The “Youth Groups Slum Exchange Programme” (YGSEP) is all about economic empowerment. Here is how AYiERA iNiTiATiVE explains and realises it.

Self-help and development

We use sports to bring together self-help youth groups based in Korogocho slum and its surrounding areas to share and exchange ideas on their already existing small income generating projects. By doing this, the youth groups get the opportunity to learn how to improve and expand their income generating activities. The event takes place every October, and run for two to three days.

The participating youth groups must have a valid registration certificate issued by the government of Kenya and must be engaging in small income generating activity/s.

The aim of this event is:

1. To engage slum youths in strong positive discussions on how they can contribute to the development of their community.
2. Give them platform to come up with new ideas on how they can generate income in order to improve their livelihood and Korogocho slum conditions.
3. Create employment opportunities to the youths.
4. To urge  slum youths to join the existing youth groups or start new ones in order to engage themselves in income generating activities and thus creating employment to  the youths and also help the youths to earn through healthy ways rather than getting the money only after engaging in ill motives.

And the winner is…

The soccer tournament among the youth groups is normally staged after two days group’s workshop has been conducted, during the workshop, the youths groups are shown how to access funds from government institutions or to acquire loans from banks for their various income generating activities, how to manage their funds and project activities, entrepreneurial skills among other key topics aimed at improving their work.

AYiERA iNiTiATiVE awards the soccer winners and the declared best youth group with equipment that are in line with their income generating activities in order to support and encourage their activities within the community.

The best youth group is normally chosen by the following key criteria:

1. Its strategic plan to fight poverty through their project activities.
2. How it has implemented it’s laid down plan to fight poverty.
3. The number of employment opportunities it has created to their group members.
4. How the group’s activities has improved the lives of their group members.
5. The positive impacts the group’s activities have created to the community (Korogocho slum).

Read here about the Slum Footie Tournament and
here about the Destitute Children Event.