Our Projects

Training and Consultancy services

YSA offers training services to Social Development workers, Youth Social Workers and youth in groups and as individuals about key social work thematic areas of Group management, Conflict Resolution, HIV/AIDS, Business Enterprise management, Record Keeping/Reporting, among others. These training programmes are thematically designed according to the TWIGA modules. The training programmes and games equip the participants with innovative social work skills and how to effectively engage with young people using sport and games.
Through our Social Enterprises Department, we undertake assignments in business development, Research, Evaluation and Proposal writing/review.

Life skills Training – TWIGA Modules

The core of all YSA programming and services is the TWIGA modules that provide life skills in Group management, Conflict Resolution, HIV/AIDS, Business Enterprise management, Record Keeping/Reporting.

Read more about TWIGA here.

Youth Exchange Visits

YSA will soon start collaboration with other organizations, locally and internationally, to involve young people in exchange visits for educational and cultural purposes as they engage in social work in all of YSA’s programme areas.

Volunteer Programmes

YSA has an active volunteer programme where we receive volunteers from all over the social development world who come to work with the communities we serve. These volunteers include experiences professionals and fresh high school and university students. One common factor among these individuals is their passion to contribute their skill, time, experience and resources to address the plight of the children and youth targeted by YSA and our partners. These volunteers work in both the Programming and Finance arms of YSA.

Child Protection

In (2008-2009), YSA implemented a UNICEF funded project To Expand Safe Environment for the Protection of Children in Schools and Return Areas of the 10 Sub counties of Kitgum, Pader and Gulu Districts in Northern Uganda. The project was implemented in 50 schools in the districts and YSA also helped set up community based protection structures in the 10 communities (Child Protection Committees-CPCs) that work to ensure that children benefit from and enjoy protection of their rights both in school and out of school.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Support

Kitgum

YSA implemented a project in Kitgum district that sought to improve the living conditions of children and youth in these conflict areas and to help their communities to cope with emerging challenges. This project was funded by the Austrian organization, Horizont3000. It specifically targeted young people in camps for internally displaced persons, night commuters, formerly abducted children and youth, young women and child mothers.

YSA also implemented a UNICEF funded project working with vulnerable adolescents and young people in displaced settings in Kitgum and Pader districts from June 2006 to July 2007. 

Pader

YSA implemented a project in Pader district that sought to improve the living conditions of children and youth in these conflict areas and to help their communities to cope with emerging challenges. This project was funded by the Austrian organisation, Horizont3000. It specifically targeted young people in camps for internally displaced persons night commuters, formerly abducted children and youth, young women and child mothers.

YSA also implemented a UNICEF funded project working with vulnerable adolescents and young people in displaced settings in Kitgum and Pader districts from June 2006 to July 2007.

In (2008-2009), YSA implemented a UNICEF funded project to Enhance Community Based Protective Environment for Children in Schools and Communities of Parabong, Lukole, and Lapono Subcounties in Pader District.

In both the Kitgum and Pader projects, the measures carried out involved an integrative and community-based approach. This means that all community members – children, youth, women and men – participated together to achieve the goals of the project. Other persons targeted included social workers, youth leaders, district youth officers, staff of NGO and CBO and other interested people.

These target groups received training from our staff in basic organisational and administrative skills, group formation and management, entrepreneurial and business skills, non violent conflict resolution and peace building measures. Finally they were shown how to conduct participatory children and youth appraisals. This is a way for young people to identify their needs and elaborate an action plan that can be integrated into the community's own planning.

YSA is also currently implementing a War Child Uk/Comic Relief funded project. The activities were started in August 2008 and it will end in 2012. The project focus is Rights, Education and Community Protection for Children and Young People Affected by Conflict in Northern Uganda. The overall aim of the project is to bring about lasting, protective improvements in the lives of war-affected children, young people and their communities.

