Field work summary on
Youth Setting
Youth Initiative


Submitted by:
Bikina Chhetri
3rd semester


Introduction of Organization:
Youth Initiative (YI) is a pioneer youth run and youth led initiative advocates and works for youth empowerment in order to involve them as agents of positive transformation in the society. Initiated in the late 1999 and formally registered with DAO Kathmandu and SWC in April 2001, YI has evolved as a model not for profit youth organization of its kind.
Youth initiative started out as a much felt-need of a platform for young people to voice their opinions and involve themselves in issues that concerns them. Youth Initiative strongly believes that “young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but are also partners of today.” With this in mind, YI has been providing an open platform for youths to develop to their fullest potential.
Youth Initiative today is a collage of ideas and efforts of numerous young people. To achieve its vision, Youth Initiative works in various issues using different tools and interventions; from raising awareness to policy advocacy; from organizing workshops to undertaking research; from life skills development to strengthening youth politics; etc.
Each when, Youth Initiative remains as a recognized youth organization at national and international level, it is run entirely by dedicated young members and individuals who mostly commit themselves as volunteers.

Vision:
Youth Initiative envisions a situation where young people are involved, valued, respected and listened to, where they can exercise their civil liberties, and where they can develop to their fullest potential. Ultimately, the impact of Youth Initiative is to enhance the quality of life for all members of society.

Objectives:
Inform: To inform young people about the issues and affairs that concerns them through discussions, debates, dialogues, interactions, etc.
Empowers: To empower the young people to develop to their fullest potential, take part in decision making and exercise active citizenship through training, camps, capacity building, opportunities, etc.
Involves: To involve young people in all the stages of their own personal development and that of their communities through volunteering, civic engagements, advocacy, and project work, etc.

Principles:
Youth Initiative:
• Believes that young people are not just leaders of tomorrow, they are also partners of today;
• Recognizes the power, potential and the role of youths, their creativity and innovativeness;
• Believes that with right tools, skills and guidance, young people themselves are best able to identify their issues, seek solutions and take appropriate actions;
• Confides in giving appropriate opportunities to young people to bring about positive transformation in our societies;
• Deems that enough investment should be made into young people today so that they can develop to their fullest potential and hence head towards responsible and self-sufficient adulthood;
• Advocates for appropriate policies for the development and engagement of youth in all spheres of their personal and community development;
• Encourages coordination, collaboration, networking and partnership for similar causes with organizations and networks at the national, regional or global level.

Programs/Activities of Organization:
Youth Discussion Series:
Youth Discussion Series is a weekly discussion program that aims to promote discussion, debate and dialogue among young people on various issues that confronts them. Organized every Friday from 3-5 pm at resource center of Youth Initiative.
Civic Concern Workshop:
Civic Concern is a one day workshop series that aims to assess youth concerns on civic life and state and share views and ideas to promote active citizenship and civic responsibilities. Organized First Saturday of every month.
Life Skills Camps:
Life Skills Camps is a 2-3 days residential camp which aims to develop life skills (leadership, communication, decision making, self awareness, empathy, etc) among young people. Organized 4-5 times a year.
Youth Seminar:
Five days residential Youth Seminar: “Towards a Free and Responsible Society” aims to inform youths on issues of freedom and responsibility and equips them with skills to take appropriate actions. Organized 4-5 times a year.
Youth Initiative Awards:
Every year in Youth Initiative award there will be 5 young leaders with an award amounting Rs 10,000 each to help fund their leadership, entrepreneurial or social development project.
Smart Club:
Smart Club is a weekly forum for the graduates of the Youth Seminar ‘Towards a Free and Responsible Society’ and Civic Concerns’ Workshop; and other interested youths to discuss and debate on contemporary civic, political and economic issues while enhancing their leadership capabilities through different tools like public speaking, moderation, facilitation among others.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
Youth Initiative has come up with a series of programs to sensitize, activate and promote engagement of young people on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the other role they can play in achieving these important goals through various means of communication, campaigns and small youth led initiatives and projects.
Between Us:
Youth Initiative’s effort in the fight against HIV and AIDS and addressing other reproductive health concerns of young people has been packaged in the program series Between Us. Between Us focuses on changing the mindset of young people towards HIV and AIDS from a mere medical issue to a broader social issue. With its varied nature and engaging programs like workshops, campaigns and other outreach activities young people are best involved in this cause.
Other programs:
Research and Publications, Moon Camp, Humanitarian Programs etc.

