Let’s walk the talk of S2C

By Gabriel Ofori Appiah, Ghana YMCA

Fellow citizens

It is a new season and a new day has risen and a star has shone…

The movie ‘Night John’, based on a novel by Gary Paulsen, tells the story of citizen transformation. Paulsen wrote that “Words are freedom”. The movie recounts the triumphant story of a 12-year-old slave called Sarny whose job was to serve at the label. When Night John, the new slave, arrives he teaches Sarny to read and write - a crime punishable by death. Actually, the slaves were being cheated and misused by their white masters because they were illiterate and did not know their rights. Sarny’s transformation, with the help of Night John, helped the slaves realise that were subjects. The letters and words of Night John proved to be freedom for the slaves. From this movie, it is clear that we need to know our rights before we can be successfully transformed from subject to citizen and that words (education) play an important role in this.

It takes a new start to keep a clear eye towards life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature; what you are in His sight is what you are and nothing less. Then as Subject to Citizen, we must agree to voice out justice and freedom for the oppressed. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received. We leave behind fading symbols of honour and trappings of power. And you takeonly what you have given: a fully enriched life with honesty, love, sacrifice and courage. So let’s walk the talk of S2C.

Let us climb these rungs on the ladder of success:

• PREPARE PRAYERFULLY

• PROCEED POSTIVELY

• PURSUE PERSISTENTLY and justice will arise in our homes, societies, regions and a country as a whole.

As Ambassadors, I believe we will spark the brain that will change the world, thus causing something to start or develop suddenly.

The words of Steve Biko ring clear for us in our S2C journey. He was the founder of the Black Consciousness movement, an anti-apartheid activist and he died for freedom in his country… a brutal death in detention. He said:

“It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is, if you realise that the only vehicles for change are these people who have lost their personality. The first step therefore is to make the black man come to himself; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth.”

We are called for the Renaissance of Africa.

We are moving forward, we stand for the African Renaissance, S2C fire is burning, no shaking!

Taking my right position to change my YMCA

By Wamukoya John Baptister

Kenya YMCA has taken up the challenge of engaging young people to re-awaken their participation. This was proved when over 72 youth gathered for the inaugural youth convention at the National Camp from 3-6 Dec 2009 in Naivasha, Kenya.

Being the first of its kind, the concept ‘From Subject to Citizen’ come in handy as a way of enlightening this great future.

We used a similar methodology to that we did at the Youth Summit. Anthony and I took them through crises identification to come up with possible ways of countering these crises. The youth were really excited to realize that it is through advocacy and awareness, that they can claim their rightful space and use their voice and ability to help youth in this country.

Advocacy came out as the best approach, but for a start the youth agreed to create awareness at their respective branches. This was agreed after they watched the Kenya Burning documentary from the Summit.

After four days of a journey of discovery, the youth adopted this concept and unanimously agreed to keep the fire burning. Out of the 78 young people, 64 youth during the evaluation commented this approach was the only way to change the face of YMCA and Kenya. “I thought and always believed that we young people can not change this society but now I know and believe that it is me to change first,” said Diana of Nairobi branch.

 As a mean of commitment, young people selected 12 focal persons who will be the link people to various branches. They will monitor the Kenya progress, and we will also have branch and regional follow ups by the ambassadorship team.

And this is the way to move forward!

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Fire

(In the photo above, Anthony is facilitating the advocacy session)

Resolutions… how are we moving forward?

By David Ngosa, Zambia YMCA

I wish to send my greetings to you all as we go towards Christmas and the new year 2010. We just have a month before we say goodbye to 2009. When I was thinking last night, I asked myself what I think I have achieved in the 11 months of this year. The answer was very difficult to find I can assure you, but am still hoping to find the answer soon.

Well, getting to my question now "S2C - IN WHICH DIRECTION?". Yes we all agreed at the Summit to be moving in a certain direction which, in principle, is forward! forward! But the question again is how we are moving forward? Is it face front or front face? I hope you understand this because myself I am grappling with it.  Many other issues like this, we find hard to understand and this is why I even failed to find the answer to my question last night.

My wish for S2C/Ambassadors

My greatest wish for the S2C is that we should reach a point where the community will recognise us as the weapon of Change from Subject to Citizen. I wish that the candle can burn brighter and brighter every day like a star. All over Africa and the world people are seeing us on the internet… listening to what we are saying about the young people in our different countries. I therefore believe that we have a lot of power through documenting our work and making sure that we are known for the good works we are doing. Indeed, some may not agree that we are doing great works for the movement and also the Kingdom of God - but yes, we are.

