YOUth Impact Africa

The "Whys":

Why MDG1?
Why East Africa? 
Why Youth?

The "Hows":

The Model UN Difference
Youth-Led Community Projects
WFUNA and UNAs
 

YOUth Impact Africa (YIA) is a three-year project coordinated by WFUNA that will contribute to the achievement of the First Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger in East Africa though direct youth empowerment and action within their local communities. The program itself will give youth the tools necessary to create their own youth-led community projects, leaving lasting positive impacts within their communities for generations to come. (Photo: UN Photo/Martine Perret)

What Makes This Program Different? 

The "Whys"

Why MDG1?

• MDG1’s target is to alleviate extreme poverty and hunger while also reducing unemployment with a focus on youth and women worldwide. By consequence, it is the catalyst to achieving the success of the other Millennium Development Goals.
   

• MDG1 has the potential to stop the cycle of poverty indefinitely. Yet currently, no developing region is on track to meet the First Millennium Development Goal.

• Sub-Saharan Africa is the furthest than any other developing region towards reaching MDG1.
   

• More on MDG1  - Read More

Why East Africa?

• In July 2011, The United Nations declared “a state of emergency” when the worst drought to affect East Africa in 60 years devastated the region.

• The seriousness of the drought was amplified by failed rains, high food prices (as a result of the economic crisis of 2008), and regional conflict.

• With over 10 million lives affected and thousands displaced, East African countries became overwhelmed with refugees. As a result, Dadaad, the largest refugee camp in Kenya, which was originally made to hold 90,000 people, held over 380,000 at the end of the July 2011.

• This resulted in East Africa falling away from any progress that had been made towards MDG1 prior to the drought, with the neighboring regions still recovering.

• Many of the deaths attributed to the drought were due to hunger and malnutrition, the main targets of MDG1.

East African UNAs

• WFUNA is extremely fortunate to have grass-root connections in East Africa, through UNA-Tanzania, UNA-Uganda and UNA-Kenya. 
   
• By partnering and supporting these East African UNAs, YOUth Impact Africa will be able to reach communities that may have otherwise been overlooked. The UNAs provide solid sustainable roots that will ensure YOUth Impact Africa is guided and developed to its utmost potential.

Why Youth?

• Globally, youth now make up the largest percentage of the world’s population than ever before. As a generation seeking to shape their communities, youth must be supported and included in community planning in order for it to be truly successful.  
   
• Youth represent the future success of every MDG. It is vital to ensure youth, specifically those in developing areas, are given the tools and support necessary to take on these challenges in an independent and proactive way

  
   

• YOUth Impact Africa focuses on youth (ages 18-25) in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to participate each year. Two hundred youth from these areas and the youth from the local UNAs will take part in the five day program. 

   

The "Hows"

The Model UN Difference

• Through direct participation, YIA emphasizes education through action by beginning with a Model UN debate.
   
• Model UN (MUN) is form of debate, practiced worldwide by students of all ages, that has students mimic United Nations bodies while taking on different countries and stances that do not always match that of their own.

Supported Youth-Led Community Projects

• After debating the world’s most pressing issues, the youth will take on a two day course teaching them the foundations of good project management.
   
• This course will enable the participants to take on community led projects with the support of their local UNAs and WFUNA through micro grants.

  
  
  

• The youth will take on community MDG1 focused projects and they will record them every step of the way, leading to lasting youth-led change within East Africa.

WFUNA and UNAs

• WFUNA, who have hosted multiple Model UNs around the world and youth programs, in partnership with the most stable and active East African UNAs (UNA –Tanzania, UNA-Kenya and UNA-Uganda), have the foundations necessary to support youth in taking on the challenges MDG1 brings. 
   
• In addition, the micro-grants provided to the youth-led community groups, paired with the guidance of their local East African UNAs, will ensure successful and personalized community projects that target the most pressing MDG1 related issues within each community. 

What Makes This Program Different?

• Whereas other Model UN debates do not see the knowledge and experience of the delegates continue on past the actual Model UN conference, YIA enables the participants to carry on their knowledge and experience from the Model UN section of the program into the project management section. This allows the participants to lend their new experiences and perspectives to the community youth-led projects.
   
• Allowing local youth to take part in leading community MDG1 focused projects allows the projects to focus on areas that may have been neglected by project planners who are not local and not familiar with the local community and their needs.
   
• The micro-grants given by WFUNA and the guidance provided by the local UNAs allow for sustainable community project building, while also providing the youth will valuable leadership experience. 

MDGs are best achieved within networks of communities, governments and NGOs, withYOUth Impact: Africa aiming to combine these aspects together by empowering UNAs, their constituents and their communities in a youth-led movement.