Story: Rahamatu-Lahi Zakaria | Producer, Breakfast Live Show
For over a decade in community and youth development, YEFL has influenced and impacted the lives of many in the selected districts that they have worked in through coordinated efforts and targeted approaches in the policies and programs they run in these communities with the hope of joining the rest of the world to achieving the sustainable development goals. They work with young people in Saboba, Karaga, Savelugu, Kumbungu, Mion, Sagnarigu and Tamale.
Speaking to the technical advisor, Mr Abdul Ganiu explains the approaches they use at YEFL in the realisation of their objectives. The youth parliament is one of their approaches. With the Youth Parliament approach, a miniature of the Ghana parliamentary structure is formed in the district involving young people. They deliberate on issues happening in their communities by looking at the challenges and trying to come up with solutions.
This youth parliament affords young people to be part of the development process of their community thereby bridging the gap between the youth and the adult. Some districts that have seen the importance of youth participation in local development have called up some youth parliamentarians to take part in their general assembly meetings while adding some to their social services committees.
They also have the youth speak where they build the capacity of young people in the communities so they can express their thoughts and raise issues concerning them in the hope of finding solutions to them. Realising that, not all the youth can express themselves through speaking, the art of change was added to this approach to enable those in the art field to use their talents to express their thoughts and be heard.
The art of change first held its street art exhibition in 2019 and it is something that the organisation plans to continue so as to help young people identify and also express their thoughts irrespective of the medium they want to use. For YEFL, affording everyone the equal opportunity to be heard is key and hence the introduction of the art of change.
Art of change recruits young people in the field of visual art. Musicians, photographers, spoken word artist, etc. use their talent to carry out messages that help in community development.
This year one of the themes that YEFL will be working on under the art of change approach is climate change. A boot camp will be organised for young people to take them through issues surrounding climate change.
They would have to come out with work on the theme. The best four young artists will be selected to present their works in Denmark during an exhibition that would be held there.
Sustainable livelihood for the youth is another way that YEFL is empowering young people in the community through their youth in the entrepreneurship programs. The organisation holds boot camps for young people to build their mindset on how to start and run a business.
Young people are not given funds, but they are equipped with the requisite knowledge on how to start and manage their own business through a series of training using a manual book that YEFL co-designed.
