PRESS RELEASE
Kenya: The YMCA Sierra Leone congratulates the Africa Alliance YMCA to its 40th Anniversary Celebration which began yesterday
Freetown, 29th May, 2017: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) is a global faith based confederation of 130 National Movements founded in England in 1844. This association serves over 40 million youth worldwide from all religious backgrounds.
Based on the above, the YMCA was established in 1912 in Sierra Leone on the pretext of designing and providing programmes and services that addresses issues of relevance to the body, mind and spiritual uplift of our younger people.
In a bid to celebrate the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Africa Alliance of YMCA, the Sierra Leone YMCA being a member of the Africa Alliance is set to fully celebrate with the rest of Africa. For 40 years now, the Africa Alliance as a movement has been an inspiration for African Unity, setting an example of love, joy and commitment to empowering young people for the African Renaissance. Our staff, volunteers, and programme participants have worked tirelessly in some of the most difficult and high-risk circumstances to help shape an Africa that protects, educates and supports youth to secure the future envisioned by Agenda 2063. In 2006, the African YMCA’s agreed to whole-heartedly focus on the empowerment of young people for the African Renaissance. The African Renaissance is about Africans taking charge and responsibility for our social, economic, political and cultural development. This will work through focusing on creating the future youth want and need, as defined and shaped by youth themselves.
The YMCA Sierra Leone do not want to let this celebration pass by without giving thanks to God and to as well look ahead in the years to come. As we give thanks to God for sustainability and for all the gains made so far, we cannot as well forget to look ahead in the next 40 years.
In the next 40 years, we want a prosperous and united Africa of which Sierra Leone is not an exception that supports youth development and empowerment. This can be achieved by harnessing past knowledge, maximize current opportunities, and forecast future trends.
Note to editors: The National General Secretary (NGS) Mr. Christian Kamara is available for interview (contact Tel.: +232 78 952804).
The Sierra Leone YMCA serves thousands of beneficiaries each year. The majority of these individuals are youth and women from low-income families and communities. As an indigenous NGO, the YMCA offers unique institutional development and programme collaboration opportunities across national, religious and ethnic boundaries. We are the only local youth movement with 23 local branches located all the communities in Sierra Leone.
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The following was written by Christian Martyn Kamara, National General Secretary/CEO, Sierra Leone YMCA, Africa.
It is an annual event to highlight, and applaud those young people who represent the best of Sierra Leone, Africa. The Youth Excellence Awards (YEA) are held to recognize young people and youth focused institutions that continue to succeed in the face of extreme challenges. YEA is the first multi-disciplinary awards program, in Sierra Leone, specifically for and about youth.
2013 Theme: ‘Shine a Light’
This year’s theme was ‘Shine A Light’ as it is our objective to seek and show the accomplishments of outstanding youth in our community. In addition we hope to use YEA to encourage and inspire hard-work and determination amongst a generation of young people who often lack role models and heroes.
At this first ceremony there were 30 awards with specific special recognition of young women and youth as individuals and as an organization at a national level. Winners were awarded for excellence in:
• Entrepreneurship
• Sports
• Innovation
• Social Activism
• Environmental Conservation
• Leadership
• Media
• Academic Achievement
• Arts
Congratulations to the Sierra Leone YMCA!
The Sierra Leone YMCA was nominated by young people and youth serving organizations in and out of Sierra Leone. And, thanks to their support, was awarded for their excellent role and support in transforming the lives of young people and supporting them with livelihood and advocacy skills on governance and entrepreneurship.
Over the past four years the Sierra Leone YMCA had reached over 2,000-3,000 young people in the most deprived communities – more specifically, those of slum communities.
Are you interested in supporting the Sierra Leone YMCA? Donations can be made through the YMCA Strong Kids website. For more information, please visit ymcastrongkids.ca.
Community Based Approach To Disaster Risk Reduction In Freetown
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project is a nine month pilot project implemented by the Sierra Leone YMCA to address the heightened vulnerability of Slum communities in Freetown to regulate disasters by increasing resilience and capacity within Communities, particularly of young people to identify and take action on the risks they face, through mitigation and preparedness activities. Specific objectives of the project are;
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