the Youth Empowerment Project

PROJECT BACKGROUND The age old adage that if you give a man fish he will eat for a day but if you teach him to fish he will eat for a lifetime is the major inspiration of Y.E.P. The idea behind Y.E.P is to liberate the youths from a culture of dependence and to empower them to be breadwinners. This came after a realization that the youths have a lot of energy and will-power, which can be harnessed and channeled to work for their own self-sustenance and the development of the community as a whole. Thus instead of giving the youths HELP in the form of expendable hand outs, the project gives Y.E.P. an initiative to empower the youths with knowledge and tools for them to be able to work for themselves. Y.E.P came after a realization that the youths have a lot of unbridled entrepreneurial potential and innovation but such potential is either under-utilised or goes unnoticed and unappreciated. This is the major reason why unemployment levels in most countries have soured so drastically. The youths are socialized to look for employment and not to create employment for themselves, with the result that there is a scramble for the little jobs the market has to offer. The unemployed youths, left with no means to irk out a decent living have in most cases resorted to utilizing their energy and intellect to engage in various unethical, immoral and illegal practices in order to survive. The solution to this problem is not HELP in the form of more handouts or more donations, but it is Y.E.P. this is because if the under-utilised and erstwhile neglected potential in the youths is accorded the recognition it deserves and is channeled towards community development, then there will be reduction in such malevolent activities as prostitution and crime. Instead by empowering the youths the communities will expedite development and progress.

WHAT IS Y.E.P Y.EP is an acronym for the Youth Empowerment Project. In essence it is an earnest endeavor to find a lasting solution to the problem of unemployment and to expedite the development of the youths as well as the communities. It is about empowering the youths with knowledge, tools and capital to enhance their productive capacity. The project seeks to t6ransform the youths from being dependants into breadwinners for their families, employers for the community and entrepreneurs in nations, contributing to economic growth and development. What drives Y.EP is a strong belief in the potential inherent in the youths and an unshakeable faith in the ability of the youths to become self-efficient and productive. In its overall sum and totality, Y.E.P is a call to the communities, business people and the rest of the world to give the youths a chance to be what they can truly be. Y.E.P is a vision and a dream, yet what is reality but the dreams we allow to come true! OUR DREAM Y.E.P dreams of a society in which all citizens play a role and contribute to development and progress, irregardless of race, age or sex. it dreams of erstwhile marginalised youths in the rural areas transforming not only themselves but their communities into progressive centres of business, and the youths in what may seem now to be poverty havens in the bustling cities, channeling their energy away from criminal activities into community development projects. Y.E.P dreams of a better individual and a better society. OUR OBJECTIVES Y.E.P seeks to inspire and motivate the youths, and to arm them with knowledge and information. It also seeks to provide for support and guidance as well as to create a platform on which the youths can market their products, talents and skills.

OUR STRATEGY Y.E.P focuses on youths of all age groups and circumstances i.e.: 1. Y.E.P SCHOOLS OUTREACH (SCO) o Aimed at assisting the youths in schools and other institutions of learning to focus on various career opportunities available to them, as well as to promote participation in extra-curriculum activities. • Objectives (1) To inspire the youths be the best they can possibly be (2) To give guidance to the youths on various career opportunities (3) Encourage literacy and learning (4) Nurture talent and skills (5) Foster good morals and to boost self esteem of the youths (6) Broaden the knowledge and the youths’ scope of ideas (7) Improve learning conditions at the schools (8) To inspire and empower the youths 2. Y.E.P SKILLS UTILISATION EXERCISE (SUE) o Aimed at assisting youths who have since left school or about to leave school to formulate ideas on income generating projects. • Objectives (1) To inspire the youths to maximize their potential (2) To give guidance on how to utilize skills and talent (3) To encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity (4) To nurture, expose and market talents and skills (5) To foster good morals and social responsibility (6) To improve living conditions by eradicating poverty and unemployed (7) To create employment for the youths (8) To inspire and empower the youths 3. Y.E.P SOW A SEED CAMPAIGN (SASC) o Aimed at advocating for the business world to invest in the youths either in cash or kind and for the various successful personalities to plough back into their communities. • Objectives (1) To encourage the business sector to invest in the potential of the youths (2) To foster a spirit of close co-operation between the outside world and the communities around them (3) To create opportunities for the youths in the commercial sector (4) To better the living conditions of the people in the community (5) To produce economic growth and further development in the communities OUR MOTTO “There is power in potential”

