks by forging connections across generations and sectors, shifting the dynamic from hierarchy to reciprocal, trust-based relationships.
  • Systemic: Driving Transformation through new strategies grounded in collective vision and aimed at tackling the structural foundations of childhood sexual violence.

Twenty young people were carefully curated through a selection process that embraces both innovation and intersectionality. They were supported through a 5-month journey centred around an in-person convening, that combined:

  • Trauma-Informed Practices recognising that many participants are survivors, we built safety into the programme: from confidentiality agreements to embodied practices that honour personal boundaries.
  • Community-Building Spaces: a cornerstone was our in-person retreat in Naivasha, Kenya, intentionally crafted to foster connection, trust, and a shared vision for change.
  • One-on-One Coaching each Fellow received individual coaching sessions, creating space for personal reflection, leadership development, and agency-building.
  • Skills-Building & Sharing we focused specifically on foresight, systems thinking, and futures literacy—giving participants the tools to move beyond reactive solutions and imagine new possibilities.
  • Learning Partnerships each Fellow was paired with an established practitioner in the sector, forming intergenerational partnerships. Rather than a traditional mentorship model, this was a two-way exchange, honouring the expertise and perspectives both sides bring.

Impact Fund co-designed with Fellows, the fund wasn’t just about resourcing projects—it was about challenging outdated practices of philanthropy, redistributing decision-making power, and modelling how funding can reflect trust and collaboration.

The journey supported participants to reframe their roles in sector transformation, and helped dispel deep-seated myths— that keep power restricted, hoarded, or misunderstood in the sector:

  • Power is “Out There”. Participants shifted from seeking permission to lead to owning their stories and confidently stepping into their leadership roles. They recognised that true leadership comes from within, fostering a deeper connection with themselves and others. “My new source of power is ME. For a long time I have downsized my capabilities and I felt stagnated by fear. My coaching was a lightbulb moment for me. It is within ME to make things work.”
  • “Power is Scarce”. Participants shifted from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, recognising that collaboration, shared leadership, and mutual support create opportunities for all. Many redefined their leadership as interconnected and sustainable, prioritising self-care while continuing to contribute to the collective. “Connection and knowledge sharing makes us more powerful. Together, we can use our talents to change the system.”
  • Power = Control. During the in-person gathering in Kenya, participants created tangible representations of their visions, further deepening their connection to the idea that systems evolve gradually through care and collaboration. “The Sprout programme made me learn how the system works and how to work with it. This was a gap in my journey, and now I feel my impact will increase.”

Participants launched new projects and collaborations through the impact programme and it helped IGNITE to start to deliver on their new strategy to catalyse systems change. A second iteration of Sprout has been commissioned for 2025 focused on empowering more youth in the sector across Africa and Asia.