ProGRAMMES
Youth Focused Leadership & Mentoring Program
The key objectives of the program are to: Build the capacity of young people to be Olive champions through dialogue, hands-on learning, and mentoring; Provide an opportunity for stewardship groups as we support young people in a meaningful and long-lasting way; Establish a network of Olive champions to address youth issues in their communities; and Develop a framework for effective and meaningful youth engagement in society. We have designed the following courses to help build the capacity of young people and set them on the path to responsible adulthood: Youth Leadership Development Course – This is a 12-week training whose main objective is to build participants’ personal growth and their leadership skills. Peer Mentoring Training Course – This is a 12-week course whose purpose is to equip participants with mentoring skills that can be used among peers and those younger than themselves (older-to-younger mentees). Youth Entrepreneurial Education – This 12-week course has been designed to equip young people interested in participating in socioeconomic development with knowledge and skills that will promote entrepreneurship awareness, business creation, and/or small business development.
Youth Counselling Services
We offer the following services:
Individual counselling – Young people are encouraged to seek counselling to help them explore their feelings, beliefs, and behaviours, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired change. Counselling sessions are conducted by qualified and registered psychologists.
Group counselling – The purpose of this approach is to bring together young people experiencing similar challenges and have them benefit from one another’s support.
Basic Counselling Course – This 12-week program has been designed to equip young people interested in counselling with basic skills that will prepare them to offer social-emotional support to their peers or other members in their community. This is in response to the crisis that is now mental health in our various settings.
Youth Outreach & Partnership Program
What are the other youth spaces and how do we engage those in these spaces? Outreach through sports and creative spaces – We reach out to young people through community sports projects with tailored leadership, counselling and mentoring programs. In addition, we use music, art, dance and photography, etc. to equip them with knowledge and skills that further promote positive youth development. Partnerships – We believe in partnering and working with other like-minded individuals and organizations because “we cannot do it all.” We are therefore keen on partnering with schools, community youth groups, youth-led NGOs, among others.
Youth-Led Research & Advocacy
It is our belief that society can be made better only through the partnership of all segments of society, including young people. As an organization, we are committed to having young people participate in research on issues that affect them such as education, housing, employment, unemployment, health, recreation and human relationships. Research findings can be translated into advocacy efforts led by young people and thus provide them with opportunity for decision making, exercise authority, and influence policy.
Publication of Youth-Focused IEC Material
The objectives for publishing youth-focused IEC material are to:
- Improve access for young people to information services; Increase the provision of quality information; and
- Increase participation by young people in youth information, for example in the preparation and dissemination of information.
- Our commitment to promote access to information means that we are open to use both old and new media to ensure that we are not limited in promoting positive youth development.