ACTIVITIES

PRESENTATION OF AC-YA

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1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANISATION:

AC-YA is a young people welfare network and alliance building service which started in November 2006 with preliminary meetings initiated by the founder (Tata Nelson Berinyuy). After that AC-YA members resolved that there was a need to conduct an inferential study into the problems and needs of young people in Cameroon. The Alliance not yet officially registered decided to conduct this survey into the determination of the actual problems/needs of the Cameroonian youths, solutions and to infer if there is a need for a Youth Alliance. This was conducted in all the 10 regions of Cameroon involving youth associations, individual youths, associations and youth welfare organizations, state departments (involved in activities of young people) like the then Provincial Delegations of Youth and Physical Education, Social Affairs, Basic Education, Secondary Education, Women Empowerment and the Family, Public Health and at the Central level the Ministry of Higher Education amongst others.

 

A prudent analysis and interpretation of the results showed a glaring need to promptly and urgently create the Youth Alliance to help address problems faced by youths. The objectives, strategies, programmes, goal, values/culture etc were developed from the needs and wishes expressed by the young people and stakeholders.

 

It also portrayed the glaring and ultimate need to actively involve youths in seeking for solutions to youth problems and to create the Youth Alliance for the youths and led by youths.

 

It is a unique approach of enabling youths to empower and massively develop peers through associations, ensuring youth active participations at all levels in decision making and empowerment.

 

AC-YA is considered to be the first local association where its creation is very methodical preceded by a scientific and inferential study into the need and problems of beneficiaries before creating the association and designing its programmes/ objectives that squarely addresses needs of the envisaged beneficiaries. It was a very expensive and time costly venture but indeed very necessary to address with precision the core realistic problems faced by youths in Cameroon.

 

1.2. VISION:

AC-YA vision is “A World Where all Young People Live with Hope, Realise their Dreams and are fully Empowered by all Stakeholders to Positively Face the Future (their destiny) in Challenging Times”.

 

1.3. GOAL:

AC-YA goal is “to ensure improved youth and child welfare, their empowerment and development”.

 

1.4. MISSION:

Our mission is

  • “To network/coordinate the activities of all youth associations and other stakeholders in development to enable them  attain their objectives, take informed actions;
  • Fight against youth/Child delinquency, drug abuse and youth involvement in drug trafficking;
  • Promote  youth education/ capacity building, youth talent and ingenuity development and massive youth employment;
  • Promote  youth involvement in environmental protection/conservation, cultural, religious, Health& HIV/AIDS, religious, and sports activities,
  • Empower youths with minority challenges and special needs like disabilities, indigenous youth etc;
  • Foster youth leadership /empowerment, accountability, transparency, good governance, citizenship participation and active youth participation in advocacy issues;
  • And encourage youth participation in community foundation activities and volunteerism”.

1.5. PROGRAMMES

  • Youth Preventive Health and HIV/AIDS;
  • Civil Society, Gender and Advocacy;
  • Good Governance, Youth Leadership& Human Rights
  • Youth Socio-economic Empowerment& Development
  • Climate Change, Environmental Protection/Conservation and Food Security
  • Youths Disability and Minority Challenges and
  • Youth Volunteering and Community Foundation Development/Management.

 

1.6. RIGHT BASED APPROACHES AND RIGHT CORE VALUES:

  • Timely Accountability to all stakeholders;
  • Transparency in all our activities;
  • Good Governance in our Management and  that of our Members
  • Respect for Human Rights and dignity in all our Activities
  • Practice Participatory Planning/M&E at all Levels and  the Exploitation of Lessons Learnt and Experienced Shared to Improve on the Quality/Quantity of our Service Delivery.
  • Networking, Partnering and Coalition Building to Consolidate a Common Force to Seek Solutions to Contemporary Problems.

 

1.7. APPROACH OR STRATEGY TO RESPOND PROBLEMS:

Alliance for Cameroon Youth Associations uses varied strategies depending on the problem to effective realized its activities amongst which are the following:

  • Networking, forming of coalitions and building alliances
  • Consultations and dialogues
  • Lobbying and advocacy
  • Research and information dissemination
  • Social mobilization
  • Organisation of trainings, workshop etc
  • Partnering and informal contracts
  • Information, communication and education through varied media
  • Provision of direct material, financial and immaterial(knowledge and other intangibles) support
  • Provision of direct care and support to marginalized young persons
  • Policy development
  • Relief Assistance
  • Technical assistance
  • Advisory and consultancy services etc

 

1.8. MEMBERSHIP:

Members are Youth Community Based Organisation (YCBO), Youth Faith Based Organisation (YFBO), Youth Clubs, Youth Professional or Student associations, Youth Cultural Associations. Current members include Cameroon Association of Active Youths, Youths for the Child’s Welfare and Professional Association for the Protection of Street/Abandoned Children (PAFSAB), Full Gospel Youth Group Kosala Kumba, Rural Women Empowerment Fund, Cameroon Cultural Awareness Association, Association of Cameroon Accounting Technicians, Baptist Youth Association, Cameroon Arts and Cultural Association etc. These associations have young people as members with varied educational and professional backgrounds who actively contribute and take part in AC-YA activities

 

1.9. MAIN SOURCES OF FUNDING:     

  • Membership dues
  • Fundraising ceremonies
  • Donations from Sympathizers
  • Sales of Gadgets
  • Minimal Income from Consultancy Services
  • Elaboration of projects

 

1.10 PRIORITY AREAS:

The main priority areas of AC-YA are as follows:

Youths and the Civil Society

  • Advocacy and Policy Change
  • Climate Change, Environmental Protection/Conservation& Food Security
  • Networking/coalition building
  • Volunteering/Community Foundation Development/Management.
  • Socio-economic Empowerment& Development

Youths and the Global Economy

  • Hunger/Poverty Alleviation
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Globalisation
  • Development issues related to youths and  Young people
  • Information Communication/Technology