My dear brothers and sisters, time is now! Let us all choose to move forward and see transformation in the young people. I choose not to make standards for anyone, but I will be very happy if as we make plans and resolutions for the year 2010, we don't forget about the S2C. This is a new baby we have as the YMCA family and we need to show lots of love for it to grow even stronger. Think about which life you want to touch. Is it a street child, a suffering widow, a youth that is a victim of bad politics, an orphaned child or perhaps your own life?  

Oh my God!!! I have too much appetite for a society free of violence, HIV/AIDS and unemployment. This is my dream and our dream should be more powerful as Citizens and Ambassadors. I love my people and I know you do.

May our God that gave us the knowledge to move forward with S2C and bless us.

Amen!!!!

Message of reflection – Africa YMCA Youth Summit 2009

By Reginald Ffoulkes Crabbe, Africa Alliance Youth Committee Member

Fellow Citizens!

Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the Africa Alliance Youth Committee to congratulate you all for buying into this agenda dubbed “From Subject to Citizen”.

While we need to understand the past in order to diligently engage with the present and envision the future, we must not allow the diversionary tactic of reactionary people to condemn us to mere rhetoric and static or indeed retrogressive life. The commitment of ourselves to the agenda of finding a voice for a new generation of youth across ethnicity and religious creed of our continent and pursuing the amplification of that voice for the purpose of the Africa’s rebirth is already well established. It is evident by our interest, commitment and enthusiasm as indicated by our representation and participation during the summit in Ethiopia.

Brothers and sisters, I dare say, we are one further step in the march towards the glory ahead.  

We live and learn. We have a duty to educate ourselves to recognise and critically appreciate the roles we have and are playing. Our people especially, the young people must be made aware that they in fact carry their destinies in their own hands under the present ecological dispensation.

This transition ladies and gentlemen is only the beginning of a long and tedious journey and we must recognise it as such and prepare adequately for the battle to defend our hard-won status of citizenship. There are obstacles that will remind us constantly to dedicate and rededicate our energies time and time again until the total rebirth of our continent and countries is achieved.

Fellow citizens, I urge you all to take this agenda very seriously. The mission of seeing a new Africa with citizens is in our vision of empowering those we co-exist with for the African renaissance.

This is an immersion programme aimed at giving us the platform to understand the realities of real self and wishful self. Be reminded that, we will periodically assess the extent to which we have come in this struggle.

Change doesn't come cheaply. It comes with a price. What price are we paying to see the change we want to have?

As actors of change, we always need to be very conscious of our efforts to the course ahead. We need to be philosophical in our thinking and everything. We need to share in the same philosophy. Remember "I believe" in our CREED. When was the last time you reflected on it?

This is what we want to do for our communities, this is what we want to do for our countries, this is what we want to do for mother Africa.

Compatriots, let us join hands in our commitment to rebuild Africa. Let us determine to move past the issues that have bedeviled our commitment and practices as members, leaders and potential leaders of this our noble organisation. Let us move past the policies that crippled the progress of our association.

Let us boldly commit ourselves to the radical socio-economic and political transformation of the continent where there is justice, equity and the protection of the fundamental rights and minority rights of the citizenry.

We can do it.

We have the vision.

We have the will and commitment.

Once again, on behalf of the Africa YMCA Youth Committee and the YMCA fraternity in Africa I wish us all well and God’s blessings. May our Association grow from strength to strength even as it repositions itself for the African Renaissance.

Zambia YMCA has already adopted S2C!

By David Ngosa

I wish to share with you that the theme for Zambia YMCA AGM "The youth moving from Subject to Citizen through economic empowerment" was drawn from the S2C concept and Summit learnings. The President of the Africa Alliance of YMCAs was guest of honour at the event.

The Zambia YMCA leadership responded so well to the S2C concept was adopted and we are incorporating it to our 2010 Annual Operating Plan as one of the main activities that will be done. The AGM actually recommended that the Kenya Burning DVD be made available to all the local associations in Zambia so that we can use it to train/sensitise the young people. So this was also adopted as one of the tools that Zambia YMCA will use in training the young people, especially on civic engagement.  

Zambia is preparing for elections in 2011, and this is another reason why the leadership felt that our young people need to see the Kenya burning and that they need to be educated further on the S2C so that they are empowered.

The plan is for me to travel around the YMCA's in Zambia to share the S2C more detailed.

For us in Zambia, the journey has started and we shall not go back at all. I wish to encourage you all to work even better than ever before, because the response we received from the members in Zambia is more than I thought it would be. It was amazing, especially as we had the media present at this event.

