About Us
The organization was founded in 2008 as an adolescents and youth servicing CSO when a group of youth residing in and around Mbuya Hill, Kampala Uganda decided to unite and speak with one voice on issues affecting them as young people after a series of life changing events occurred in their neighbourhood. The events of the times disillusioned them to the realization that:
1.
Young people’s participation right from the grassroots level up to the central government level in socio-economic discourses, community activities, and matters of importance that affected them, was critically marginal.
2.
The most important decisions concerning young people were being made for and on their behalf without them, but most importantly that those decisions did not resonate with their needs and aspirations as young people.
Our Vision
A Socially and Economically Sustainable Generation of Young People.
Our Mission
Empowering Young People to Initiate and Implement Socio – Economic Initiatives for Community and Self Development.
[Promoting Social Entrepreneurship among Adolescents and Youth].
Our Core Values
Mutual Respect
Participation
Team Work
Transparency
Accountability
Non Discrimination
Gender Sensitivity.
Programming
YIYA Foundation focuses on the young person holistically, and such it thematic areas include:
- Education (ICT & BPO Skilling, & Literacy)
- Human Rights, Civic Engagement, & Peace Building
- Adolescents & Youth Health (SRHH, HIV/AIDS, & Other communicable Diseases prevention)
- Social Development & Entrepreneurship.
The main interest groups (beneficiaries) are mostly vulnerable Adolescents, Youth, Young Mothers, PWDs, and SGBV & Human Trafficking Survivors.
Reliable Partnerships
YIYA Foundation was registered as an NGO in 2010 (Reg. No. 11604), and is the current Secretariat to three very important youth networks in the country; the African Youth Commission (AYC), Uganda Consortium, the African Youth and Adolescents Network (AfriYAN), Uganda, and Uganda Youth Civil Society Coalition (UYC)
Other major international partners YIYA Foundation has worked/had engagements with include; UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, Oxfam, African Youth Commission, The Common Wealth Secretariat, Plan International, among others. We have a presence in the Central, Northern, Eastern, Western and Karamoja regions of Uganda.
Our Objectives
- To amplify young people’s voices on issues which affect them as the largest vulnerable social grouping in Uganda.
- To encourage the development of youth friendly socio-economic (including physical health) policies and services to foster better young people’s self-expression.
- To foster meaningful and participatory engagement of all key stakeholders in development processes of young people.
- To mobilize and advocate for our interest groups’ greater access to development resources.
- To encourage young people to proactively and responsibly get involved in, at the forefront of all national and regional processes that either determine or impact on their destinies.