Since the adoption of the SDGs in September 2015, YAG has been involved in several projects and programs seeking to maximize young people's participation in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of such an ambitious global agenda. The African Youth SDGs Summit which was held in Accra-Ghana saw over 400 young people from 25 countries across Africa and Europe on the 1st and 2nd November 2017, and this summit is also one of the flagship initiatives of Youth Advocates Ghana. The summit, undoubtedly has become the pan African platform for young people on the SDGs conversation.
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Details of Youth SDGs Corps
The Youth SDGs Corps program brings together twenty (20) motivated young people between the ages of 15-30 years from Ghana to research, design and implement simple but practical actionable SDG solutions in rural Ghana.The program is designed such that selected fellows will collaborate with their youth counterparts in rural communities to research, design and implement grassroots activities aligned to the SDGs targeting rural communities. Rural areas cover a greater portion of Ghana’s land area and well as function as home for majority of Ghanaians. It is also these areas that face seemingly intractable socio-economic challenges. The project is built on the principle of “leave no one behind” and in particular to fill the rural development gap. We believe that rural areas are engine of ideas and with the right collaborations, they are able to unleash their ideas into solutions.
Each year, the project will select 20 young people who will receive training, mentorship and support to undertake community action projects aligned to the SDGs. For example, these projects could be addressing sanitation and hygiene in schools, mobilize computers/ICT equipment for rural schools, renovation and painting of old school blocks or clinics, supplying library books, Supply of Exercise Books/Test Books, starting a school yard agriculture garden, undertaking a community campaign on human rights, gender-based violence and empowering rural folks on the SDGs and its opportunities.
The selected Youth SDGs Corps will experience first-hand how to conduct project research, design a community project and work in team to fundraise and mobilize resources from a pool of stakeholders including private sectors & businesses, individuals and from development agencies.
The selected Youth SDGs Corps will experience first-hand how to conduct project research, design a community project and work in team to fundraise and mobilize resources from a pool of stakeholders including private sectors & businesses, individuals and from development agencies.
The Goal of Youth SDGs Corps
The goal of the project is to stimulate rural actions on the SDGs by activating the power of young people.SDG Priority Areas
Poverty (Goal 1)Rural Economy (Food Security-Goal 2)
Health (Goal 3)
Education (Goal 4)
Gender (Goal 5)
Sanitation (Goal 6)
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The Program's Approach
The selected fellows will undergo training on the Agenda2030 for Sustainable Development, how to conduct project research, project management, fundraising, coalition/alliance building, communication etc. The fellows will then be divided into groups to collaborate with their community counterparts/local youth to conduct Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) at the start of the project. The participatory action research will be carried out using methods such as focus group discussions, community mapping through transact walks and household surveys. The rationale for engaging local youth in their own rural communities is particularly innovative to activate local voices to play active roles in the development of their communities. The local youth understand the issues their communities face and can play an active role as active citizens addressing these issues.Once a need is identified, the team will map potential collaborators and stakeholders to galvanize support and mobilize resources to fully execute the project.
Partnerships
The project will be carried out in collaboration with District Assemblies in the project area (Nsawam-Adoagiri Assembly). The district assemblies will propose potential communities for visit and validation. The Project will seek collaboration and partnership with other organizations such as professional bodies, philanthropic Foundations, clubs and associations, religious and faith institutions, diplomatic communities and sister NGOs. Via youthsdgsscorps@gmail.com or policy4yag@gmail.com the focal person for the program can be reached.
Proofread: Brenda
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