NYAF was founded in 2001, as an autonomous Non-Governmental Organization that is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment that promotes quality education, comprehensive healthcare, unwavering human rights advocacy, robust child protection measures, and the empowerment of adolescents, youth, and women. Additionally, we are at the forefront of building public knowledge and resilience around climate change. We forge strategic alliances with donor organizations that share our vision, as well as with various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) both within our nation’s borders and on a global scale. Our efforts are aimed at uplifting communities that have been historically underserved and overlooked.
At NYAF, we are committed to nurturing the potential of young people by bolstering community resilience and ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities for children and young people alike. Our initiatives extend to empowering not only adolescents and youth but also women and vulnerable groups. By collaborating closely with communities, we champion initiatives that empower them to become architects of their own development. Vision, Mission and Core Values
Improving the quality of life of children, youth, adolescents and women to reach their full potential through access to quality education and health; social and economic empowerment and advocacy interventions in a safe and supportive environment.
A society where all children, adolescents, youth and women are empowered with knowledge and skills to impact their lives and communities.
We uphold the highest standards of honesty and strong moral principles in all our actions. Integrity is the foundation of our work, ensuring that we remain trustworthy and reliable in the eyes of the youth and communities we serve. We commit to doing what is right, even when it is difficult, and to being transparent in our decision-making processes.
We believe in being accountable to our stakeholders, including the children, youth, donors, communities and partners. This means taking responsibility for our actions and decisions and being open about our operations and financial practices. Transparency fosters trust and allows us to build stronger, more effective relationships with those we serve and collaborate with.
Collaboration and mutual support are at the heart of our organization. We value the diverse skills and perspectives that each team member brings, and we work together to achieve our common goals. By fostering a culture of teamwork, we create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute to our mission.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of their background, feel respected and valued. We actively promote diversity and strive to ensure that our programs and initiatives are equitable and accessible to all youth. By embracing diversity, we enrich our organisation and enhance our ability to serve the community effectively.
We aim to empower youth and women by providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed. Empowerment involves not only supporting their personal and professional development but also encouraging them to take an active role in their communities. We believe that empowered youth are the key to creating positive, lasting change in society.
Our Approach Child-Centered Approach We recognize that the success of our work will be assessed by our ability to meet the diverse needs of children, as they pursue education and other social services. We further recognize that sometimes interventions that are intended to benefit children do not always take the collective and individual needs of children into account. Our programmes will therefore strive to put the needs and circumstances of every child at the centre, in order to make them responsive and meaningful.
Solidarity with the vulnerable Our approach is driven by human rights tenets that believe in the equal worth of humankind. The approach puts human dignity at the centre of humanitarian and development programmes to enable vulnerable communities to take control of their own development. In this respect, NYAF has a focus on the vulnerable and marginalized, specifically reaching them to address their needs and rights.
Community Stakeholder Participation We are firmly committed to deepening local ownership and leadership in the programmes that we implement. Communities, particularly the direct beneficiary groups shall actively be part of decisions relating to programme design and implementation. We are also aware that in many instances, community participation does not necessarily create the intended effect. Instead of minimizing the dominance of powerful and influential persons, it sometimes has the possibility of reinforcing unequal power positions, with the risk that benefits tend to be captured more by local elites and power brokers. Therefore, our approach to local participation will guard against this, by ensuring that special priority will be given to the representation of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the localities that we shall operate in the next five years.
Partnerships We work through partnerships, walking side-by-side with communities, local governance and partner organizations and other development partners to ensure that people who are affected most by issues are able to influence the design, implementation of policies and programmes. We partner with local and international organizations and communities to deliver our mandate.
NATIONAL YOUTH AWARENESS FORUM
It is a National Non-Government Organization working in Sierra Leone.
NYAF is a Non-Political and not-for-profit Organization.
NATIONAL YOUTH AWARENESS FORUM © 2024 All rights reserve