YouthSpark & Employability Creation Project

Introduction
The Children Care Development Organization (CCDO) Project was established in September 2013 and
has flourished and developed many initiatives since it was established.
CCDO supports local youths to start and develop their skills to help strengthen their capacity to
improve entrepreneurship. Collectively, the programs CCDO supports are Training in entrepreneurial
skills, vocational skills trainings (metal fabrication, carpentry, tailoring, saloon, ICT), Provision of
credit to those engaged in small scale business, improve the capacity of the staff of local NGOs and
CBOs and youth sport center and to run sport activities.

The project now has seven professional volunteers undertaking the project. The project has a very
experienced team of 20 local adult volunteers and a great team of junior leaders who are between 15
and 24 years.

The project has and continues striving to provide a caring professional service for the young people of
Iringa. The project believes that ‘young people are the future leaders’.

Achievements

• Improving young people’s opportunity for participation and governance.
• Improving the publicity which we gain for the Project and increasing awareness of the Project within the community.
• CCDO has also managed to engage District Executive Committee to support the project activities in the two districts
• CCDO has managed to mobilize adolescent girls in two districts to participate in the project activities
• CCDO conducted a mapping exercise to identify these structures and needs identification was conducted to understand the present capacities and identify critical gaps that require capacity building

Success stories.

MATHIAS MKALAWA GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE

Mathias is now getting the most he can out of life since CCDO Youth program helped him map out a path for his future life. Mathias says “I have hope now compared to the time before I joined the program, with ICT and entrepreneurship skills I am now able to run my issues, I managed to run a vegetable garden where I earn about Tsh.120,000 a month, it is interesting. As days keep going I am being encouraged now I plan to extend my business and after two years I will join evening classes for a certificate of business administration” The CCDO Youth program has given Mathias a brighter future by providing him with a new sense of direction and the confidence to pursue his dreams.

 

ZAWADI MBOGELLA ON TRACK TO ACHIEVING EDUCATIONAL GOALS

Zawadi is on his way to realizing his goal of reseating form four next year. The 18-year-old student was referred to the program by Mtwivila ward office in 2014. “of course I completed Form Four 2012 at Mwakavuta Secondary and I scored zero, I had no way out by then as my parents were in no position to help, I need to be educated but the group I had was not helpful always we were planning to be out of school to have business but no business we started until I was caught by police after I store a neighbors phone, they punished but I was served by ward councilor who paid for my debt and I was recommended to join the program where they have been telling and practically showing the importance of skilled activities I was motivated when I asked them to pay for a fees they accepted my application. I am back to school now, I started Form Three this year by 2015 I will sit for my Form Four exam” Zawadi says.

Zawadi now has more confidence and self-esteem after being back to school and participating in sports
through Youth Social-economic Development Centers. 

Plans for next step include;-

• Improving our support and development of our volunteers

• Promote a sense of identity with, for example, T-shirts carrying our logo and program motor
• Seek to increase our level of core funding
• Provide an opportunity for a trainee during the year

• Promote the facility as a quality venue for training courses.

Thank You to our Sponsors & Supporters 

THANK YOU to all our sponsors and supporters who have helped CCDO in the youth we serve through youth Social-economic Development project. Your contributions, small and large have sent a clear message, "youth are IMPORTANT, VALUED, and CARED for members of community." They are truly our future and your gifts are an investment in that future. We are grateful for the interest from the community and know YOU HAVE made a difference in the
lives of youth.

Every gift, no matter the size, has a real impact on our ability to prevent youth being involved in drug use, crime, and other negative situation. It also provides us the opportunity to let youth know they are valued, important members of society, reconnect them with community.

 

Conclusion
The views of the young people who participated in the Program have reached some of the key people developing policy around young people development. We have developed a way of working with young people which engages them and enables them to build up trust in the consultation process. As part of this we’ve learnt a lot about how much can be gained from involving particularly vulnerable young people in development programs.

The young people who participated have told us that this has been a great experience for them both in terms of the opportunity to influence policy and to develop new skills and confidence and the more immediate opportunities to travel to new places and work with young people from very different perspectives to their own.

This work has helped Iringa youths continue to develop its ongoing focus on youth involvement and further embed it in our future plans. Using our learning we would like to further develop this work by enabling young people to deliver something training and resources which provides solutions to some of the issues they’ve raised.