Funding organizations: DANIDA, Search for Common Ground and Asian Bank.


Introduction of the Trainee:
The trainee’s name is Ms. Bikina Chhetri. She is a student of BSW (Bachelor in Social work) 3rd semester. She is placed in Youth Initiative at Shantinagar which is a NGO working for youths. As the trainee is also a youth she felt the perception of youth and worked very properly with the group of youth who were the part of Youth Initiative.
The trainee as a social work student participated in different programs initiated by Youth Initiative, helped in organizing some programs and also initiated an orientation class on ‘Reproductive Health and Youth.’ The trainee helped to empower the youth from the program and also empowered herself.
As a social work student, the trainee applied the theoretical knowledge into practical which helped to contribute her learning and develop personally and professionally.

Objectives of the Trainee:
 To know about the organization.
 To know about the issues of youths.
 To know about on-going programs of the organization.
 To develop personally and professionally.
 To built the rapport with the staff members and with the youths.
 To participate in the program initiated by the organization.
 To initiate effective programs for youth.
 To visit different organizations, which is working for youths.
 To apply theoretical knowledge into practice.
 To work in collaboration with staffs and volunteers.

Activities of the trainee:
Activity no.1:
Organized a program on ‘Reproductive Health and Youth’
The trainee organized one day orientation class on ‘Reproductive Health and Youth.’ The trainee organized this program with collaboration with FPAN (Family Planning Association Nepal) and Youth Initiative. There were 18 participants altogether from different fields.
Objective of the activity:
1. To empower the youths through the knowledge of Reproductive Health.
2. To increase relation between FPAN and Youth Initiative.
3. To know about the issue of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Learning:
1. The trainee learned how to organize the program.
2. The trainee learned about the issue of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
3. The trainee learned about CSE (comprehensive Sexuality Education) and ‘HIV and AIDS.’
4. The trainee learned that youths are more vulnerable groups in society.

Activity no.2:
Participated on the workshop program on HIV and AIDS.
The trainee participated on the workshop program on HIV and AIDS organized by ‘Between Us’ (an ongoing program of Youth initiative) at ‘PIC Hall, Heritage Plaza, Putalisadak’ on 29th January 2009.
Objective of the activity:
1. To empower the youths through the knowledge of HIV and AIDS.
2. To develop personally.
3. To make interaction among the participants.
4. To make reflection with people living with HIV and AIDS and people of Blue Diamond Society.
Learning:
1. The trainee learned about the impact of HIV and AIDS, the mode of transmission, the difference between HIV and AIDS.
2. The trainee learned about the life of the people who are HIV infected and the people who is known as transgender, homosexual and bisexual.
3. The trainee learned that HIV and AIDS can be termed as a social issue more than a health issue.
4. The trainee learned about policy, advocacy and youth.


Activity no.3:
Worked for promotion of concert organized by Youth Initiative:
The theme of the concert was ‘Youth against Violence’. The trainee worked for the promotion of the concert in which the trainee paste the posters of the concert and distributed flyers in different places like Baneswor, Anamnagar, Shantinagar, Chabahil and Putalisadak. The trainee also went to meet different celebrities like Dibya Subba, Bharat Sitawla, Sugarika K.C, Ramkumari Jhakri and Nirnaya to take their photos for the slideshow of the concert.
Objective of the activity:
1. To aware youth about the negative impact of violence.
2. Fund raising.
3. To suggest the youths to do the strike in a proper manner i.e. by not hampering the property of the state.
Learning:
1. The trainee learned that youth are very much involved in violence.
2. The trainee learned that it is really very difficult to do promotion of concert.
3. The trainee learned that some youths are towards the violence and some are against the violence.
4. The trainee also learned that except some celebrities all of them were cooperative and friendly.



Activity no.4:
Participated in discussion series:
The trainee participated in Youth Discussion Series (YDS) in which there was discussion on different topics like tax, discrimination, politics, culture, Valentine’s Day and many more.
Objective of the activity:
1. To involve the youths.
2. To empower the youths by interaction with each other.
3. To make youths know about the contemporary issues in society.
Learning:
1. The trainee learned about the different issues of society.
2. The trainee learned about the role of youths I each issue.