1. Y.EP SCHOOLS OUTREACH (SCO) The Schools Outreach (SCO) initiative is divided into four sub- programmes, namely: an “Arts Connection” drive, a “Career Guidance” program a “Sports For Life” initiative and an “Inter-schools Bonding Network (ISBN)” program (a) Arts Connection The purpose of this campaign is to identify, foster and groom arts talent in the schools. As well as to enable the student to realize that it is possible to make a career out of the arts. Y.EP will facilitate the formation of Arts clubs and foresee the running of such clubs. • Action Plan i) YE.P will facilitate the formation of various arts groups and utilize such gatherings as a platform to share with the students information on the various art forms available ii) YE.P will nurture and groom talented youths and encourage them to adopt a professional attitude to their art iii) Y.E.P will also assist in perfecting the art forms as well as to document such art forms iv) Y.E.P. will assist in marketing the artifacts and artworks produced by the youths to the outside world v) Y.E.P will also utilize such a platform to facilitate an exchange of ideas, skills and information relating to H.I.V AIDS and other paramount issues vi) Y.E.P will invite skilled artists to come and inspire and groom the youths vii) All activities will be documented in the Y.E.P database. (b) Career Guidance The purpose of this initiative is to encourage the youths to excel in their academic endeavors by providing them with information on the various career opportunities which await them in the world and also to inspire the youths to work hard to fulfill their dreams by sharing with them inspiring and motivating success stories Y.EP will also utilize this platform to urge the youths to focus and channel their energy towards their schoolwork rather than to indulge in immoral and illegal activities, thereby ensuring a reduction in crime levels as well curtailing the spread of H.I.V. AIDS. This initiative will also provide the youths with the requisite knowledge for them to make informed decisions in their career choices. • Action Plan i) Y.E.P will source pamphlets, brochures and other information from colleges, universities, and from various professions and careers which it will in turn pass on to the youths ii) Y.E.P will hold motivational lectures and workshop and will invite motivational speakers to inspire the youths. iii) Y.E.P will also work with the schools in formulating inspiring activities such as prize giving days, quiz competitions etc. iv) Y.E.P will also link deserving students with sponsors and other organisations willing to assist students in any way. v) Y.E.P will also monitor the progress of students in their various academic endeavors as well as to document any challenges faced by the students vi) Y.E.P will assist the schools in sourcing assistance from well-wishers willing to invest in the education of the youths in order to address any challenges faced by the schools. vii) All information and activities will be documented in the Y.E.P database (c) Sports for life The objective of the drive is to encourage physical education in the form of various sporting disciplines, thereby ensuring the health of the youths. As well as to create recreational activities for the youths to participate in. this will also be an opportunity to nurture and groom future sportspersons. The diversion created by partaking in sporting activities will ensure that the youths are occupied in their spare time, thereby reducing the probability of them engaging in activities which might are detrimental to their well being, thus helping in the fight to eradicate crime and the spread of H.I.V AIDS amongst the youths. The various sporting disciplines will also promote athleticism, agility and sharpness of the mind, thereby facilitating the mental and physical health of the youths.

