AFRICAN YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

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AFRICAN YOUTH PERSPECTIVE
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Salvation Army Masiye Camp

• Mission Statement

Masiye Camp is a Christian development
organization that facilitates and provides
Psycho-Social Support to orphaned / vulnerable
children and youth in Sub-Saharan Africa through
coping capacity building and life skills training
activities.
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Salvation Army Masiye Camp

• When operations started

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Salvation Army Masiye Camp

• Activities done

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Psychosocial Issues and Challenges

• Child headed households

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Psychosocial Issues and Challenges

• Caring for parents

secondary infections lack of information change
in family structure
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Psychological Issues and Challenges

• Caring for parents

-   a high proportion of youth aged 15-24 yrs
are infected with HIV -   decision-making
skills -   lack of representation at local
level -   low levels of participation/social
skills -   effective responses (by donors) are
minimal due to magnitude of the situation
(support community owned initiatives) -   1-2
years donor funding (donors need to change to
5-10 years cycles) -   care-giving
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Youth participation

• 45 of the Zimbabwe population are youths

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Youth participation

• - Traditional view of youth

• Participation in Youth Serving programs be part
  of the decision-making process
• - HIV/AIDS results in a leadership crisis, urgent
  need for youth leadership development

Youth are a resource and NOT a problem
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Youth participation

• Child is seen as a victim instead of as a one
  with potential

Youth empowerment (Skills, Platform/opportunity
Information)
Community care is critical Institutions are not
in a Childs Best interest
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Youth participation

• YOCIC
• (STRIVE K.C.)

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Youth participation
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Youth participation

• Mobile Law Clinic

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Challenges facing youth programs

• Finding experienced staff
• Maintaining identity
• Resource mobilization
• Gaining trust from the community
• Present political environment
• Maintaining volunteer base
• Setting up organization systems

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Lessons learnt

• A sense of ownership is a strong
  motivational factor for youths
• Capacity is strengthened through
  partnerships
• Program sustainability relies on shared
  vision and carefully fulfilling objectives
• Young people have the ability to bring about
  positive change in the community
• Skills taught to young people are easily
  passed on to other young people
• Youth Caring for OVC through PSS is effective
  HIV/AIDS prevention programming