Pamoja Youth Foundation (P.Y.F.) works to help youth better the life chances and quality of living by improving their talents using limited resources. In doing so P.Y.F. aims to help in the transformation of youths from lives of crime and drug abuse to self-reliance and into people who promote peace and justice in the globalize world.
P.Y.F provides a platform where the voice and work done by the youth will continually thrive, and thus enables them to address and resolve problems facing young people in this country. P.Y.F exists not only in Kibera alone but also in rural areas such as Ugenya in Nyanza province.
Under our motto, which is ‘Be inspired before you expire’, we are advising young people to stand firm and join hands for a better tomorrow. We are appealing to everybody not to view us not as a political or religious based organisation but as people who are out to help others. The quote of the organisation is ‘be inspired before you expire’.
Pamoja Youth Foundation is a registered organisation with the Ministry of Social Services.
The word Pamoja is the Kiswahili word for 'together'.
VISION
To change the live of youth towards a positive living
MISSION
To empower on various issues affecting their lives.
To better the talents that are in youth.
To advocate for equal right and justice for all young people in this country.
OBJECTIVES
To unite and empower young people both socially and economically. To improve the youth creativity and access to information that can help to a positive transformation.
To create environment that youth can participate in decision making and conservation of environment.
MEMBERSHIP
Pamoja Youth Foundation draws its members from different villages in Kibera, such as Soweto, Katwekira, Raila, Kianda, etc. Currently the organisation has 46 members, of whom 22 are female and 24 are male, ages 12-26. These members are willing to use their talents in traditional dancing, drama, acrobatics, peer education and environmental knowledge to sensitize and entertain the world.
HISTORY
Kibera is a well-known slum worldwide, however many people only know the negative side of Kibera. They do not realize the talents that many youths in Kibera enjoy. God created people with different talents and abilities. When someone stays in a slum area, it does not mean that he or she has no talent. For many years, youths have tried to use their talents to earn their living, particularly through talents such as football, culture and theatre techniques, however resources are very limited. It is for this reason that Pamoja was founded - to help the youth better their talents using the limited resources available.
Project Pamoja began last year in December 2006 in collaboration with Community Support Group. It has helped the youth to improve their talents in theatre and cultural activities. The majority of its members went to a one-week theatre training course at Tafakari Centre in Kibera. The training was facilitated by three actors from Canada, namely Laura, David and Alex. These three people are professional actors well known worldwide. After the training, members who passed the exam were issued certificates and were delegated the duty of training others.
Pamoja Youth Foundation was officially registered in 2007.
INITIATIVES
ART, THEATRE, AND MUSIC
P.Y.F has a team of drama crew, Asia and African traditional dancers and secular and gospel musician such as hip-hop, raggae and ragga rappers. We are using our talents to entertain and educate the community on various issues such as child abuse, drug abuse, rape, abortion, human rights, HIV/AIDS, environmental and sanitation.
Our commitment
P.Y.F is willing to have cultural exchange programmes with youth all over the world.
PEER EDUCATION
Almost all members of P.Y.F. are trained peer educators. We always do advocacy programmes in schools and organise community outreaches to educate the community
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
We have tthree sub-programmes under this programme.
Youth in leadership and governance
We advocates for youth representation in any democratic process in this country. We are therefore appeal all young in this state to participate with commitment. We have realised that what the young people need is elementary participation which means there must be consultation and young people must be asked their opinion before a decision made. Youth need participation with autonomy and power.
Gender equality
Young ladies in Kenya have not been given a chance to speak by their own. We need more ladies on board so that we can change this country together. P.Y.F. is ready to empower ladies from marginalised community to fight for their position in this country. We do organise work and camps for ladies. During this time they got the opportunity to express themselves and understand each other best.
Entrepreneurship
P.Y.F. is looking forward to start it devolved fund for its members. This is to reduce the level of poverty and unemployment amongst the youth. Current the group is now training members on entrepreneurship and credit management with the help of Uzima foundation.
YOUNG MOTHERS
These are girls who conceive at the early stage in life. The community that we live on have neglect and discriminate these ladies for so long. As P.Y.F. we need these ladies to feel a sense of belonging and very valuable in this community. Having been neglected for so long, they only found themselves prostituting. aborting, violating the rights of their young ones unknowingly and some times causing death. As a young people, we do understand our fellow better because some of us have been victims, this is why we have:
A back to school programme
Vocational training
Economic empowerment.
But at the end of it all, children suffered most. Current P.Y.F has three trained Paralegals and two members trained on child rights. Child rights violation has been a culture in this country. We have there came up with some resolution. One of the resolution is to establish children council.
Children Council
To help children in this society, we have realised the formation of children council in this country can help address children issues. We will be organising workshops and camps for the children and parents. Community outreaches is one of the tools that we will enable us reach the community.
ENVIRONMENT AND SANITATION.
P.Y.F. has five members trained on environmental issues by Cathrine a student form Nairobi University doing masters on Environment. The team work with other members to improve environmental condition in Kenya. P.Y.F members have been planting tree in different parts of the country. We also provide lectures in schools and society at large. We promise to continue planting trees and conduct many community clean-ups in Kibera slum. The major challenge has been seeds.
This is why we have been slow to our commitment. If you think you can help please contact us.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Planting 2634 trees around Kibera.
- Training 3 members on journalism
- Emerging the second best overall performing group during the competition organised by CARE KENYA and sponsored by USAID.
- Joining many international and national networks.
- Participate in many event such as Africa Child Day.
- Conduct media campaign. We were on Metro FM a programme called Beste wa Mtaa sponsored by Trans World Radio and Hot 96 sponsored by DSW advocating for youth friendly - - VCT and also mobilising youth to visit VCT Centres.
- Organise 3 successful community outreaches.
- Training members on peer education and theatre.
- Publicising the “New Dawn’ a community magazine that is issue to the community free of charge.
- Launching community radio in Kibera.
- Sponsor fifteen members for computer classes
CHALLENGES:
Lack of financial support. Inadequate resource to run the projects. Following the post election violence in Kenya our office was burnt. Office equiments
PARTNERS.
UZIMA FOUNDATION
Y PEER
NAYA KENYA CHAPTER
DAKAHUMAS
DSW KENYA
CARE KENYA
HELP KENYA
GREEN BELT MOVEMENT
KENYA FOREST WORKING GROUP.
The Pamoja Youth Foundation would like to establish an international link &/or cultural exchange between their organisation and groups/individuals in UK, USA or elsewhere, who are also involved with cultural/theatre/dance/drama activities.
CONTACT DETAILS
Pamoja Youth Foundation P.O.BOX 23739-00100 NAIROBI, KENYA.
Group Coordinator: Raphael Omondi. Email: raomosh@yahoo.com.