Nakuru YMCA in Kenya leading from front

By Wamukoya Baptister John Kenya YMCA

I want to share with you my experience delivering the S2C Concept to the Inter Church Youth for Peace Forum on 17 Nov 2009…

We began this process early this year when the information from the AA reached the branch about S2C. Youth who were energised about the concept participated in the baseline survey as enumerators, but back then we didn’t have much information on the subject to citizen process. The participation in the S2C summit in Addis has opened my mind and I believe that youth are hungry for new ideas, new leadership and new kinds of interventions that directly address their thorny issues – issues that affect them and that they feel passionate about, such as lack of jobs, sporting facilities, youth-friendly programmes and poor social support. My belief has since seen us earn the confidence and trust from Africa Alliance for being the lead change makers through the concept of from subject to citizen.

In the Rift Valley we continue to enjoy a strong partnership with government agents and youth-friendly organisations. Their support enables us to stretch our potential and scale-up our capacity to address challenges facing young people through innovative approaches such as peer-led discussions, focus group discussions and community theatre sessions. These partners continue to support us through capacity building development in different trainings, they participate in our activities and offer moral support all towards the wellbeing of a young person.

I am convinced that when we are always together, our voices are more powerful than any epidemic known to man. And that’s how we will change this community. One life at a time, its time for Nakuru YMCA to lead from the front in the most unsettled region, which is politically and ethnically fractured with leaders who only mind about themselves.

With all the resources and skills we have from the Youth Summit in Addis Ababa, we the young people must stand up and find something to die for. We need to become leaders who are courageous, sacrifice and make difficult but informed choices by

• Increasing our knowledge and skills to practice what we believe and value     
• Improving attitudes towards citizen mind and youth development in our surrounding community through a focused approach.

Henceforth, citizenship must actively take its rightful place among leaders so we make the necessary lifestyle changes to ensure a brighter common future for Kenya and Africa.

After my two activities since I left the Summit, I have an incredible passion and belief that we can indeed change the youth in my community. But as I leave the centre stage of my one hour s2c presentation, I hold a number of beliefs that our heros will only be those young men and women who can stand up for what they believe and value and move forward assertively.

Citizens what do you think?

My first S2C activity back home… the journey begins

By Wamukoya Baptister John Kenya YMCA

My first S2C activity was a meeting on 8 November 2009 with the Nakuru YMCA Kenya Branch youth who participated in the baseline survey as enumerators (see Africa Alliance website for details), along with other youth. I presented the S2C model embraced at the summit to these 27 youth.

They were very engaged when I took them through simple steps of advocacy as a mean of creating awareness on issues that deny the youth space, voice and ability to influence in the community.

The participation from the youth towards this issue made me see the hope that we as YMCA need to have towards transformative action.

The best example the youth gave that involves advocacy approaches is when handling Work for Youth, a government programme locally known as Kazi kwa Vijana. Most of the YMCA youth participated locally and as they had not been paid their dues this had forced them to demonstrate at some point to demand for their “right” which they didn’t get. As they put it: kazi kwa vijana pesa kwa waze - youth work but old guards get paid.

As a way forward, the youth accepted to apply these advocacy steps and during the upcoming youth con-vocation (on 3-6 December, to share the findings and feelings as we embark on advocacy approaches as a mean of creating a wider awareness in Kenya YMCA family.

African youth claiming their space, influencing for positive transformation

Hi all, below are excerpts from a wrap-up article on the Summit that you will find on the Africa Alliance website: www.africaymca.org ...

A new breed of African youth leaders is emerging through African YMCAs – youth willing to stand up as citizens in their countries and our continent… The Summit focused on building the civic competence of youth participants to enable personal leadership development which is rooted in community responsibility and action…

“The transformation involved us gaining both subjective and actual competence, to emerge as the first group of S2C Ambassadors. These ambassadors will be held accountable for the roll-out of the S2C throughout the youth movement in the YMCA and for continuous personal development,” said Reginald Ffaulkes Crabbe from Ghana YMCA, and a member of the Africa Alliance youth committee.

Samukele Ngubane from South Africa said, “The methodology was very empowering. We were challenged at an individual and group level to look beyond the crises that youth face and really dig into the root causes. Some of those we identified included crisis of identity and self-esteem, superficial spirituality, lack of drive and purpose, and a poverty mentality as well as a ‘no choice’ mentality where we just focus on problems and not opportunities. Of course, this feeds directly into our beliefs and values as youth that we are inferior, victims, have a dependency syndrome and an individualistic attitude.”

This is a huge move forward in modeling how youth view and respond to the challenges in our leadership and our programme offerings in Africa – one that looks at root causes instead of results or effects.

