The Youth Cafe exists to model and advance youth-led approaches towards sustainable development, social equity, democratic governance, and economic viability practices by utilising innovative research, policy, and advocacy actions. Background information
The Youth Cafe is a not-for-profit pan-African youth-led and youth-serving organization with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Theory of C
hange which serves as its Pathway For Action, Sustainability, Results, Learning, and Adaptation. Since its founding in 2012, The Youth Cafe has been working with young men and women in Kenya and around Africa as a pioneer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience, and transformative change. To date, The Youth Cafe has reached over 2.2 million young men and women with its projects and attracted major partners such as USAID, Ford Foundation, Google, International Challenge Fund, to mention a few. While active on a number of cross-cutting issues, The Youth Cafe works mainly in eight priority areas to which it brings a multidisciplinary and multi-perspective approach: Peace and Security, Including Preventing Violent Extremism; Governance and Political Inclusion(Remittances and Accountability); Culture, Arts, and Sports; Education and Skills; Business, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship, Universal Health Coverage, Environmental Preservation, and Climate Change. The Eight Pillars of The Youth Cafe provide an essential organizing structure for the development and implementation of its various programs and initiatives, which all play a critical role in reducing youth deprivation and socio-economic and political empowerment of young people in the continent. The Youth Cafe’s current strategic plan looks at today’s youth bulge as an opportunity for development and economic growth and establishes pathways to tackle the many issues facing our youth specifically. To this effect, they Partner with Young People; Leverage Research, Learning, and Adaptation; Cultivate Sustainability and Self Reliance, and Advance Gender-responsive Youth Programming. This is why they are the leading organisation for implementing a broad range of cutting-edge positive youth development programs that utilize innovative research, policy, and advocacy actions. Our work is underpinned by a set of principles including to build a more relevant, sustainable, and effective enabling environment for education and work systems for young people, that recognise their rights and will; Involve young people at all levels in decision-making processes that will affect their lives; Partner with young people to build a better, more resilient world for all generations; and frame youth programs on a gender-responsive Rights-Based Approach (RBA), implying that young people are considered as ‘rights-holders. With a combined individual and organisational membership of 147,000 and a monthly digital reach of 400k, The Youth Cafe works with marginalised sections of youth such as youth living with disability, youth living in informal settlements, young women and girls, minority youth, indigenous youth among others. With a reach in over 22 countries in Africa, they are able to reach and engage with the youth and marginalised populations in our different programming under our 8 thematic areas through the diverse and individual organisational partnerships that we have. Summary of our work
We provide a more relevant, sustainable and effective enabling environment for education and work systems for young people. To date, The Youth Cafe’ has reached over 2.2 million young men and women with our projects and through the support of our partners. Our program is aimed at tackling the many issues facing our youth through partnering with young people; leveraging research, learning and adaptation; cultivating sustainability and self-reliance and advancing Gender-responsive Youth Programming. We believe in inclusion and diversity and work with marginalized sections of youth such as youth living; with disability, in informal settlements, and indigenous youth. As the leading organization for implementing positive youth development programs, we ensure that all youth have the opportunity to develop and better themselves. Challenges we are addressing
It is approximated that 75% of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35 filling our continent with incredible potential and energy. But despite all this, factors such as poor distribution of healthcare, education, employment, and even water sanitation facilities have crippled their potential. Through our expertise, international network of partners and youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience and transformative change; we have managed to help a majority of youth unlock their potential. Now, imagine, what would our young people accomplish if allowed to unlock their full potential? Solutions we offer
The Youth Café follows the Theory of Change to carry out eight catalytic action driven and progressive activities for the sake of helping young citizens, these include: Ensuring peace and security for the youth by actively involving stakeholders to avert their participation in cases of violence and extremism, we regulate seamless flows of knowledge transfer to help educational and skill based institutions directly increasing awareness and access to employment opportunities for youth. We actively work to combat the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. We regularly push for changes in the regulatory framework to mobilize domestic resources and eradicate poverty. Plans to promote improved access to healthcare and general health support against drug abuse and mental health have been set up. We have managed to set up a growing incubation program to support unfunded ideas by offering them startup capitals. Lastly, we represent accountability initiatives for governance and political inclusion opportunities for young people. Long Term Impact
Our motivation and goal is to see every young person and youth organization in Africa benefit from The Youth Café towards a sustainable, entrepreneurial, and innovative future by connecting them with new ideas, skills and people. Donations of all sizes help us grow our mission as an organization of working with young people in Kenya and around Africa to foster community resilience, propose innovative solutions, drive social progress, youth empowerment and inspire political change. The Youth Café serves as a transformative and empowering force capable of showing ways of bringing Africa and the rest of the world closer in a win-win partnership, improving youth welfare and revitalizing communities
Contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.theyouthcafe.com
