Youth Engagement in Biodiversity Negotiation: Gervais' Transformative Commitment
©AWF
In 2022, a young man enrolled in a leadership program determined to bring positive change to the conservation landscape in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But he was afraid. He was afraid that a perceived weakness on his part would prevent him from gaining as much knowledge from the training and, in turn, prevent him from reaching his full potential.
"I couldn't speak English,” he says. “ But I asked myself: what if the training program could turn me into a catalyst for biodiversity change? Wouldn't it be worth overcoming my weaknesses?”
This is the story of Gervais Mudherwa.
Mudherwa, a young Congolese professional, was part of the inaugural cohort of the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship in 2022. Launched by the African Wildlife Foundation in 2021, the program aims to build a pool of young African professionals with training and experience in international biodiversity governance.
The fellowship is an intensive nine-month leadership program for young African conservation professionals. It focuses on personal, team, and organizational leadership and brings together young professionals from business, NGOs, the public sector, and community organizations working towards environmental sustainability. The fellowship equips participants with the transformational leadership and management skills needed to create systemic impact on environmental issues.
Since joining the Fellowship in 2022, Mudherwa has exemplified the program's objectives. Over the years, he has created and led his own group of conservation advocates through the organization MKAAJI MPYA.
Gervais Mudherwa, left, with Simangele Msweli, AWF Senior Manager, Youth Leadership Program. ©AWF
Dream to Reality
So how did Mudherwa’s dream become a transformative reality?
"It all started with my desire to strengthen my leadership and negotiation skills. As a young advocate for the conservation of Africa's biodiversity, I saw a simple aspiration turn into a real opportunity to learn, network and share experiences during the nine-month fellowship," he says.
In addition to sharing this knowledge with the young negotiators of the Congolese Academy, the AWF-Wall Policy Fellowship also allowed him to participate in international negotiations, including the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, and the UNEP Assembly in February 2024.
In March 2025, the young negotiators completed their training at a workshop attended by national representatives from influential global biodiversity organizations, including the UNCCD, CBD, and IPBES. Each of these organizations pledged to support the program and youth engagement in the DRC—a key global player in climate change mitigation due to the unique biodiversity held across the breadth of the country, including the Congo Basin rainforest.
These trainings not only benefited Gervais as a leader but also significantly impacted MKAAJI MPYA, improving project proposal writing, implementation, and training delivery.
Plus, these continued interactions and workshops gave him the courage to make a difference in the structure of future engagements between the fellowship and young change makers.
"As a Francophone participant in 2022, I struggled to fully benefit from the face-to-face training sessions. That's why, when designing this first cohort, I included an English training component for all 15 fellows, knowing that language skills would be a great asset for them," he explains.
Gervais Mudherwa got hands-on experience in biodiversity negotiation as part of the fellowship. ©AWF
Leadership by Design
A key objective for the program is to create a multiplier effect, championed by its beneficiaries.
"Currently, the program is designed for fellows to become catalysts in their countries and networks, as we seek a multiplier effect. Since the program only reaches a select few, we rely on them to pass on the knowledge they receive," explains Simangele Msweli, Senior Manager of Youth Leadership at AWF.
And Gervais has stood true to this.
Recognizing the lack of representation of Congolese youth in international biodiversity negotiations and their limited knowledge in this field, this young leader established the Congolese Academy of Young Negotiators not only to provide leadership, negotiation, and advocacy skills, but also to foster collaboration with the Congolese government. The aim is to facilitate the inclusion of young people in the steering committees of the negotiations and the implementation processes of the Convention.
"If Gervais hadn't had the courage to share this training, I wouldn't have the knowledge I have today about negotiations and the Rio Convention. That's why, after this training, I'm motivated to continue learning and reading so that, in two years, I can pass on this knowledge to other young people like me," says Thérèse Mosange, a fellow of the Congolese Academy of Young Negotiators.
While some aspire to follow in Gervais' footsteps by setting up similar programs, others plan to use their newfound skills in their daily work.
Wivine Mapati, an officer in the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Environment, plans to pass the knowledge gained from the academy on to her female colleagues. She aims to promote their integration into the department she describes as "overly male-dominated". We need women who can defend the interests of the DRC in climate change negotiations.
Antoine Tabu, Country Coordinator for the African Wildlife Foundation, remains confident about scaling Gervais' initiative to replicate the AWF Wall program nationally. He believes that the 15 fellows selected from the four regions of the DRC will expand their influence to reach all 26 provinces and that the young African voices ultimately hold the solution to Africa’s conservation challenges.
"Policy and implementation are inextricably linked. Policy achieves its purpose through implementation, and implementation is sustainable when anchored in sound policy,” Tabu says.
Young conservation leaders like Gervais are already finding their space and voice within policy discussions, shaping a future where young Africans become bold conservation leaders who turn every challenge into an opportunity to protect biodiversity and build resilient communities.