Gulu

YSA implemented a 3 months UNICEF funded project (May to August 2008) mainly focused on the provision of livelihood and protection support activities to YSA established Children and Youth Groups in Gulu and Amuru Districts. The main activities carried out during the implementation period were : community meetings, capacity building through YSA TWIGA trainings, Participatory Children and Youth Appraisals (PCYA), HIV/AIDS awareness creation; provision of start-up kits for Income Generating Activities and support supervision and back stopping activities for the youth promoters and youth groups formed. Additionally, YSA participated in the identification and referral of special cases of vulnerability among children and youth in the communities.

Lira

YSA carried out a UNICEF funded project to work with vulnerable adolescents and young people in the displaced communities of the district. The main areas of intervention were child protection through skills training, capacity building and support services. The young people involved include young internally displaced persons, night commuters, young women and child mothers. The emphasis was on involving the whole community for the ultimate benefit of all. 

Dokolo

YSA has worked with 50 Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVC) households to improve service Delivery to these households. One of the programme components is to select vulnerable households(according to guidelines set down by the MGLSD in Uganda), train them in business management and entrepreneurship skills, enable them select appropriate Income Generating Activities, Provide them with Start up kits to engage in these enterprises and provide them with follow up and backstopping support. All this is done to enable the household members earn incomes and gain long lasting skills to enable them live better lives. Over 525 children benefit from these services.

Civic Education

YSA engages in Civic Education initiatives for the communities. The thematic areas addressed during civic education outreaches are Democratic processes, youth and democracy, debate as a peace building tool, HIV/AIDS and Unemployment, etc. The approach we take in regard to civic education is interactive, entertaining and all inclusive. All participants get a chance to fully participate, ask questions and make contributions. We make deliberate efforts to ensure that civic leaders and representatives take part in these activities so as to allow the communities interface with their leaders. The major mediums used are the mobile youth van, Forum theatre and community outreaches by peer mentors and other community volunteers.

HIV/AIDS Prevention

YSA has made deliberate efforts to consistently address the issue of HIV/AIDS in the communities we work. HIV/AIDS affects a community’s productivity and development – through direct effects on employment/productivity, education access and general wellbeing of community members. In recognition of HIV/AIDS as one of the key issues that very pertinent in Uganda, YSA has devised innovative means in which to address this issue especially to our target group-children and youth. The mobile youth van (that shows related films in rural and hard to reach areas) and Forum Theater (an interactive form of drama that enables and encourages community members to identify issues affecting them and devise solutions for the same) have been very effective because of their unique, entertaining and all inclusive qualities.

Youth Entrepreneurship Programmes

YSA believes in the potential of young people to be the drivers of development. In recognition of this, we support youth in groups to engage in Enterprises so as to be able to earn incomes and more importantly, to create jobs for fellow youth in their communities. These young people undergo a 5 day course in Group management, Conflict Resolution, HIV/AIDS, Business Enterprise management, Record Keeping/Reporting, among others to equip them with skills of managing their own enterprises; thereafter, they are helped to select enterprises in which they would love to engage and then they are provided with startup capital/kits. These youth are linked to technical service providers and partners for specialized follow up and guidance.

Peace Building

In the context of the post conflict and return era in Northern Uganda, it is paramount that deliberate efforts are made to harness the calm and peace prevailing. YSA recognizes the need for such an intervention and that is why we design and implement such programmes in Northern Uganda. The approach we take is putting young people at the forefront as advocates for reconciliation and non-violent conflict resolution. We do this through sport, games, training in conflict resolution, peace clubs and debates in schools and radio talk shows. We work with both in-school and out-of school youth to ensure maximum dissemination of these good practices. These programmes aim to demonstrate to the community that there are always alternative ways to resolve conflicts (Land disputes, domestic issues, political differences) like mediation, counseling, etc rather than resorting to any form of violence. For sustainability purposes, we incorporate income generation (training, business idea development and implementation) in all peace building initiatives as poverty and idleness have been identified as one of the key drivers of conflict due to the resultant effects of frustration, idleness and lack of an alternative source of livelihood.

Youth Media

In line with the changing technological trends and access, we encourage young people to share their experiences, thoughts, etc to be posted on our blog page. This will give chance to experiential reporting and give opportunity to all interested parties to exchange ideas. Other Social media forums will be subsequently utilized.