Youth Education Through Sports Tanzania (YES Tanzania)

YES Tanzania Profile

Who Are We?

Youth Education Through Sports Tanzania (YES Tanzania) is a non governmental organization with its headquarters in Mbeya region, was established in 2010 and got registered in January 2011 in Tanzania under NGO Act 2002, registration number 00NGO/00004325.

YES Tanzania complements government efforts by facilitating the implementation of various policies and hence bring development to the citizens. Our primary focus is on young people. We aims at empowering them by giving them proper guidance and skills to face the many challenges faced by young people.

The formation of YES Tanzania was inspired by among other factors; availability of large number of young people who are underutilized, understanding of young people’s needs, understanding of the potential sports have when it comes to bringing social change in communities and country at large, the Tanzania Youth Development Policy, MKUKUTA and MDGs, Tanzania development vision 2025, the realities currently facing young people (youth unemployment, apathy, corruption and declining leadership) and experience gained through working with youth organizations national and International.

Our Vision

A society whereby youth have equal opportunity to realize their fullest potential, productively participating in economic, social, political, religious and cultural life without fear or favor.

Our Mission

YES Tanzania is committed to making every youth a leader, we are working to ensure that all youth have equal access to education, meaningful employment and opportunities to develop their potential.

What Do We Know About Young People?

Young people are often regarded as the assets of any nation. The government of the United Republic of Tanzania affirms this statement in its various governance document. However young people in Tanzania face many challenges ranging from unemployment, corruption, lack of participation in various decision making bodies, apathy and minimal understanding of their civic rights to mention but a few.

All the above have negative ramifications to young people and the nation. Growing unemployment drives many young people to crimes and drug abuse, prostitution and the majority are susceptible to political manipulation.

These challenges and others which are not mentioned here need to be addressed in manner which assures young people a brighter future or gives them a better environment to live to their fullest potential. The environment should prepare young people to be accepted members who can contribute to the development of their communities. Young people cannot do this without being empowered. They need to be empowered to understand that they have opportunities and they can make positive contribution to their communities and the country at large. As opposed to now where by the majority of young people are not in the picture of what is going on in their country, despite the fact that they are the most affected with various decisions made without being involved.

Even though the statistics show that young people are the majority population group in the country, (numerically large) but they are not well represented in various decision making levels from the grassroots up to the national level.

Tanzanian youth are numerically the majority, but their number due to current structures and negative attitudes towards young people, not being supportive to young people leading developments concepts and beliefs, their number do not mean or give them a cutting age to access into powers or take leadership in issues that affect them and their communities.

YES Tanzania works to empower young people and gate keepers to make sure that young people are recognized as significant and valuable resource and advocate to make sure that young people are integrated into various decision making structures, YES Tanzania through working with and for young people is determined to make sure that young people’s concerns, perspectives and issues are acted upon.

YES Tanzania is passionate to see that young people are a force for positive change in the country, without young people empowerment and creating conducive environment which ensures that young people are participating in political, development, and socioeconomic processes, the transformation we are referring to is not likely to happen.

Our belief is that if young people are empowered and are given chances to participate in political, development and socioeconomic processes, the result will be prosperity of our communities and the country at large. We believe that when empowered, young people can positively contribute towards democracy and good governance, and hence achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Tanzania development vision 2025.

Our Objectives

1. Empower young people with knowledge and skills, so that they can make informed choices regarding their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. (SRH and R)
2. Promoting Democracy and Good Governance by stimulating young people engagement in decision making on issues that affect them.
3. Build the capacity and culture of entrepreneurship to Tanzanian youth

In all the above objectives young people have taken a lead role in designing the project and will continue taking a lead role in implementing and monitoring the project as to us youth participation is a sure way of getting solutions to problems facing young people.

Our Strategy

Our strategy for achieving our objective is edutainment, using sports for both recreation and development.

“People in every nation, love sports. Its values are universal. At its best, it brings people together. And when young people participate in sports or have access to physical education, they can build up their health and self-esteem, use their talents to the fullest, learn the ideas of team work and tolerance, and be drawn away from the dangers of drug and crime.” Kofi Annan, United Nations, Secretary General, Message on the International Year of Sports and Physical Education 2005.

Our Activities

-Sports (for in and out of school youth)

-Guest speakers visiting schools

-Youth Peer Leadership Training

-Entrepreneurship Education for out of school youth

-Sexual Reproductive Health

-Human Rights education

-Democracy, Accountability and Good Governance Workshops

-High profile district level youth festivals events

-Youth Forums

-Special projects

Our Achievement since inception

YES Tanzania has gained recognition and endorsement from both government officials and donor community. YES Tanzania’s strategy of using sports for development is viewed as the best approach to reaching young people as sports speaks the language of youth and is predominantly dominated by youth.

- Successfully organizing the International HIV/AIDS Candlelight Memorial Days

-In partnership with Mbeya City Council we successfully organized the International African Child Day

-HIV/AIDS awareness raising during Nanenane exhibitions Mbeya

-Entrepreneurship trainings- (in partnership with International Labour Organization)

-Democracy & Good Governance forums

-In collaboration with MBENGONET &UKWAMI Foundation-Youth Policy & Draft constitutional bill debate.

Governance

YES Tanzania is governed by a board of directors of 8 people with gender balance.. The board oversees values of the organization and sets the overall strategy and direction, the board of directors also monitors the performance of YES Tanzania and its management, it is also charged with the responsibility of appointing the executive director.

Day to day activities according to our organization structure are carried by the YES Tanzania management team.

Contacts

YES Tanzania, P.O.Box 1537

Mbeya, Tanzania

Email: yestz.or.tz

www.yestz.or.tz