Young Africa International (HQ)

Founded in the Netherlands in 1998 Young African (YA) currently operates in 5 countries as a confederation of independently and locally registered affiliated organizations. Each Affiliate operates TVET centres, youth (self-)employment programmes and community activities in a total of 9 centres.

The vision of YA is a world of equality and shared wealth where the power of young people is channelled to transform the world around them. The mission of YA is the integral development of underprivileged youths aged 15 to 35 years with a special focus on young women and youths with disabilities. YA does this through imparting to youth skills of the hands to make them self-reliant, skills of the heart and mind to help them live with dignity and skills of the soul to help them live with a purpose.

The integral approach to youth development is based on the conviction that for young people to reach their full potential, they have to develop holistically. This is why Life Skills  Education, Entrepreneurship Training, work readiness, psychosocial support services and talent development in sport and art are integrated with YA vocational training courses. Since 2001, YA International and its Affiliates have managed to graduate successfully over +50,000 economically, socially and educationally disadvantaged youths.

YA’s core business is thus essential skills training for employability and entrepreneurship, delivered through an innovative franchise business model (FBM) (UNEVOC-UNESCO endorsed best practice training model). The sustainable integral approach addresses the multi-dimensional nature of development needs (i.e. economic, social and emotional) of young people in a highly synchronized way. Young people receive on-the-job vocational training (70% practical, 30% theory), Life Skills  Education, work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship training. As part of complementary courses, that are an integral part of all vocational training at YA, students also receive digital literacy and English lessons. YA also promotes talent in sport and art among young people. YA’s uniqueness is essentially in the two innovative concepts: the Franchise Business Model and the Integral approach to youth development. The YA FBM ensures the financial sustainability of its centres, the opportunity for on the job exposure to trainees, availability of local entrepreneurial role models, and participation of YA centres in the local economy as well as a cost-efficient alternative to traditional cost-intensive TVET. YA Int. as its coordination centre builds the capacity of local teams and hand over the training centres to local management when they are well capacitated for it.