The various sporting events will also help to foster a spirit of sportsmanship and friendly competitiveness, which will in turn boost the self-esteem of the youths as well as instilling confidence in the youths. It will also be platform for the youth to learn the importance of teamwork and gender equity, as well as for sharing ideas, life skills and experiences. • Action Plan (i) Y.E.P will assist the students to form and run sporting clubs (ii) Y.E.P will source and share with the students information on the sports of their choice and other sporting disciplines (iii) Y.E.P will source for sporting gear and equipment from well-wishers and distribute it to the sporting clubs (iv) Y.E.P will organize sporting tournaments for the youths and arrange for the youths to participate in other tournaments held by other organisations (v) Y.E.P will utilize the sporting gatherings to expose talented students and to lure sponsors for such students (vi) Y.E.P will also invite established sports people to come and mentor the students as well as talent scouts from sporting clubs to come and scout for talent. (vii) All information and activities will be documented in the Y.E.P database (d) Inter-schools Bonding Network (ISBN) The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate interaction between schools on a local level up to a global scale. It an endeavor to bring about a close partnership between schools and to open communication lines between students from different institutions of learning. This will not only see an exchange of experiences but also an exchange of ideas, skills and knowledge through student- exchange programmes and a variety of other educational trips and visits. • Action Plan (i) Y.E.P will assist local schools to compile a school profile, and all interested students will also compile their own profiles, all of which will be passed on through Y.E.P channels to other schools locally and globally. (ii) Y.E.P will act as a link between the interacting schools and interacting students, ensuring a mutually beneficial interaction between the students and schools (iii) Y.E.P will also facilitate student -exchange programs and teacher- exchange programs to expose the students and their teacher to new environments thereby broadening their knowledge and scope of ideas. (iv) Y.E.P will also act as a bridge in instances were there is an exchange of material or resources, or donations from one school to another (v) Y.E.P will assist in organizing inter-schools competitions in all fields, i.e. art, sports, academic seminars, debate and public speaking etc. (vi) All information and activities will be documented in the Y.E.P database. 2. Y.E.P SKILLS UTILISATION EXERCISE (SUE) The Skills Utilisation Exercise (SUE) is a drive to group the local youths into guilds comprising of both males and females, who share the same interest in a particular craft or work to utilize the locally available resources and raw materials to produce various products for sale on the local, regional and international market. Y.E.P (SUE) will be divided into two phases namely: (a) Skills Identification This will consist of a survey of skills and talents available in amongst the youths in the target area. • Action plan (i) Y.E.P volunteers will distribute questionnaires and a series of workshops in order to elicit from the youths what they have passion for. (ii) Y.E.P volunteers will also assess and record such information as, the average age ranges, education levels, and other details of each participant in the Y.E.P workshops and activities. This will assist in ascertaining the skills base of the target area. (iii) Y.E.P personnel will also share with the youths various skills, crafts, sports etc unknown to the local youths, in order to broaden the scope of ideas and imagination of the youths. (iv) Y.E.P will also engage the local youths in motivational seminars and whenever it is possible facilitate interaction between the youths and established craftspeople, artists and entrepreneurs. (b) Skills Utilisation This an initiative aimed at grouping the youths into guilds comprising of both males and females, who share a common interest in a particular craft, skill, sport or work, to work together as a team, sharing ideas, skills and talents. • Action Plan (i) Y.E.P will facilitate the formation of guilds and allow the youths to name their guilds and to choose a project team leader. (ii) Y.E.P personnel will assist the youths in coming up with viable project plans as well as supply them with the required tools. (iii) Y.E.P will also seek funding from well-wishers to support the projects as well as to look for a market for the produced goods and artifacts. (iv) Y.E.P will encourage the youths to utilize the locally available raw materials as much as possible but were materials need to be acquired it will assist in the procurement of such raw materials. (v) Y.E.P volunteers will work closely with the project team leaders to formulate an efficient managerial framework as well as to equip the youths with the necessary managerial and Organisational knowledge on how to make their projects viable and profitable. (vi) Y.E.P will facilitate close co-operation between various guilds, in the exchange of knowledge, tools and ideas. (vii) Y.E.P will assist the youths in formulating equitable methods of distributing their proceeds as well as to invest their income. (vii) Y.E.P will also see to it that once up and running the guilds will assist other youths to either join them in the same trade or to start their own projects, thereby ensuring continuity in the projects. (ix) All activities will be documented in the Y.E.P database. • Specimen Projects o Brick laying o Peanut butter manufacturing o Sewing and needlework o Farming o Sculpturing o Soccer teams o Musical bands o Theatre and arts groups o Etc. 3. Y.E.P SOW A SEED CAMPAIGN (SASC) Y.E.P (SASC) will involve engaging various business people, crafts persons, sports people, etc. in dialogue in order to lure investment in the youth projects as well as to facilitate an exchange of information between Y.E.P and the corporate world. It will also be a marketing drive to expose the talents, skills and goods of the youths to the business world and to encourage the business sector to sow a seed back into the communities by grooming, training and supporting the projects of the youths in their communities. The purpose of this drive is to create good relations between the youths and the outside world and to create opportunities for the youths in the business world. This will be done through a two-pronged approach, i.e.: (a) Need Identification This will entail conscientising the corporate world on the various needs of the communities around them, as well as sharing with them the aspirations of the youths in their communities. (b) Channeling The Aid Y.E.P will assist well-wishers to channel their aid to deserving youths and will continue to work as a bridge between the youths and the outside world. This will ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the aid supplied and that there will be accountability as to how such aid was utilised. • Action Plan (i) Y.E.P will capture and record the hopes and aspirations of the youths and share such information with the outside world, in a bid to inspire the business world to see the need to assist the youths in broadening the scope of their imagination as well as to make their dreams a reality. (ii) Y.E.P will also work in close co-operation with willing stakeholders by actively involving such stakeholders in the day to day activities of the youth projects (iii) Y.E.P will also market the product, talents, skills and goods of the youths to the outside world, locally, regionally and globally. (iv) Y.E.P will also seek for the expertise of skilled and established people to groom and mentor the youths (v) Y.E.P will hold conferences and workshops with interested stakeholders (vi) All activities will be recorded and stored in the Y.E.P database. “There is power in potential”