Description
WHO WE ARE Youth Empowering and Development Initiative Foundation (YEDIF) was formed in 2012 by a group of youths of Kasempa District, who decided to build a new rural society in Zambia, a society in which each of us has a chance to grow, achieve, create dignity not for ourselves but also for the future generation, and contribute to the improvement of sexual reproductive health among adolescents in Kasempa district. The Organization was officially registered in 2013 under the Zambian Societies Act Cap 119, 2013 Certificate Number ORS 102/39/188 on November 8th 2013, with domain "MUKINGE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION- ZAMBIA" (MYDF) and after being convinced that through Sexual Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDs sensitization and prevention and improved education innovation we shall contribute fully to the benefit of our communities. However due to demand from the youths within the district and the province, the organization was later change to Youth Empowering and Development Initiative Foundation - YEDIF in order for us to reach out to more youths within the province and not only to concentrate with a small population. YEDIF is convinced that the educated people alone cannot solve the burden of rural poor young women, young men, orphans and vulnerable children alone, but it is united effort of all people to come up and promote meaningful cultural norms and fight away poverty, end hunger, improve health and live a good life. YEDIF is dedicated to give time and resources in all forms and efforts to facilitate development initiatives by providing assistance and working together with people to discuss and develop ideas which will meet the true needs of the community. • Grounded in a rights-based approach, MYDF will work with government departments to mobilise communities to be health rights advocates, promoting equity and social justice for all, with a particular focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations of adolescents. The organisation is guided by values of Youth driven, Abstinence, and Responsibility, team work, equality, voluntarism, confidentiality and service above self. YEDIF works with community based organization, churches, government and needy Communities and supports development endeavours through projects on HIV/AIDS, gender, human rights and civic education, self reliance programs and exchange programmes. PURPOSE The purpose of YEDIF is to promote continued, effective and efficient engagement of vulnerable youths towards achieving equitable access to quality health care and equal participation of youths of all kinds in development in order to be empowered economically. Vision YEDIF envision a society in which youths participate fully in the development of a democratic and prosperous Zambia through acquiring different survival skills, create self employment and reduce on dependence. Mission To improve the livelihoods of vulnerable children, youth and vulnerable groups of women by equipping them with self-support skills and knowledge of effectively protecting themselves and their communities against the risks of HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence. OBJECTIVES The objects of YEDIF shall be non-political and will include the following: 3.5.1. To facilitate joint advocacy with and for the youths in remote communities on matters of health development. 3.5.2. To support the capacity development of youths to provide quality health care through youth friendly health services. 3.5.3. To establish and maintain partnerships with other institutions and organizations in support of health development in Zambia. 3.5.4. To take action on HIV/AIDS issues affecting young people. 3.5.5. To discourage unfavourable traditional practices and cultures, that promote abuse of human sexuality before marriage, early marriages and those that make citizens vulnerable to contracting HIV and AIDS. 3.5.6. To hold tangible discussions on relevant issues related to health and positive behaviour, e.g. Forum meetings, festivals, debates, on-going formation meetings 3.5.7. To promote participation of young people in developmental activities. 3.5.8. To defend human rights, challenge gender inequality and fight against child abuse. 3.5.9. Promoting secure and sustainable livelihoods for children, young people, women and men through appropriate education, vocational skills training, micro-enterprise and entrepreneurship development 3.5.10. Promoting programmes aimed at walking alongside our members in: 1. Learning and appreciating each other’s vocations and values, 2. Personal development, 3. Alleviating poverty, ignorance and disease, 4. Listening to the voices of the marginalized and acting on their felt concerns 3.5.11. Establish branches as will be deemed appropriate. 3.5.12. To advocate for the basic human rights of all women, men and young people to make free and informed choices regarding their own sexual and reproductive health, and for the means to exercise these rights. 3.5.13. To facilitate access, either by direct provision or referral, to sexual and reproductive health information, education and services disregarding age, sex, marital status, ability to pay, ethnic origin, political and religious belief, disability, and any other factor that could make an individual the object of discrimination. 3.5.14. To enhance the efforts of volunteers and staff to operate an accountable, result based organization with effective governance and management systems. 3.5.15. To co-operate to the fullest degree possible with the government, international and local non-governmental organizations, multi and bilateral agencies and other institutions in the execution of the sexual and reproductive health mandate. AREA OF OPERATION Youth Empowering and Development Initiative Foundation is based in North Western Province of Zambia. The organization secretariat is located in Kasempa District. The organization intends to establish offices in other districts of North Western Province when the funds are available. Among the areas with the need for youth empowerment programs are; Meheba, Lumwana Mine and surrounding communities. With funds in place we intend to put up our organization structures in the mentioned communities because youths in the mentioned districts are not engaged in any youth activities. Meheba has become our area of interest especially with local integration going on in the area. Refugees will be integrated into the normal Zambian society and we thought we can engage them in various activities aimed at empowering them. EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Youth Empowering and Development Initiative Foundation has reached to over 13,000 youths from 2012 to June 2014. Even though these sensitizations have been going on in schools and communities, we discovered that School girls are practicing unprotected sex resulting into pregnancies due to Sexual Reproductive Health knowledge gaps, peer pressure and high poverty levels. However, this is as a result of lack of established youth friendly corners and recreation facilities in Kasempa district. The other challenge noted was lack of vocational and rehabilitation centre in the district to provide skills to the adolescents. In addition, more peer educators are trained in the district but due to lack of social infrastructure they easily drop and go to search for employment. This have posed a challenge on the resource because the government and other cooperating partners keep on training peer educators nearly every year and the trainings have no impact on the community. The number of adolescent reached would increase if a more convenient Youth Friendly Corner with recreation facility and vocational and rehabilitation centre is built and this will help in the retention of the trained peer educators because most of the time they shall be busy at the centre. The other way is to introduce youth empowerment programme where youths will be able to acquire self survival skills in tailoring and designing, carpentry, bricklaying to mention but a few. As YEDIF we are determined to ensure that youths benefit and improve their way of living. We intend to introduce such skills as saving cycles, loan programs when we have funds so that we economically empower youths from North Western province. PLANNED PROJECTS Our plans are to engage youths in the following activities once we have a funding partner; a. Youth Empowerment such as Income Generating Activities, Village banking (saving cycles), b. Capacity building (Skills training program and Entrepreneurship) c. HIV/AIDS, SGBV, d. Sports and recreation programmes. OUR CONTACT Gerald Yungana Youth Empowering Development Initiative Foundation Former Mukinge Service Department Buildings, Along Mukinge Girls Mukunashi Road, Opposite Mukinge Evangelical Church in Zambia, PO Box 120092 - KASEMPA, ZAMBIA Telephone: +260 978370448 Email: yedif2012@gmail.com or executivedirectormydf@gmail.com
