Building and Shaping Young People

Young people are the future generation and a hope of the best we want to see and yet to see. The sleepless nights of pain and grieving for our dear Africa will be consumed and turned into brighter days when we change our thoughts. Changes of levels requires changes of approaches. Investing in young people will bring the change we want as Africa. By equipping them we build and shape them for the future through various activities. Understanding that the world is not comprised of one department and each person has a different purpose and calling, Busia branch holds different activities that accommodates many youth and produces a variety of experts. The activities are done to enhance the spiritual, physical and emotional being of individuals for personal development and growth.

Regaining of self-esteem and worth, through the Y-justice program, the inmates are able to gain back self-worth and are willing to work with the participants to improve their characters as they prepare themselves for the outside world. Most of them had lost hope but others want to prevent crime. Love has been the center of YMCA family club of inmates, taking care of each other in which they will be doing even after prison in their communities.

Through the high-y programs done with Buyosi secondary school and Polytechnic, the young people are exposed to real life situations with different activities and lessons given per week. Aiming to open their eyes to the real things which makes them alert and careful not to fall into various traps. They are made to give their own opinions before and after every lesson delivered to ensure the right needs are met.

Talent nurturing and character building is the undergoing theme throughout the various clubs at the branch. The   Y-arts enables the youth to show case their talents hence the young people are helped to discover their hidden talents, helping them to grow. Many youth are in need of talent developing especially in Busia so they enjoy being groomed in our y-arts clubs .Grooming as well, the young stars for journalism and writings through the Journalism club, creating the future we want by empowering our youth with voice. Most of the youths are undergoing various difficulties in life that hinders them from participating much in youth’s events. The mentor-ship clubs aims to groom the youths emotionally, physically and spiritually. Dealing with all the situations met by young people, helping each other to go through the fires of life and encouraging them never to give up building a family together, standing as one for one nation and one Africa.

By Lavinia G Nyeche ,

Zimbabwe (Yac2018)