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International Youths Development Network connects impactful Community projects of disadvantaged youths groups, rural schools and local Skill acquisition centers in West Africa to volunteer mentors and donor agencies.Volunteer with us and help transform the future leaders
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SKILLS BUILDERS INITIATIVE USING TEP APPROACH
To properly address the root cause of poverty and unemployment among the growing youth population in sub-Saharan Africa, effort is needed in identifying its causes and fixing it rather than just suppress its symptoms.
To sad, millions of youths drop out of school each year in Sub-Saharan Africa, while those that are fortunate to complete university studies are unable to secure jobs as a result of limited job opportunities. This has made many youths to engage in unprecedented heinous crimes, such as arm robbery, internet fraud, illegal migration, ritualistic killings etc.
IYDN in her quest to identify tomorrow’s transformational leaders today has identified a root cause of poverty in West Africa that needs urgent attention which is; ‘Skill Development and empowerment’. Based on our findings, majority of both graduate and drop out youths are victims of unemployment, on this note alternative for sustenance and creating job for the future generation is by training and empowering youths. Today a lot of organization are commendable doing this, but IYDN have observed that it’s not just enough to train youths in different skills and leave them to their fate. Instead, our project team wants to use a different innovative approach which we codenamed IYDN Skills Builders Initiative, using our TEP approach.
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IYDN Project management team shall work with:
- Local and international professional / firms
- Local skill centres and hubs
- Technical schools
IYDN shall achieve this by:
- Creating a network of skills acquisition centers, hubs, and technical schools within 6 West African Countries, Improve the institutional statues of rural skills acquisition centers that are providing skills to disadvantage rural youths to enable them train, empower and promote so as to improve the socio-economic status of this disadvantaged youths through capacity building for job opportunities and livelihood sustainability.
- Develop and implement a skill learning management system for all the centers in our network with professional online/offline courses for students to choose from and for easy tracking and assessing individual participant’s progress.
- Using digital tools to link them to professional volunteers who have desire to teach and mentor disadvantage learners in developing country to enable this locals’ youths gain both local and international experience on their skills of interest via virtual classrooms. Our aim is to prepare these disadvantaged youths’ learners for both local and international work and business experience at the same time promoting diversity.
- The project shall also honor entrepreneurs that have been able to train and establish youths within their communities, promoting them as a role model, worth imitating.
- The project will help attract ethically conscious business community and will lead to increase profitability for the local skill acquisition centers and their students in long run.
- We expect to build an alumni’s of over 20000 local skilled apprentices within west Africa who can join the millionaires ranking list within the next 5 years and in position to support the initiative.
- More youths will enroll into local skill centers known the fact that graduates can now gain/earn local and international business practices and certifications.
- IYDN shall also use this initiative to advocate for government policy change towards skills centers and their apprentices
At the end of the training, successful and less privileged apprentice/student can access startup capital from IYDN Impact Fund; this is a repayable revolving grant. Each apprentice receives business support from IYDN project teams and professional volunteers, which include market linkage, business promotion and business mentorship from our network of professionals. We shall also build partnership with local and international firms for job placement or hiring. To maintain sustainability and grow the TEP Network with more youths, each successful beneficiary is expected to train and promote 2 or more youths, depending on his or her capacity.
SKILLS ACQUISITION
At International Youths Development Network, we see Skill acquisition for youth as a very important aspect of our mission because it helps youths develop valuable abilities that can enhance their personal and professional lives. .
Skills Builders Initiative project:
Below are some steps we apply in our Skills Builders Initiative project to help youths acquire new skills:
- Our project teams Identify Interests: IYDN team do this by encouraging youths in our network centers to explore their interests and passions, this process helps learner's choose skills they are genuinely interested in and increase their motivation to learn.
- Set Goals: Our project team working with center proprietors help learner's set specific and achievable goals related to the skills they want to acquire. Setting goals provides direction and helps measure progress along the way.
