Troy Njenje Mbanga on the Youth Sector's Purpose Problem

Pay, recognition, competition for opportunities... oh my! Somewhere along the way, the youth sector may have lost the plot on why it does this work in the first place. In this episode of Be the Change Podcast, recorded to mark the second anniversary of The Forgotten Generation Podcast, Lily Mott chats with its host, Troy Njenje Mbanga, to talk about what's really missing in the youth and charity sectors today. Troy traces the podcast back to a poem he wrote about disability and feeling unheard, and reflects on the last two years of conversations. But the heart of this conversation is his diagnosis of a deeper issue: a youth sector increasingly focused on pay, recognition, and competition for opportunities, when the real driving force should be connection, community, and genuine passion for change. Troy and Lily unpack what it means to stay youth-led, what real youth power looks like, and why remembering where and why you started (as well as keeping the work fun) might be the key to avoiding burnout. To get connected with Troy, find him on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen, read, and subscribe to The Forgotten Generation Podcast and Blog: Wherever you get your podcasts: https://theforgottengenerationpodcast.podbean.com On Substack: https://substack.com/profile/411756950-the-forgotten-generation Listen to my first interview with Troy here: https://bethechangepodcast.podbean.com/e/troy-njenje-mbanga/ Follow Be the Change Podcast on Instagram: @bethechangepodcast. Follow Be the Change Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork. If you have any questions, please email Lily Mott at [email protected]. Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the Change Media Network.