Youth Action International is a non-governmental organization that uses grassroots techniques to develop and implement programs that help alleviate the suffering of children affected by war or living in difficult circumstances, empower them to reach their full potential, and break cycles of violence and poverty.
Read the YAI 2008 Annual Report: Empowering Africa (pdf)
Kimmie Weeks tells Jerome about the work his organization is doing in Liberia and across the African continent. He survived the Liberian civil war and has dedicated his life to children’s rights. To listen to the interview go to:
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Program_wv.aspx?episode=37254
I’ve been thinking about what to write since I came back from Liberia. I am from Spain and English is my fourth language – I also speak Spanish, Italian, and Catalan. So as you can imagine, it took me forever to put all my thoughts in order in English.
My name is Esther Rodriguez-Brown. My husband, Michael, and I are the founders of The Embracing Project, a non profit organization we created to educate inner city youth about the similarities between genocide and gang activity. One purpose of this journey is to expose inner city youth to the experiences of children soldiers in different parts of the world and then to create a pen-pal relationship between both groups.
Published in the Liberian Daily Observer — The U.S. based Youth Action International (YAI) on Friday, September 25, launched its first computer training program in Grand Bassa County.
The program is expected to benefit at least 75 of the county’s citizens in the first phase. The overall span of the program is two years, said a YAI press release reaching this paper Thursday.
YAI’s Public Relations Officer, Oliver Menyongar, expressed his delight in launching of the program. “I am very happy that they could take computers to Grand Bassa and make young people of that county [computer literate],” he said. Menyongar also used the occasion to highlight the benefits of the program, including the fact that it is totally free of charge to the participants. He called on the young people in Grand Bassa to make use of the opportunity.
YAI Program Officer, D. Isaac Hinneh, also expressed satisfaction with the number of young people that interested in gaining computer knowledge. YAI remains committed to supporting the computer training for young people of that county, he said.
The release quoted YAI’s Executive Director, Kimmie Weeks, as saying that his organization “remains committed to supporting educational programs in Liberia and will help the Government meet one of the pillars of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).”
In a related development, YAI has also launched its agricultural program in Grand Bassa County. Disclosing this information, Weeks said his organization’s programs will go a long way in benefiting the young people of Liberia. He added that as a young person who grew up in Liberia, he understands the importance of education, which is why, he said, his organization will do its utmost to support educational programs in the country.
Between June 1 – 3, 2009, a group of 200 delegates from around the world convened to attend the Kellogg Innovative Network (KIN Global). The goal of the event was to build a path toward global prosperity. During the event, delegates raised close to $50,000 in support of YAI’s work.
The funds are in support of YAI’s Center for Women’s Empowerment in Sierra Leone and Liberia as well as the KIN YAI Award for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
YAI’s Center for Women’s Empowerment provides vocational training, small business development workshops, and micro-loans to 500 women every year from the poorest communities in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
As a follow-up, a small group of KIN Global delegates led by Rob Wolcott and Michelle Buck will travel to Liberia to discover additional ways to help reduce Liberia’s high unemployment rate, which currently stands at 75%.
The Greener Diamond has released a new line of t-shirts to raise awareness and support YAI’s work. The “ENOUGH!” campaign t-shirts have been worn and is being promoted by celebrities including Johnny Littlefield on the show:Extreme Makeover, Home Edition.
The Greener Diamond will donate 100% of the proceeds from the ENOUGH t-shirt sales to Kimmie Week’s foundation Youth Action International for a project that will regenerate and reclaim an old toxic diamond mine in the Konor region of Sierra Leon. Former child soldiers will farm the land into new rice fields that will, not only serve as a source of food for the surrounding communities, but create a sustainable source of income for them as well.
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)—Liberian activist Kimmie Weeks is in the American City of Chicago as a featured participant at Northwestern University’s KIN Global Summit. The conference theme this year “Building Global Prosperity: Innovation and Action” and is taking place from June 1 – 3, 2009.
A group of 175 “invitation-only” delegates with outstanding credentials in innovation in many fields from around the world are convening to build a path toward global prosperity.
