YOUTH ACTION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

1. YOUTH ACTION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

2. INTRODUCTION Youth Action for Rural Development (YARD) is a Community Based Organization in Gatanga District in Central Province of Kenya. YARD was officially registered with the government the year 2002. We are approximately 15 km to the Northwest of Thika and 55 km from Nairobi. YARD office is located at Mabanda Trading Center.

3. YARD GOAL To contribute in the improvement of quality of life for the youth and community in general for sustainable and quality livelihood through concerted efforts. OUR MISSION Contribute towards sustainable livelihood for young people and the Community through empowerment , talent utilization and capacity Building. YARD VISION A situation where young people are recognized in the society and that their talents and strengths are fully utilized for their own good and that of the community in general and hence move towards sustainable development.

4. MOTTO Working together for sustainable development CORE VALUES • Efficient service delivery for all • Transparency and Accountability • The best interest of the Community

5. OUR OBJECTIVES • To identify, develop and utilize their skills and talents for income generation (purposes) with the goal of becoming self reliant; • To become aware of sexually transmitted infections with a special emphasis in HIV/AIDS through awareness creation and campaigns; • To play a leading role in environmental rehabilitation, preservation and conservation • To improve their entrepreneurship, leadership and managerial skills to enable them run viable income generating projects; • To enhance food Security in the community through sustainable food production techniques; • To increase access to appropriate information and stimulate the exchange of valuable knowledge and experiences amongst the community members

6. Main Development Areas 1. Training and Extension • Gatanga Homebased Food Security and Nutrition • Indigenous food Project • Bio-intensive Agriculture (BIA) • Kenya UN joint Program of support on HIV/AIDS • Seeds for Africa project 2. Social Economic livelihood • Small farmers Marketing Assistance Project (SFMAP) Sustainable Entrepreneurship promotion program (SEPP) 3. Vulnerable children support program • Gatanga Integrated Home based children support project-AED/CAP KENYA • The Sherman Family foundation stewardship project • Out of Afrika (OOA) • Child fund 4. ICT • Community Resource Centre and Library • Attachment/Internship • Volunteers

7. Geographical working areas • Gatanga District • Kandara District • Thika West • Kiambu - Kikuyu Division

8. Implementation • Training and Extension • Training of farmers on Sustainable Agriculture. • Training of farmers on ecological production, processing and value addition, preservation and marketing of indigenous foods • On-Farm training on kitchen gardens, soil improvements, crop protection etc • Purchase of assorted seeds for planting/ sowing (Indigenous preferable) • HIV/AIDS Education. • Farm visits to monitor progress of the trained farmers. • Training of farmers on efficient water utilization and how to use the bucket /drip irrigation kits. • Organize and conduct field/group level training within the focal area. Purchase of bee-keeping equipments, poultry (local cockerels & eggs), rabbits and dairy goats) for Upgrading of the local goats for more milk and income and replication of small livestock e.g. rabbits • Provision of Psycho Social Support (PSS)

9. 2. Social Economic Livelihood • (Savings and Credit Project) • Group Mobilization • Training groups in entrepreneurship, leadership and management. • Organizing and conducting group monthly meetings • Marketing of farm produce • Documentation of financial transactions • Loan disbursement and loan follow-ups

10. 3. Orphans and Vulnerable Children • Sponsoring students in school through fees payment, provision of school uniform and sanitary towels for girls. • support on provision of life skill development through planned trainings • Sponsoring youth out of school in vocational training and life skills development • Training guardians on different farming techniques on sustainable agriculture and income generating activities • Training guardians of supported youth on entrepreneurial skills, managerial skills, leadership skills, business planning, business management, HIV AIDs, life skills • Disbursing information on HIV and AIDS prevention and mitigation through home visits, school visits, and training at group level. • Training of community resource persons on issues related to HIV/AIDS, provision of psychosocial support and paralegal issues

11. Information Computer Technology (ICT) • A functioning Community Resource Centre and Library in place that act as a hub for sourcing information targeting the surrounding community. • Attachment/Internship • Students from various institutions attached to respective projects for exposure. • Volunteers program Involving volunteers(both local and international) who bring a positive change in lives of the community by getting involved in YARD projects.

12. Students studying in the Gatanga Library and resource centre ICT class in session Students supported by Sherman Family Foundation Stewardship Project Schools in FS& N involved in the environmental programme

13. Food Security and Nutrition Capacity Building workshop held for group leaders Farmers workshop held by SFMAP a project within in YARD Group women making maendeleo jiko on energy conservation Group women trained on multi storey garden

14. 2.5 Total Number of Beneficiaries • FS & N - 3690 • Sherman - 360 • SEPP/SFMAP - 2113 • ICT - 79 • Gatanga Integrated Home based children - 2390 • BIA - 400 • Indigenous food project - 540 • Kenya UN joint Program of support on HIV/AIDS - 600 • Total No. Beneficiaries = 10,172

15. OUR TARGET • Youth and Children in school • Youth out of school • Guardians • OVC. • PLWHAs • Community groups-Women, men and youth groups. • Farmers

16. Collaborators/partners • Ministry of Agriculture • Ministry of Livestock and fisheries • Ministry of Gender, children and social Development • Out of Africa-Education • Presidential Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) –Education • Kilili Self help-USA Bio intensive agriculture • Ewh-Germany-Sustainable Agriculture • Christian Children’s Fund (CCF)-OVCs support • Peace Corps-Kenya-Volunteer placement • Gatanga CDF-Community resource center • Shine on.org • Aed/CAP-Kenya –OVC support/institutional strengthening. • Pelum Kenya _ Capacity building and Indigenous food project. • Amistad foundation-Livelihoods improvement. • FAO Kenya • Seeds for Africa • Slow food

17. Board of Trustees-BOT Programme Manager Programme Mgt and Technical Team Finance Administration Office Accounts Stores Finance Manager Administration manager Training & Extensions Food Security and Nutrition Indigenous Food Project Bio-Intensive Agriculture (BIA) Dept. Manager Social Economic Livelihood SFMAP/SEPP Dept. Manager Vulnerable children support program Gatanga home - Based children support project Sherman Project Dept. manager ICT Sensitization/Aware-ness Community resource centre and library Campaign ,ICT, publications Attachment/internship volunteering Communities’ i.e., farmers, schools, OVC, youth, women, smallholder farmers, small entrepreneurs, guardians YARD STRUCTURE