“We were able to make a clear link between our development as individual leaders and institutional leadership development. We all set personal goals, which then fed into action plans that we made to roll out the S2C model on a practical level in our movements across Africa. We are also guided by the Summit Creed which binds us together and to our commitment going forward,” explained Maryse Coly from Senegal.

A major goal of the Summit is for YMCAs in Africa to play a stronger role in advocacy to create more citizens with voice, space and ability to influence.

David Ngosa from Zambia said, “Our key focus over the next year is to develop as many of our youth as possible to a level of S2C Ambassadorship. The belief in ourselves now is the basis of our civic competence, and this has been enhanced with hard skills we learnt such as those of advocacy. We are confident we will be able to begin to positively influence decision making processes and policy formation in favour of us as youth. At the same time, we are developing ourselves as future leaders for Africa.”

Participants set goals going forward

Some of the goals set at the Summit are:


• Increase awareness of S2C – the concept, process and expected outcomes – at all levels from local branches to Africa Alliance. Use all opportunities to talk about S2c – exec meetings, youth meetings etc.

• National movements to adopt/endorse S2C as the core youth empowerment model, and align strategic plans to the S2C concept.

• Training for S2C Ambassadors, through a developed curriculum and certification process.

• YMCAs to play a stronger role in advocacy to create more citizens with voice, space and ability to influence.

• Create strategic alliances with other organisations of similar mindsets.

What’s yuh position?

Funky t-shirts, a get-down song and music DVD, dog-tags, cool wrist bands, crazy design bags… these are the tools used in YMCA HIV/AIDS advocacy in Trinidad and Tobago.

To address the increase in HIV in the 15-29 year age group, the YMCA developed a social marketing campaign to appeal to the youth. Gleeson Job led a session where he shared the success of this campaign. He is from the YMCA of Trinidad and Tobago and is presently at the World Alliance of YMCAs on the young professional programme.

‘Sexposition what yuh position” was a campaign developed to educate young people about HIV and AIDS, condom use and safe sex etc. “Mr Moosak” and Gleeson wrote a song and produced a music video which was used to send the message of the campaign to the target audience. It was developed by discussing what young people wanted and what appealed to them. The song got very popular and was played on the local radio stations, in parties and events and in several other countries in the Caribbean. The video was played on MTV Tempo and was in high rotation on the local music television station countdown were it was number 3 on the list.

Young people had no access to condoms in several communities and when they did go buy them, were often intimidated by the sellers. This real cool ‘Got it? Get it’ campaign was developed by ( PSI) Population Services International . The focus was to increase the availability of condoms for young people throughout the Caribbean region. The YMCA became a local partner in this initiative in which they were able to work with distributors to sensitise them and get them involved. Over 3 000 outlets in the last few years have been sensitised on providing condoms to young people at a reduced price. The logo of the campaign showed youth which outlets sold condoms and were youth-friendly in their approach.

During the Sex Education Caravan tours and community road shows in areas of high HIV prevalence, youth were enticed by the music and vibe. After one-on-one sessions with YMCA members, youth were given t-shirts with awesome designs. The info pouch with off-the-wall designs really appealed to youth – inside these was information about HIV. Branded dog tags also proved popular. Testing was provided onsite.

The idea was that after the one-on-one session, people would be able to go out with their cool gear and when asked about the t-shirt or bag etc, they would be able to tell others about HIV/AIDS and the YMCA. Youth started coming to the YMCA to find out about the exciting campaign.

The “Sexposition” campaign was supplemented by school initiatives, posters, radio and TV publicity for full saturation.PSI, S.Concepts, Family Planning Association, Red Cross, The National AIDS Coordinating Committee got on board and endorsed and supported the campaign.

The campaigns have contributed to the stabilisation of HIV prevalence in Trinidad and Tobago and are documented as a best practice according to UNDP. For more info please contact:
Gleeson Job at gleeson@ymca.int or gleesonjob@hotmail.com

Reading of gender injustice in the Bible

We had three Contextual Bible Studies and the last one looked at the story of Tamar, 2 Samuel ch 13 v1 -22. It was very interesting to be a part of and experience the reactions of both the male and female participants. Our young men and women are clearly alive to the effects of gender injustice, and the importance of one having and using their voice, and having the ability to influence. I am glad the planned Transformative Masculinity initiative is one of the interventions/ programmes by the Africa Alliance of YMCA, through the Subject to Citizen concept.

