64,000
youth, including those living with HIV &
AIDS, partake in our YETS program each week
across 24 districts in Zambia. Youth participate
in sports sessions integrated with health
and life skills as well as peer education
workshops, income generating activities,
leadership clinics, sex and sexuality discussion
forums and drama clubs in both rural and
urban areas.
By
participating in sport youth learn
the valuable skills of teamwork,
commitment and determination which
can then be transferred into any
walk of life. The program is extremely
successful with high participation
rates and significantly improved
knowledge levels on HIV & AIDS,
drug and alcohol abuse prevention
and gender equity.
A
number of youth are identified and
trained each year in leadership
skills and the design and delivery
of an integrated sports session.
Girls
practicing netball footwork
They
then facilitate sports sessions to
children and other youth. This makes
the delivery of information to children
far more effective and is the very
key to our success. Children and youth
are far more likely to absorb information
from a peer, someone who is a similar
age and who they feel has undergone
similar experiences, as they are often
regarded as ‘cool’ and
‘trendy’. Therefore, knowledge
levels on health and life skills increase
more significantly than would otherwise
be the case.
OBJECTIVES
1.
To
promote mass participation in
sport
2.
To
provide youth and children with
meaningful leisure-time activity
3.
To educate
youth and children on HIV &
AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse
prevention and other life skills
4.
To
provide sport careers pathways
to youth and children
5.
To train
young sport leaders in delivery
of sports and life skills education
6.
To
encourage and develop community
youth involvement in mobilizing
resources for their personal
and common development goals
7.
To give psychosocial
support through support groups
for Orphaned and Vulnerable
Children (OVCs) and people living
with HIV & AIDS
ACHIEVEMENTS
1.
64,000
youth are participating in weekly
sport activities and have increased
knowledge on HIV & AIDS, drug
and alcohol abuse prevention and
other health and life skills
2.
More
girls participating in weekly
sport activities indicating a
reduction in misplaced social
stigma
3.
1645
youth trained in leadership skills
and the delivery of sport and
life skills since 2000
4.
4.
960 sports and life skills camps
and clinics organised since 1998
5.
1,200
sport tournaments and festivals
organised since 1998
6.
1,200
discussion forums and debates
for families and youth organised
since 1998