In April 2008, Kimmie Weeks, founder of Youth Action International (YAI) was a guest speaker at the Rye Neck High School in Mamaroneck, New York. At that time, Mr. Week’s shared his personal story and encouraged Rye Neck’s students to become active global citizens. When the students asked Mr. Weeks what relevant action they may take to support YAI, Mr. Weeks suggested that collecting sneakers would provide impoverished children with a sanitation barrier against disease and help prevent structural damage and injuries. As a result of Mr. Weeks’ comments, Kaila Pedersen, an 11th grade student at the Rye Neck High School in Mamaroneck, New York started Kids with Sole in September of 2008.
Kids with Sole is a community-based intergenerational chapter of YAI that is working to collect 30,000 pairs of sneakers for children in post-war Liberia. Since its inception, Kids with Sole has expanded to include over 30 active leaders who are dedicated to YAI’s mission to benefit the lives of children in post-war African countries.
One Peace celebrates the “Power of One,” and specifically the accomplishments of children from around the globe who have worked to promote world peace. Janet Wilson challenges today’s children to strive to make a difference in this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled and fascinating volume of portraits of many “heroes for today.”
Canadian Craig Kielburger, who started Free the Children to help victims of child labor at the age of twelve, has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Farlis Calle, forced to identify the body of a young friend-a victim of her country’s civil war-started the Columbia Children’s Movement for Peace. At age ten, Kimmie Weeks, a refugee from the Liberian civil war, came within a whisper of being buried in a mass grave. Almost miraculously he survived and vowed to make a difference in the lives of other children. At thirteen he established Voices of the Future, Liberia’s first child rights advocacy group. Other portraits feature the accomplishments of children from Sarajevo, Japan, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, Afghanistan and the United States. These moving testaments to the courage and initiative of youth will inspire readers young and old.
Purchase a copy of the book: http://www.orcabook.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=548
Youth Action International has formally turned over a newly constructed orphanage at a program in Clay, Bomi County.
The new orphanage will provide shelter for close to 80 children and their caretakers. During the program, the Executive Director of Youth Action International remarked: “I am very happy with the level of work that we have donehere for the children of Liberia.” He went on to say that children are the future and should never be left alone to fend for themslves.
Mr. Weeks used the occasion to cal on Government to do more as it relates to the welfare of children. He further said, “You children without parents will never be forgotten by us at Youth Action INternational.” He also announced that Youth Action International in conjunction with Humanity Unites Brilliance (HUB) would begin work to build a two classroom building on the site of the orphanage.
If the world has woken up to M.I.A., so have her musical peers. Hip-hop artist T.I. teamed up with rap elites Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne, sampling a portion of “Paper Planes” into his own track, “Swagga Like Us.” M.I.A.’s magic mojo appears to have rubbed off, as T.I.’s new album Paper Trail recently debuted at #1. Reenergized, re-recognized, and reverberating worldwide, M.I.A. will release the How Many Votes Fix Mix on iTunes October 28th (and everywhere else November 4th.) The Digital EP will feature a remix Boyz featuring Jay-Z as well as two unreleased tracks: “Shells” and “Far Far.”
And as the world takes to Kala, M.I.A. takes on the world—literally. This past August, Maya Arulpragasam (aka, M.I.A.) partnered with non-profit organization Youth Action International to begn building the Becky Primary School in Liberia. New additions include more classrooms, a library, computer labs, and a new playground. Plus, free tuition for its 625 students. She also launched her own clothing line, featuring T-shirts, jackets, and hoodies of her own design.
Congratulations to Amanda Hurlbut, a 12th grade student, who since 2009, has led Kids with Sole, in coordination with YAI to send 3000 pairs of sneakers to children in Liberia.
It is a year since I began my internship at Youth Action International and what I thought would be an easy task is very difficult. I do not know where to start in talking about my experiences over the last one year. To save myself from overworking my young brain trying to think about my experiences, I will use this medium to extend my gratitude to Kimmie and the Youth Action International family for affording me the opportunity to grow and develop in a more responsible leader.
I’ve been thinking about what to write since I came back from Liberia. I am from Spain and English is my fourth language – I also speak Spanish, Italian, and Catalan. So as you can imagine, it took me forever to put all my thoughts in order in English.