- Research: Throughout the learning and empowerment period which last for over 2 years, IYDN Skills Builders Initiative project team guides skill centers proprietors and learners in researching various skill development options, this is done through enrolling learners to additional courses on our international partners platform, organizing workshops, online resources, pairing them with mentors, or volunteering opportunities related to their chosen skill.
- Plan and Prioritize: Our team assist youths in our network community to create a schedule or plan for learning their chosen skill considering the fact that youths have so many desires at teenage age. Helping them allocate dedicated time for practice and learning, ensuring they prioritize their skill development alongside other commitments. Our team during each session emphasize the importance of setting out time for consistent practice. For us skills are acquired and improved through regular practice, so helping our learners establish a daily or weekly practice routine is crucial.
- Join IYDN Productive Communities: At graduation, we motivate them to join IYDN productive communities, each apprentice is added to a group related to the skill they have acquired, activities of this groups are coordinated both online and offline. We believe that engaging with others who share similar interests can provide support, encouragement, and opportunities for collaboration.
- Embrace Failure: Failures in life is inevitable no matter how knowledgeable or skillful one is a little mistake can result to serious consequences and that is why our team teach youths that failure is a normal part of the learning process, on every occasion we encourage them to embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and develop a resilient mindset.
- Finally, We Showcase Skills: Through our show your skill YouTube channel and radio program, we showcase our productive communities’ innovations to a large audience, this helps them grow sales through the market community. Also, our team help youths build a portfolio or resume that highlights their acquired skills, and annually we engage all our Skills Builders Initiative community in various skills related competitions, exhibitions, and community projects to showcase their abilities.
QUALITY EDUCATION FOR THE YOUTHS
Quality education requires quality teaching and learning processes. This includes having well-trained and motivated teachers who are able to engage students and provide them with the necessary support and guidance. It also involves using innovative teaching methods and technology to enhance the learning experience, unfortunately today many universities offering entrepreneurship courses lacks adequate workshop laboratory facilities that can help students acquire practical skills for employment and self-employment, also skills acquisition centers within the rural communities caring for disadvantage learners lacks standard entrepreneurship training curriculum and learning facilities as a result such center suffers from poor perceptions of learners and their parents, who often undervalue the opportunities that vocational and technical skills offer in the world of work.At International Youths Development Network, we advocate for quality education which should take a holistic approach, we believe that quality education should not only focus on academics, but should also promote the holistic development of young people.This includes nurturing their physical, emotional, and social well-being, as well as fostering their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Such education should be lifelong learning, instructors should instill a love for learning and a desire for lifelong learning in young people. This means equipping them with the necessary skills and motivation to continue learning beyond formal education, and empowering them to adapt to new challenges and opportunities throughout their lives. We also advocate for such education to be relevant to the needs and aspirations of learner's, this means that the curriculum should be updated to reflect the changing demands of the modern world, and include practical skills that will be useful in their future careers, it should also be inclusive and address the needs of all learner's particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or marginalized groups. This includes providing support and accommodations for students with disabilities, and addressing gender disparities in education.
Overall, quality education for youth development is essential for enabling young people to reach their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities and society as a whole. It is a key enabler for achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to community development is SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This goal aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.Some of the key targets of SDG 11 that International Youths Development Network is addressing include:Working with community heads and youths’ groups within the rural and urban communities to provide access to safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces, where community members can use as a relaxation point. This is not common in most African villages and cities. Few in existence has been converted to beer parlors or motor parks.
Also, our project teams findings so far indicate that setting up new relaxation point or rehabilitating existing ones in most communities we visited could be a very difficult task because of the greed associated with property ownership, government policies and land grabbing by government officials. After much dialogue with village heads and government bodies and creating awareness of the importance of such relaxation point majority have seen the environmental and health benefits and assure us of their participation.
