Youth Action International, Inc.

The overall goal of YAI is to provide opportunities to help children and young people affected by war to break out of cycles of poverty, create sustainable livelihoods and to reach their full potential.

Specific thematic theme goals are:

1. Provide enhanced early childhood education program for at least half of Liberia's children by 2025
2. Provide access to safe drinking water for at least 500,000 people by 2025
3. Provide access to skills training, microloans and sources of sustainable livelihoods for at least 100,000 young people by 2025

Youth Action International's executes its mission under three thematic umbrellas: education, health care and economic empowerment. After extensive conversations with young people in several post conflict regions, the organization establish those thematic areas as the fundamental triggers for long term sustainable growth and development.

By providing access to education (formal, informal and technical) communities are able to ensure that current and future generations are better prepared to face challenges.


Specific goal implementation strategies

Goal #1 - Enhanced Early Childhood Education: he focus of YAI’s work in education is geared towards building a strong foundation for children at an early age as well as ensuring that young people have access to opportunities for sustainable livelihood. Executive Director Kimmie Weeks notes, “I know from first-hand experience that the foundation a child receives prior to entering grade school plays a critical role in the success of that child through the rest of their academic journey.”

Since 2010, YAI has implemented a program called the Liberia Early Childhood Initiative (LECI). This program provides teachers with training and tools to augment early childhood education for thousands of Liberian children. Since the program started, 75 schools, 2,000 teachers, and close to 90,000 children have benefited from it. LECI provides the tools teachers need to help children build a solid foundation. The organization recognizes that by giving children a solid start, they are able to excel and perform better during their later years.

Goal #2 - Access to safe drinking water: Tens of thousands of people across West Africa still lack access to clean and safe drinking water. During the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, aid agencies built thousands of hand pumps to help address this problem. Unfortunately, after years of use, most of these pumps are no longer operational and communities have been forced to return to using unsafe water sources.

Since 2019, YAI in collaboration with Dockers, Waves4Water and Water Charity have been working to address this problem. To date, the organization has restored 60 wells, which has brought clean and safe drinking water to over 60,000 people.

Prior to 2019, YAI’s health initiatives were focused on providing support to community clinics and hospital. The organization also focused on providing emergency medical support, emergency response during national health emergencies, and awareness on various health concerns affecting young people in West Africa.

Goal#3 - Access to Economic Empowerment: he mantra “teach a man to fish” has been the core guiding factor of YAI’s economic empowerment programs. This remains an area where the organization dedicates most of its resources to.

In one of his talks, YAI’s Executive Director Kimmie Weeks observed that far too often, young people in post war African countries continue to languish in

Youth Action International has fourteen years of experience working in West and East Africa. The organizations work is implemented by a dedicate team of staff, volunteers, and interns. Global Headquarters of the organization is in the United States. A small technical volunteer staff coordinates fundraising activities, compliance, monitoring and evaluation. In the field, each country where the organization work is headed by a Team Lead or Country Director. The Team Lead/Country Director is assisted by Program Officers, and Project Supervisors.

Executive Director: Has oversight of YAI's activities in the United States and around the world.
The Executive Director reports directly to the Board of Directors.


Country Representative: The Country Representative (CR) is the senior YAI representative in the
country. The CR will be called upon to represent YAI's mission and programs to senior level government
officials, in country visitors, senior officials from other international organizations, bilateral donors and
local government officials.


Program Coordinator: The Program Coordinator assists the Country Representative and Regional Director in the development, implementation, and evaluation all programs. This includes making regular
visits to monitor progress of all YAI programs, especially those being implemented outside of Monrovia.
The Program Coordinator helps to assign interns and volunteers to various areas and ensures that they
have a meaningful experience with YAI. The Program Coordinator reports to the Country Representative.


Program Officers/Supervisors: Each major program has a specific program officer who is responsible for specific
program areas. Program officers ensure that programs are running smoothly, and report to the Program
Coordinator.

Facilitators: Facilitators are YAI's teachers, and counselors assigned to work directly with the students.

Office Manager: Manages YAI's national offices and is responsible for payroll, financials, and bank
transactions.

Youth Action International has a track record of excellence in implementing youth economic empowerment programs. The organizations has worked in six post war African countries since its inception in 2005.
In 2008, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf called on organizations across
Liberia to "emulate the good work being done by Youth Action International."

Some key indicators:

• 75 hand pumps benefiting 75,000 community members has been restored
• 80,000 students and 4,000+ teachers have benefited from YAI's early childhood education initiative
•100,000+ young people have benefited from various economic empowerment programs