From Dreams to Projects: My Experience at the World Youth Festival Assembly 2025

In September 2025, I had the honor of representing Benin at the World Youth Festival Assembly (WYF) in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. This global gathering brought together young leaders, creators, and innovators from across the world to share their visions for the future and to explore how creativity, culture, and innovation can shape tomorrow.

For me, this was not just an international event. It was a turning poin

Sharing My Story on the Global Stage

As a designer and consultant in marketing and communication, I have always been passionate about using creativity and culture to tell stories, connect people, and create impact. Standing on stage at the WYF Assembly, I had the opportunity to share this vision with hundreds of fellow youth leaders.

I reflected on my journey and on a milestone experience that deeply influenced me: my participation in the Tavrida Summer School in Russia earlier this year. Immersed in a community of young talents from around the world, I explored how brand design, digital tools, and cultural identity can inspire innovation. Most importantly, I brought with me the African perspective: our codes, our symbols, our unique ways of expressing identity through desig

From Inspiration to Initiative

From Tavrida, a powerful idea was born: 👉 “Ornaments of Countries as a Cultural Code”.

This initiative seeks to collect, document, and publish cultural ornaments, motifs, and visual symbols from different countries — in collaboration with designers and researchers worldwide. These ornaments are not just beautiful decorations. They are living languages of identity, history, and values. By sharing them, young people can better understand each other, value their roots, and remain open to the world.

This project is my way of turning a dream into a concrete initiative. And the WYF stage was the perfect place to announce it officially for the first time.

Culture as a Lever of Transformation

As a young African, I am convinced that culture is power. It is both a tool of dialogue and a catalyst for innovation. Through culture, we can bridge divides, inspire respect, and create opportunities.

This belief also resonates with my personal journey. In my book, “From Self-Promotion to Employment: Chronicles of a Hustler”, I already integrated African cultural symbols to inspire youth. With this new project, I want to go further — to build something international, collective, and lasting.

A Festival That Sparks Action

The WYF Assembly 2025 was not only a celebration of youth creativity, but also a call to action. The theme of my session — “The Path of Young Creators: the art of turning dreams into projects” — perfectly captured what this experience meant for me.

What starts as a simple dream can become a project that crosses borders. With courage, collaboration, and determination, we can transform ideas into movements that inspire the future

What’s Next?

I return from Nizhny Novgorod with a renewed sense of mission. The “Ornaments of Countries” initiative is just the beginning. My goal is to gather collaborators, institutions, and young creators ready to contribute.

🙏 I am deeply grateful to the WYF organizers, to Tavrida, and to all the incredible young people I met. This experience has reinforced my conviction: Africa and the world’s youth have the creativity and resilience to design a better tomorrow.

🚀 And now, it’s time to move from inspiration to implementation.

👉 If you are passionate about culture, design, or youth empowerment, let’s connect and explore how we can build this project together.

#WYF2025 #YouthLeadership #CultureAndCreativity #AfricaRising #SoftPower