My name is Esther Rodriguez-Brown. My husband, Michael, and I are the founders of The Embracing Project, a non profit organization we created to educate inner city youth about the similarities between genocide and gang activity. One purpose of this journey is to expose inner city youth to the experiences of children soldiers in different parts of the world and then to create a pen-pal relationship between both groups.
Every year, Kimmie Weeks embarks on a nationwide speaking tour to motivate young people to become pioneers of change. To date, thousands of students have heard his message and many of them have gone on to start their own humanitarian organizations or have joined other change-making programs.
Contact Natsumi Ajiki: natsumi @ peaceforkids.org
“What have I gotten myself into?”
This is a question that has come up many times on my journey to Africa.
I suppose to clarify, and so as not to sound like a cynic, I should explain a little bit about myself. I’ve been a photographer for two and a half years now. When I first picked up a camera the only thought that went through my head was “Awesome, now I have a big chunk of metal, plastic and glass that will allow me to take clearer photos and I’ll soon be rich and famous as a result of having this camera!”
This was not the case as I am neither rich, nor famous (side from my own delusions of grandeur.) Anyways all of that is beside the point. If someone had told me the day that I picked up that camera that it would eventually lead me to post war West Africa, I would have laughed in their faces. Not because traveling to West Africa is a crazy idea, but simply because I did not see myself ever getting past the stage of “hobbyist” photography.
And yet, here I sit, in Sierra Leone, thousands of miles from home (6168 miles approximately) volunteering as the photographer for Youth Action International.
Now in regards to Africa, particularly Sierra Leone and Liberia, I don’t think that anything could have really prepared me for what I would experience here. This is including Kimmie’s ‘worst case scenario’ description of Liberia.
I wish I had been more diligent about documenting my experiences and reactions in Liberia, but I seemed to always put off the act of writing. I always told myself I was too tired or busy, but the truth is that I had a very difficult time reflecting on the barrage of experiences at the time. Throughout my time in Africa, I realized that I did not once shed a tear. It was only once I was on the plane from Accra to New York, on my way back to my privileged and comfortable life, that I was able to absorb the memories and the pictures that I was taking with me. As I looked through the pictures I had taken on my camera, I cried for a half an hour straight. I cried thinking about the hopeful faces on the small children at Temas Orphanage that I was leaving. I cried for young people of Grand Bassa County who do not have the opportunity to go to school. I cried because I realized that my life would be changed forever and I cried because I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
A cross-section of observers, traditional and religious leaders, local and international media stormed Ri-Kwangba last week to witness the historical moment were Joseph Kony, the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) leader was supposed to sign the final peace agreement. The rest of the world held its breath to witness the day that northern Uganda would finally get to normalcy after 20 years of conflict between the Government of Uganda and the LRA rebels.
“Aren’t you nervous?” my dear friend carefully asked me when I told her that I’d be visiting Uganda. That’s how my parents reacted at first. I told myself it is not because Uganda is part of Africa that they are worried for my travel. Traveling to new places is always uncertain to some extent. However, I couldn’t deny that part of me was more worried than usual. What would I see? How would I feel? What should I expect? Am I mature enough? Above all, the question was ‘why would I want to go visit Africa’? I cannot tell Uganda story leaving out the influence of Kimmie and Youth Action International. I actually met Kimmie at Northfield Mount Hermon High School where Kimmie graduated from.
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an Acholi-based opposition group led by Joseph Kony has been fighting first against president Museveni’s government, and currently against other Acholi peoples. The Acholi are an ethnic group who live in Northern Uganda. Though Kony, leader of the LRA reportedly believes he has been chosen by God to overthrow president Museveni and establish a government based on the Ten Commandments, and a purified Acholi race, the LRA has yet to explain its goals or put forth any sort of political agenda.
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I wasn’t promised an African sunset. When Kimmie Weeks invited me on a humanitarian mission through post-conflict countries, what came to mind were the stunning landscape pictures my friends had brought back from the ranch in Kenya. It was how I had envisioned this beautiful continent. Streaks of red and orange, firing up the night sky of deep blue and purple: a kaleidoscope of color. Instead, I found another kind of sunset. I found the African people wasting away, dying brutal, horrific deaths at the hands of war, disease, and poverty. I found the sun setting on their lives. Not fading into the night with brilliant lights, but being shredded into a nonexistence wracked with pain and suffering. Continue reading
