AFS Forum

Our MD Amath Pathé Sène is in Paris this week for the 9th @ParisPeaceForum.

Tonight: "Feeding Peace" with DiploCité at the Cité internationale universitaire.

Wednesday 1:15 pm CET: "Can Africa be a Major Agricultural Power? Two years of ATLAS". afs-forum.org/from-kigali-to…
#PPF2026 #AFSForum

Bridging the health and nutrition gap for mothers and young children is not one actor's job. It takes all of us.

The MNCH, Nutrition & Sport Afternoon, held in Dakar alongside the #Dakar2026 Youth Olympic Games, brought together government representatives, development partners, investors, health innovators, sports figures and young athletes, around one shared goal of healthier mothers, children and young people.

The stakes were set from the start. "A mother must survive her pregnancy and her delivery," reminded Caty Fall Sow of the Gates Foundation, as around 700 women still die every day from largely preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth, nearly 70% of them in Africa. For our Managing Director, Amath Pathé Sene, the answer starts with food: "We are what we eat, and what we eat will make us good athletes and good champions."

Everyone in the room had a role to play. African innovators showed that solutions for maternal and newborn health already exist, and investors and partners came to listen and explore how to help them reach more families. The Ministry of Health called on athletes to use their visibility to raise awareness on health and nutrition, and footballers and sports figures answered as ambassadors, carrying these messages to young people where they already are. The young athletes we met are ready to lead a generation that understands that what is on our plate shapes how we perform, on the field and in life.

This was made possible through partnership. Thank you to the Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, and to AGRA, the Gates Foundation, SEED Project and For Hope for making this gathering a reality.

When health, sport, agriculture and finance work together, Africa's next generation grows stronger. Tomorrow's champions are built today, together.

#TomorrowsChampions #NourishingNations #GrowingJobs #BuildingResilience #Dakar2026

@AGRA @gatesfoundation @seedproject

On the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, AFSF joined partners for site visits to SEED Academy and the ForHope campuses to see first-hand the initiatives supporting young people's health and well-being.

At SEED Academy, partners and potential investors explored ways to support projects focused on youth mental health, nutrition and development. At the ForHope campus, they learned how the initiative uses philanthropy to raise funds for its projects, mobilising celebrities to help promising initiatives grow. Sessions with the young athletes showed how discipline and nutrition awareness is built into their everyday activities, and why the food they eat matters both on and off the field.

These visits mark the kick-off of the pilot projects AFSF is supporting with the Gates Foundation, and the start of partnerships and networks that can open new opportunities for young people's health.

Investing in young people’s health today is how we build stronger communities tomorrow, and for young athletes, good nutrition is where performance begins.

#AFSF #Dakar2026 #YouthHealth #Nutrition #SportForHealth #OurFoodOurfuture

At the Tourism & Investment Forum Africa in Dakar, AFSF Managing Director @amath_sene shared what he's learnt over the years of convening and building Africa's food systems community.

It starts with the human experience. Every participant should leave with something meaningful, whether it's a word in the local language or a new connection. These small details create a lasting bond with the host destination.

He also spoke about AFSF's experience bringing diverse stakeholders together to build relationships and unlock investment that leads to action, and the value of learning from other events and sectors to keep strengthening the participant experience.

Beyond the event itself, major gatherings create opportunities for hospitality, food, transport, culture and local enterprises. Their true success is measured by the lasting benefits they leave behind for host communities.

#AFSF #Dakar2026 #TourismAndInvestment #Africa

The journey to becoming a champion begins with good nutrition.

From healthy pregnancies to childhood development, good nutrition lays the foundation for healthier generations and helps young people reach their full potential, both on and off the field.

@amath_sene , shares how AFSF is bringing together partners, including the @gatesfoundation , @AGRA_Africa , SEED Project and @ForHopeAsso , to advance maternal and child nutrition through the power of sport and African-led innovation.

Through the Africa MNCH Innovation Showcase and Youth Champions for Health initiative alongside Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the Forum aims to strengthen partnerships, spotlight innovative health solutions and engage athletes as advocates for healthier communities.

Together, we can give more African children the healthy start they need to thrive.
#AFSForum #Dakar2026 #Nutrition #YouthChampionsForHealth #OurFoodOurFuture