Category Archives: Toolkit 2 – Building Effective Youth Organisations

I knew this place was different from the first time I started coming here. The second time, someone remembered my name. They asked me about my mother as she had been sick. I not only felt welcome, but that I belonged. Now I am happy to make others welcome here.  Ify, Young Person Sometimes we […]

Many of the girls we work with are deeply insecure. Their streets, homes and schools have often not been safe places for them. Many have experienced violence and belittling. They have not been able to express their opinions. Their creativity has not been rewarded. Their success has not been praised. In our project we want […]

In my university all of the societies have a male student as chairman. The chairman and the secretary are always men. We can only become vice-chairman or treasurer. We accept this. But also many of us just don’t believe we could be chairwoman. I see how clever my friends are, that they are just as […]

Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar. Nnamdi Azikiwe Many of the young women we work in our youth clubs with will end up in jobs that don’t yet exist. We can’t predict the future, but we can help young women to develop the crucial soft skills […]

To be a youth worker is like being a mother – the children and young people are always looking at you. They may be listening to what you say, but what they are really learning is through observing. We talk about empowering women, but are we kind to volunteers? We talk about leadership, but do […]

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. Maya Angelou Empowerment is a word that we may see European and American donors and funders use when they give money to youth clubs in Africa. It is a […]

I wouldn’t have called myself a youth worker. I just thought I was using my time and talents outside of work to help young women. I can see that there is so much need around me. I didn’t realise that there was a specific word for this type of work, or so much written about […]

I know many university students and recent graduates in my community. Honestly, sometimes I am disillusioned. Many of these girls are from families who have invested so much to get them through school and into university. These girls have studied so hard to persevere through their studies and to graduate. It breaks my heart to […]

Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. Nelson Mandela Usually, when we think of education in Africa, we think of classrooms, teachers, and notebooks. We think of learning equations and vocabulary, preparing for tests and jumping through hoops to get to the next level of schooling. Not long ago – maybe a […]