As our earth becomes hotter as a result of climate change and also the daily buildup of stress as a result of the economic downturn, finding time for just 5 minutes to relax while gazing at beautiful flowers in such spots can help us find the energy to tackle our workloads or resolve issues. Research shows that relaxation keeps your heart healthier, cuts stress, reduces muscle tension, improves brain function and memory, and helps us avoid depression, anxiety, and digestive issues. Relaxation also boosts your immune system and helps alleviate the symptoms of many medical and psychological disorders.
To achieve these targets
International Youths Development Network project teams are currently preparing the project plan after which we shall resume:
- Engagement with local communities in decision-making processes regarding urban planning and development.
- Promoting equitable access to basic services, such as clean water, sanitation, and healthcare.
- Developing green infrastructure, such as parks, gardens, and urban forests, to improve quality of life and promote sustainable living.
- Implementing measures to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as flood early warning systems and resilient infrastructure.
This project will also help communities enhance urban resilience to disasters and climate change impacts.
International Youths Development Network community development approach plays a crucial role in achieving SDG 11 as it involves empowering individuals and communities to actively participate in the development and decision-making processes that affect their lives.
By fostering inclusive and sustainable communities, SDG 11 aims to create cities that are socially, environmentally, and economically vibrant and resilient.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Since inception, International Youths Development Network have taken a bold step to create job opportunities to youths within our target communities. We are presently building partnerships with local businesses and organizations within our target communities and growing collaboration with local businesses, organizations, and educational institutions to develop internship programs, job fairs, at same time designing skill-building workshops with our network of skill centers, these partnerships we hope to use create a pipeline of job opportunities for youths.Another step we are taking is by working with local skills acquisition centers who are providing entrepreneurship training to disadvantage learner's to Empower this youths with entrepreneurial skills by offering training programs and workshops on topics such as business planning, marketing, financial management, resume writing workshops, interview preparation, and professional development sessions and networking.
The IYDN Skills Builders Initiative also links trained youths to mentorship opportunities, by connecting learner's with experienced professionals in their desired fields through mentorship programs with the aim to provide guidance, support, and networking opportunities to help youths achieve their career goals.
Through the International Youths Development Network Impact fund, we support and fund disadvantage learner's from our network of local skill centers, initiatives led by youths within the rural communities such as community projects, social enterprises, or startups. Our team encourage their creativity and innovation by providing resources and guidance, encouraging them to start their own businesses and provide ongoing support and mentorship, with this project we hope to have alumnus job creators in the near futureOur project also advocate for youth employment policies, especially for government to recognize local skills acquisition centers and their apprentice to grant them access to government funding and tax incentives.
Our dynamic website offer job placement services that connects youths with employers within the community using our online job matching system as well as helping them develop a professional resume and cover letter support, interview coaching, and ongoing support after securing employment.
AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
International Youths Development Network Agriculture and Environment for youth empowerment is a program aimed at engaging young people in sustainable agriculture practices and environmental conservation. The program seeks to empower young people by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to participate in farming activities and contribute to environmental protection efforts.This program includes various activities such as training in organic farming techniques, agroforestry practices, and sustainable water management. Our aim is to engage young people in all aspects of agricultural production, from seed sowing to harvest, and learn about soil health, pest control, and crop rotation.
In addition to agriculture, the program will also focus on environmental conservation, such as tree planting initiatives, waste management, and wildlife protection. Our project management team shall train young people on the importance of biodiversity and the role of ecosystems in sustaining life on Earth.
To give back to each host community, we shall organize and engage young people in community clean-up campaigns and awareness-raising activities to promote sustainable practices.
Through this program, young people can gain practical skills that can help them secure employment or start their own farming enterprises. They can also develop a sense of environmental stewardship and become active agents of change in their communities.
This is one of IYDN holistic approach to engaging young people in sustainable practices that can benefit both the individuals involved and the environment they live in. By empowering youth through agriculture and environmental initiatives, International Youths Development Network expects to create a more sustainable future for all.
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