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Empowering young women around the world
Our organization has been supporting young women to reach their fullest potential through vocational skills and empowerment programs.
Yayra-Si Youth Foundation (YSYF) is an NGO committed to improving the economic and health outcomes for women and youth in Doryumu, Ghana. We connect women and youth to vocational training opportunities that improve their knowledge and skills, allowing them to gain financial independence. We also organize health promotion initiatives focused on reproductive health and hygiene to address teenage pregnancy and sanitation issues in this community. In times of crisis, we act judiciously to meet the priority needs of the community through strategic partnerships and resource allocation.
Our Work
We implement projects in training, health education, research, mentorship and advocacy to support young women in Ghana, as well as their communities
Health
In Ghana, adolescent pregnancies are prevalent in marginalized communities, commonly driven by poverty, unemployment, and lack of sexual health knowledge. This has severely impacted the lives of young women and girls, resulting in school dropouts, early marriage, compromised births, and health challenges for mother and child.
Despite this worrying sexual phenomenon, research pertaining to prevention information and related services in Sub-Saharan nations like Ghana is sparse. With adequate sexual and reproductive health education and accessible services, adolescent pregnancies could be widely prevented.
We imagine a community where young girls are able to participate in their adolescence without any burdens, and can enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives. With your donations, YSYF can provide sexual and reproductive health information and related services in the Shai-Osudoku region, and make this a reality.
Education
Your donation can make a difference! YSYF works directly with local partners in Ghana, so that every youth has access to self-development opportunities, and receives support to be economically empowered through Technical and Vocational Education.
In the words of Maya Angelou “Surviving is Important but Thriving is elegant." It is our aim that each youth is able to move from the point of survival to thriving, so that they can actualize their fullest potential.
Vocational training and education is an important step in this empowerment. We provide direct training in handicraft making and liquid soap production, as well as sponsor young women into long-term, accredited training programs.
Decolonization
Colonial history and repercussions allow dominance hierarchies to persist in several African countries and other parts of the world, including Ghana. Decolonization is the work of undoing colonialism, and is a major part of our agenda.
In all of our work, we rely on local, indigenous knowledge to and enact strategies to mitigate Western bias. We respect the autonomy of those with whom we work, and uphold their inherent dignity in all we do. We also advocate for the use of anti-oppressive practices and ways of thinking in development work in the Global South and local communities.
In July-August 2019, we launched our Doryumu Diaries campaign, where we showcased the stories of residents in the communities in which we work. The goal was to reform the limited ways in which stories of African people have been told, by allowing them to control their own narratives.
Food Security
Access to quality, nutritious food is fundamental to human thriving. Secure access to food can produce wide ranging positive impacts, including improving economic growth, reducing poverty and promoting health.
During times of crisis, we support households headed by women, youth, elders, and those with disabilities who also face food insecurity with staples.
Testimonials
Our projects have supported over 3,840 beneficiaries from over five remote communities in Ghana.
As part of our Retelling Health campaign, we installed eight hands-free hand-washing stations and soap, as well as 500 masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana. We also shared stories of hope from local residents to foster an empathetic, global community.
Latest Posts
See our current work, and learn about the issues facing young women, and change the narrative
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