“Since the population in Africa is very young, it is mostly the youth that are affected by unemployment. I believe that it is crucial for self-esteem and identity development to be able to generate your own income. I do feel that the informal sector is also important, even though it is hard to measure – it is where many young people create their own businesses and use their creativity to find opportunities.”

- Merel Van Der Woude is the Creative Director at Butterfly Works, a creative and strategic partner in social innovation projects in Africa. Butterfly Works have co-created and implemented educational and communication projects in over 22 emerging economies worldwide. Over the years they have worked for NGOs, companies, governments and embassies. Merel has been a speaker and workshop facilitator and trainer for a wide range of events around innovation, education and human centred design.