Abstract

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) is a volunteer-based humanitarian organization with over 320,000 members, 72% of whom are under the age of 30. While this demographic provides energy and innovation, generational gaps in leadership, communication, and priorities have limited collaboration and responsiveness. To address these challenges, KRCS introduced Intergenerational Dialogues (IGDs) in 2024 across all eight regions and pilot counties. The IGDs comprised facilitated sessions that combined trust-building activities, capacity strengthening on feedback and governance, structured dialogue that explored what worked and the prevalent gaps in collaboration between the youth and adults. Finally, the IGDs jointly agreed action points to address leadership, communication, and succession challenges. This study examined the lessons, design and implementation approaches, sustainability prospects, and contributions of IGDs to organizational performance. Using a qualitative case study design, the analysis drew on IGD monitoring and mission reports, outcome harvest narratives, and participant records from 2024-2025. Data were analyzed thematically, supported by descriptive statistics to assess inclusivity by age, gender, and role. Findings show that IGDs created safe spaces that increased youth confidence, strengthened mentorship and reverse mentorship, and improved feedback culture between youth and main boards. The facilitation cycle Safe Space, Training, Dialogue, and Action Items emerged as a distinct model for combining capacity building with intergenerational governance. IGDs also supported leadership succession, with youth elected into main boards in Isiolo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Taita Taveta, and generated ripple effects in neighboring counties. Contributions to performance included improved volunteer placement and communication (efficiency), stronger advocacy outcomes in Gender Based Violence and mental health (effectiveness), youth succession pathways (sustainability), and enhanced outreach in community health and protection. Despite these gains, challenges remain, including inconsistent follow-up on resolutions, resource gaps, and underrepresentation of adult women and persons with disabilities. The study concludes that IGDs are a promising mechanism for bridging generational divides and strengthening humanitarian leadership. Recommendations include institutionalizing IGDs in governance calendars, developing a digital repository of tools and lessons, applying participatory implementation research, scaling mentorship and shadowing models, and mainstreaming disability inclusion.