To mark Youth Festival 2025 under the theme “Protecting Nature and Environment from the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change” and National & International Youth Day 2025 with the theme “Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships,” WAVE Foundation, with support from the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) organized colorful programs on 12 August 2025 in two ENRICH Project covered unions Hauli and Utholi in Damurhuda and Jibannagar Upazila respectively.
The Youth Festival emphasized the importance of environmental protection and youth action in combating climate change. Following the discussion meeting, participants visited 10 educational institutions in the project area and planted 102 trees, including fruit-bearing, timber, and ornamental varieties. The initiative represented youth commitment to greener, climate-resilient communities. Through these activities, the festival highlights how adolescents and youth can play a leading role in nature conservation and climate change adaptation, ensuring sustainability for future generations.
The celebration also carried forward the agenda of National & International Youth Day, focusing on how technology and partnerships can connect the demographic dividend. Speakers highlighted that according to 2022 BBS data, young people aged 15-29 constitute 25% of the population while those aged 18-45 considered the working-age group account for around 39%. Bangladesh’s demographic dividend period (2012-2061) offers a unique opportunity to turn this youth bulge into a driving force for national progress. Discussions stressed the need to develop a skilled and technology-driven youth workforce through multi-stakeholder partnerships. The Startup Bangladesh project was highlighted as an inspiring model where government, private sector, and international partners collaborate to promote innovation in areas such as e-commerce, fintech, healthtech, and edtech. Youth leaders made three key demands:
1. Stronger government and private-sector support for youth knowledge and skills in technology.
2. Access to venture capital and funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
3. Enhanced international partnerships to expand youth access to global markets.
The events successfully brought together 122 organized youth and adolescents, senior project leaders, journalists, elected representatives, teachers, and community members. Together, these celebrations highlighted that a technology-driven, climate-conscious youth generation will become the central driving force of future economic growth and social development.
