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Youth Empowerment Solutions - yes!
OSIEPE is particularly keen on contribution to sustainable development by uniquely engaging the youth in development programs for personal growth and community service. The programs for youth engagement are inbuilt into all pillars and are also organized as special projects/programs for mentorship of members' children, youth groups, supporting and working with local schools, internship and research programs with local and international universities, entrepreneurship development and innovation for OSIEPE service delivery. The programs are under the overall strategic objective of OSIEPE Youth Empowerment Solutions (OSIEPE yes!)
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OSIEPE Practical Action, has adopted as a strategy for sustainability through succession and long-lasting for transformation, a youth empowerment approach that involves adult-youth partnerships and a democratic decision-making process. The groups youth empowerment approaches include strategies which give young people opportunities for meaningful involvement and participation in their biological and social growth, education, professional development, and career support services. Both capacity building, entrepreneurship programs and peer-based programs are being integrated in OSIEPE mainstream activities to operationalize the empowerment framework. The youth are provided with involvement opportunities, access to positive role models, knowledge and skills development and/or building a sense of personal agency or self-reliance and efficacy.
Involvement opportunities:
Access to positive role models:
Knowledge and skills development:
Sense of personal agency/self-efficacy:
Participating in peer-based programs to develop critical assets:
Involvement opportunities:
- Provide opportunity for the youth to engage in OSIEPE pillars including the Economic Empowerment as guided relevant policies
- Provide social roles which give meaning and purpose to young people’s lives e.g. as peer supporters, peer educators or peer leaders
- Providing a vehicle for changing negative social stereotypes, gender stereotypes, ethnic controls, and/or legislation affecting the freedom and rights of group members.
- Involvement in active career building programs within and outside OSIEPE including research, internships and entrepreneurship programs in and outside Kenya
- Capacity building to bolster youth groups’ chances of participating in national youth empowerment programs and county opportunities for contracts
Access to positive role models:
- Exposure to peers who are positive role models and who have shown resilience in the face of adversity.
- Exposure to role models and leaders of enviable repute
Knowledge and skills development:
- Education and knowledge to help self and others
- Providing the knowledge and skills they need to avoid risk or problem behaviors
- Developing positive coping skills and problem solving skills
- Providing a safe environment to learn and practice life skills
- Raising awareness of support available and developing skills to access support when needed
- Being offered alongside other support services e.g. co-located youth services model.
Sense of personal agency/self-efficacy:
- Providing suggestions and alternatives and outlining implications, rather than telling young people how to behave
- Providing opportunities to experience a sense of mastery or accomplishment on rising to a challenge
- Helping young people identify their strengths and personal potential
- Increasing confidence and developing a sense of personal agency to influence own future.
Participating in peer-based programs to develop critical assets:
- Increased self-esteem and confidence through helping others and being asked for help
- Increased awareness of personal strengths and potential
- Work experience and life skills through strategic internships
- Increased self-efficacy and belief in personal ability to access help/help others.
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- Capacity building for enhanced community based organizational performance
- Internship and strategic partnership with research and tertiary institutions
- Youth empowerment and innovations support
- Agri-value chain development for food and nutrition security
- Resilience to Climate Change through smart investments
- Strengthening micro-finance institutions for economic empowerment
- Environmental management and disaster/risk preparedness