Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative-YEDI is a grassroot Community Based Organization based in Mufumbwe district of North Western Province of Zambia working with young people to fight poverty in rural communities. Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative is a registered community-owned initiative operating as a non-profit charitable organization registered under the National Youth Dev
elopment Council Act No. 7 of 1986 Cap 144 of the Laws of Zambia, Registration Number NYDC 0001223 formed by a group of youths, with a vision to build a new rural society in Zambia, a society in which each of us has a chance to grow, achieve, create dignity not for ourselves but also for the future generation, and contribute to the improvement of s*xual reproductive health among adolescents in rural districts of North Western Province of Zambia. We realized that early child marriages, unsafe s*x, STIs and HIV are challenges faced by youths in most of the rural communities, therefore s*xual reproductive health education and HIV prevention intervention could contribute to access to information on reproduction health and reduction in STI and HIV infection rate among adolescents and youths
We are convinced that the educated people alone cannot solve the burden of rural poor young women, young men, orphans and vulnerable children alone, but it is united effort of all people to come up and promote meaningful cultural norms and fight away poverty, end hunger, improve health and live a good life. We are dedicated to give time and resources in all forms and efforts to facilitate development initiatives by providing assistance and working together with people to discuss and develop ideas which will meet the true needs of the rural communities. Our community-based volunteers design and deliver our programmes (informed by locally-generated evidence). We use right based approach whereby communities identify their own challenges and through Rural Performance appraisal, we agree with communities what role they can play in solving their own challenges and we work to identify partners who can help us help these communities live better. In our work, we relate the challenges that affect communities and encourage the communities to believe that its their right to get access to what they don’t have. The communities are always encouraged to take the first step towards solving their challenges. Our projects are community driven.
1.1 Our vision
Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative envisions ““To see a community where vulnerable and disadvantaged children, youths and women live positive and are economically independent through utilization and conservation of its own resources.”
1.2 Mission statement
To empower rural youth and women with self-support skills and knowledge to effectively protect themselves and their communities against the risks of HIV/AIDS, poverty and ignorance and lead their communities in innovating appropriate solutions to their own challenges through mobilization, training, and expedient partnership development.”
1.3 Objectives
To advocate for laws and policies in the country that practically reaffirms the Zambian government’s commitment to end child marriage and protect its children;
To support the capacity development of youths to provide quality health care through youth friendly health services;
To take action on HIV/AIDS issues affecting young people;
To reduce the prevalence of forced, early and child marriages through advocacy and retrieving child brides and preventing them from returning to child marriages through the provision of a safe shelter, basic needs, mentorship and education sponsorship;
To reduce chances of girls enduring poverty, hunger, violence and death due to child marriage and school teenage pregnancies through investment in vocational skills education and agriculture;
Promoting secure and sustainable livelihoods for children, young people, women and men through appropriate education, vocational skills training, social micro-enterprise and entrepreneurship development;
To facilitate access, either by direct provision or referral, to s*xual and reproductive health information, education and services disregarding age, s*x, marital status, ability to pay, ethnic origin, political and religious belief, disability, and any other factor that could make an individual the object of discrimination;
To provide education support to Orphans and vulnerable children and increase education and economic opportunities for girls in rural areas;
To build and support local and international partnerships and networking that enhances and sustains Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative's effective and coordinated service delivery to children and communities we serve;
To promote avenues for Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative to become a self-sustainable organization through investing in income generating activities, agriculture and infrastructure development by the year 2030.
1.4 Core Values
The following are the values that underpin the work of YEDI;
RESPECT
Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative recognises women as the best decision makers for themselves and their children. We admire and value every client we serve and will show them respect at every interaction. We will ensure our service is inclusive and free of judgement. INTEGRITY AND HONESTY
Our staff members are expected to be consistently truthful and straight-forward and to uphold the highest form of integrity to the Organization, our beneficiaries, partners and other concerned individuals. ADVOCACY
The movement towards equality requires social change. Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative is committed to identifying barriers to women’s equality and advocating for change. GENDER EQUALITY AND EQUITY
YEDI is committed to fairness and not disadvantaging anybody regarding s*x, race, religion, political affiliation, HIV status and many other areas in its work. INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY
YEDI and its members shall always strive to find new ways of solving problems and not doing things routinely. TRANSPARENCY
Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative will proactively provide the full information needed for the collaboration, cooperation and collective decision making. We are committed to fostering a culture of free and open exchange whereby the rules and reasons behind regulatory measures are fair and clear to all participants. Transparency shall be demonstrated through dialogue that enables discussion of issues in an open, constructive, honest, and problem-solving oriented manner. ACCOUNTABILITY
We are passionate about our work, and value the trust placed in us by our partners, Donors and supporters. Youth Empowerment for Development Initiative is dedicated to sustainability as an organization, by ensuring that our resources are well invested and that our processes are cost efficient. We consistently measure and evaluate results based on outcomes. We hold ourselves accountable not only to our Partners and to the communities we serve, but also to our supporters and to the public. DIVERSITY
We acknowledge the social, cultural and s*xual uniqueness of each and every woman, and the responsibility of social institutions and organizations to recognize the diverse and unique pathways of each individual towards greater equality. PARTNERSHIP
YEDI will always value the creation, strengthening and nurturing of collaborations with the government, donors, partners and the communities in its operations. SUSTAINABILITY
YEDI implements its activities in ways that are lasting to avoid dependency on continual external assistance and support. This is ensured by including, where allowed by a donor, sustainability/business expenditure in the budget which is channeled towards Organizational sustainability project. Further, in all its projects, the Organization ensures full time Community ownership of projects through Capacity building and Community engagement.