Mutale Chanda
National Youth Chairperson
Zambia YMCA

4rm da S - 2 - da - C

Summit Creed being sung in rap version :)

Youth Summit Creed

Now I have a choice
I trust in God
I have a purpose
I pursue my purpose
I believe I can
I stand up for what I believe
I take responsibility
I take action
I am a citizen
I move forward x 3
For the African Renaissance

Maintenant j’ai le choix!
Je crois en Dieu!
J’ai un but!
J’atteins mon but!
Je crois que je peux!
Je prends position pour mes convictions!
Je prends mes responsibilities!
Je m’engage!
Je suis un citoyen!
Je vais de l’avant! (3x)
Pour la Renaissance Africaine!

We are at the Summit!

Today we reached the Summit!!!

We have looked our sorrows and shames straight in the eye. We’ve analysed crises and their root causes discussed our beliefs and values and looked at advocacy tools.

We choose now to turn our backs on focusing on problems. We have decided that ‘we don’t want’, ‘we cannot’ and other such ways of thinking are left behind now. We realised that if we keep saying ‘we don’t want to be subjects’, we may stay within the subject mindset.

So now… we say ‘ we ARE citizens’, ‘we do want’, ‘we will change this particular thing’.

This is empowerment for us.

Youth taking up advocacy

We had a really experiential advocacy session where we learnt about tools and how to influence for positive change in our countries and in the continent.

Daniel Ceesay, from The Gambia wrote:

When it comes to advocacy, it is like putting your own feelings into practical aspects to make a difference in your society and community or nation as a whole. The only way you can make a difference using advocacy is when you have the voice and you are able to create a space to influence people in authority to take action towards your problems that you as young people are encountering.

After a day of training on advocacy this is what we think:

“Strategic thinking and positioning and a clearer organized way to do advocacy”

“Advocacy is a process that takes thought a clear head”

“With unity and change of mind we can make a change”

“Citizenship begins in the minds of individuals and this can be manifested into action”

“Le debut de la renaissance”

“We have a role to play in changing our world…now!”

“It is my role to take up the challenge”

“It’s not about you it’s about me.”

“I am ready to make a change”

“If you have nothing to die for, then you have nothing to live for… it is our time”

“Recognize the power you have as a young people and most importantly learn how to use it influence to make a positive change”

“If as young people we cannot change the world for ourselves, then we should do it for our children and their children… for the coming generations.”

Governments and youth need to work together

The Youth Summit has highlighted the crises that affect the African youth in general. It provides the tools and skills the youth need to advocate for their empowerment and development for good governance in Africa.


I call on all governments to give the youth and the YMCA the needed support and cooperation that will bring about holistic youth empowerment and the African Renaissance: turning the youth from ‘subjects’ to ‘citizens’.

-- Alson C Armah, Liberia YMCA

The African Youth Charter - Now We Know

So now we know about the African Youth Charter.

Dr Raymonde Agossou came and told us all about . We know she has done amazing work advocating for the rights of the young people and to get the Charter accepted and ratified by so many of our governments. The Charter states we have a right to particpation at the highest level, that we have rights that protect us against the many crises we have discussed this week such as unemployment, HIV/AIDS, Migration, education and bad governance.

We now know about our responsibilitites in the Charter too. And we know we are now challenged to take these on too, as citizens.

We know some of our countries have ratified it but that we also know we are nowhere  near enjoying the rights it says

We also know that will only remain as useful as the paper booklets were handed unless we tell other young people about it and the power it could have, and unless we, collectivley, advocate and hold our governments to account.

So click this link, print it out and tell people

Reflections on site visits

After the site visits on African Youth Day, we did a reflection session, looking at some key questions:

What is the role of a peer educator?
• Show love
• Mentor
• Provide leadership
• Person who connects those who have knowledge and those who don’t
• Role model that can block out negatives
• To be a tour guide for lifestyle
• Give direction and psychological support

What do OVCs represent?
• Hope
• Represent purpose of YMCA existence
• Poverty
• Development challenges
• Bad leadership
• Mirror of our failures

What are the YMCA’s biggest assets?
• Power to influence
• Information sharing
• Youth as assets
• ‘Us’

Ethiopia site visits on African Youth Day

On African Youth Day, participants at the Youth Summit went on site visits to YMCA Addis Ketema and Urael branches and to the YWCA. We interacted with peer educators and they told of their training, work and impact in the communities through peer education. We looked at the vocational training being offered. A particular project was highlighted – ADVANCE (AIDS Volunteerism and Civic Action).

The Ethiopia YMCA is partnering with YMCA of the USA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ethiopia Mission.

With a focus on peer leaders and orphans and vulnerable children, the project includes:

• Extensive outreach
• Creation of youth-friendly services
• Community mobilisation
• Training
• Resource mobilisation

We were struck by the hope and happiness, the smiles and laughter and a sense of belonging. This in the context of the harsh realities of what appears to be under-resourced buildings.