UNFPA Appoints Botlhale Boikanyo as Regional ICPD Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa

Johannesburg, August 2026 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional Office is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Botlhale Boikanyo as its new Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion.

 

Botlhale Boikanyo is an award-winning South African poet, actress, speaker, and youth advocate whose journey from becoming the first poet and youngest winner of South Africa's Got Talent at the age of 11 has evolved into a powerful platform for youth empowerment and social change. As the founder of the Botlhale Boikanyo Foundation, she has dedicated her work to amplifying young voices, championing education and self-expression, and inspiring a new generation of African changemakers through the power of storytelling. Through her advocacy and leadership, she has inspired young people to use their voices and engage in shaping policies and solutions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will work alongside UNFPA to amplify the voices of young people across East and Southern Africa and advocate for accelerated action towards achieving the commitments of the ICPD Programme of Action. She will support efforts to advance bodily autonomy, gender equality, access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, and meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes.

 

For UNFPA,  young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today. Putting young people at front and centre of sustainable development is both urgent and non-negotiable. Their voices, experiences, and innovations are essential in building the Africa we want.

 

Speaking on her appointment, Botlhale Boikanyo said:

 

“My hope and dream is to live in a world where every young person, especially women and girls, has the freedom and opportunities to shape their own future and is included in the rooms where decisions about their lives are made. Being a UNFPA Champion is another step towards turning that vision into reality. It is an opportunity to amplify the voices of young people through storytelling across our region, and advocate for investments that uphold the rights, dignity, well-being and potential of every young person everywhere.”

 

The appointment comes at a critical moment for the region, where young people in Africa constitute a significant share of the global youth population of 1.9 billion and are leading transformative efforts in their communities. Yet many continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, employment, and opportunities to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect their lives. She believes that storytelling is a catalyst for social change and that young people must not only be heard, but meaningfully included in shaping the decisions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will use her energetic presence and platform to engage with young people, policymakers, civil society, and development partners to advocate for investments and policies that uphold the rights, dignity, and potential of every young person.

Fourways & Environ: Gina Hair Braiding at your service

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Canada Issue Latest Travel Advice To Citizens Travelling to Nigeria

Canada has made it clear through its social media post on the 14th July 2026 about travel advice to Nigeria for citizens wanting to visit Nigeria.

It is now requested for all Canadians to complete an online health declaration form; according to this Facebook Post:

Before you travel to #Nigeria, you must complete an online health declaration form. You will then receive a PDF and QR code by email, which you must show upon arrival. https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/nigeria#entryexit

By Olagunju, Success Taiwo

Chapman Freeborn helps restore Air Zimbabwe’s Harare–London Gatwick route

Chapman Freeborn, the global air aircraft charter and leasing specialist and part of Avia

Solutions Group, has supported Air Zimbabwe with a tailored ACMI capacity solution for

the planned resumption of direct scheduled services between Harare and London

Gatwick.

The route is expected to restart by the end of July 2026, reconnecting Zimbabwe and

the United Kingdom after more than 14 years. The service will be operated by Spanish

carrier Plus Ultra using an Airbus A330 aircraft under a long-term ACMI agreement, with

initial operations expected to include three weekly frequencies between Harare and

London Gatwick.

Under the ACMI structure, Plus Ultra will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and

insurance, while the flights will operate under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code. Chapman

Freeborn provided the ACMI and contract management support needed to help shape

the long-haul operating structure for the route, working closely with the teams involved

throughout the process.

The route represents more than the return of an air service. It re-establishes an

important commercial, tourism and cultural link between the two countries, while

improving travel options for the Zimbabwean diaspora, business travellers and tourists.

It is also expected to support direct air freight capacity for time-sensitive exports,

including horticultural and perishable products destined for the UK market.

“This is an important milestone for Air Zimbabwe and a significant step in restoring

direct connectivity between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. We are proud to have

played an important role in supporting this project, working closely with Air Zimbabwe

and Plus Ultra to help deliver the right structure for the route.

“Across Africa, we continue to see growing demand for flexible capacity solutions as

airlines look to rebuild networks, respond to passenger demand and manage fleet

requirements more efficiently. ACMI can play an important role in supporting that

growth, particularly on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability

are essential,” says Linas Dovydenas, President – IMEA at Chapman Freeborn.

“Long-haul ACMI programmes require close coordination between airlines, operators,

aviation authorities and commercial partners, from aircraft suitability and planning to

regulatory requirements and operational readiness. In this case, our team supported the

project from a capacity and contract management perspective, helping to bring together

the right structure for a strategically important route. This project demonstrates how

collaborative capacity solutions can help airlines restore important routes and bring

strategic services back to market,” says Daniel Huggins, Director – ACMI & Leasing at

Chapman Freeborn.

Chapman Freeborn’s ACMI team supports airlines worldwide with short-, medium- and

long-term capacity requirements across narrowbody, widebody, regional and cargo

aircraft.

The company provides tailored aircraft leasing and ACMI solutions that help carriers

manage capacity, restore routes and respond to complex operational requirements.

About Chapman Freeborn

With more than 50 years of experience and extensive global coverage, Chapman

Freeborn provides private air passenger and cargo charter services, aircraft leasing,

ACMI solutions and specialist aviation services for major corporations, governments,

NGOs, relief agencies and high net-worth individuals. The company is part of Avia

Solutions Group, a global aviation services group with expertise across ACMI, MRO,

pilot and crew training, ground handling and related aviation services.

For more information, please visit www.chapmanfreeborn.aero

UK market town to open 250-year-old underground tunnels to the public

UK market town to open 250-year-old
underground tunnels to the public

A West Midlands glassmaking museum is set to open its 250-year-old underground tunnels to the public for the first time.

Stourbridge Glass Museum has unveiled a major new project that will transform its historic tunnel network into an immersive, family-friendly visitor experience.

Visitors can expect VR and project mapping technology bringing local glassmaking heritage to life.

By The Independent

Full story at Yahoo News