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"Building our Communities, Building our Nation: Youth in Development"

A Learning and Experience Sharing Public Forum

Expression of Interest

1.0 Brief Background

The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), under the auspices of the Youth Development Programme in collaboration with other partners is hosting a three-day Learning & Experience Sharing Forum in June 2009.  This event provides the platform for youth-led initiatives to demonstrate their positive initiatives in contributing to the national development agenda.

Specifically, those youth-led organizations involved in non-enterprise, non-profit making social investment projects and programmes within their communities that may involve, among many others, activities on life skills, promoting leadership development, environmental management, sports, theatre, arts, cultural activities, promotion of volunteering and community service, agri-based initiatives, food security, peace building, capacity building, advocacy for specific causes, address governance issues and promote youth civic engagement, creative/innovation other health awareness & prevention interventions or economic empowerment programmes.

2.0 Expected Outcomes

The outcomes of the Event are:

1. Youth-led organizations share lessons of implementation, including best practice models for successful projects;

2. Youth-led organizations forge direct links and partnerships with development partners;

3. Contribute to the development of a databank of mat erials, reports, and best practice case studies of youth-led initiatives country-wide; and

4. Agree on a minimum harmonization framework for value-adding and synchronized engagement between youth initiatives, between development partners supporting youth-led development and between youth-led initiatives and development partners.

3.0 Submit nominations

(a) Please nominate a youth-led organization that has demonstrated exemplary achievements in implementing projects consistently, at community level that have touched and transformed the lives of young people specifically and the target community in general over several years.  Be invited to participate in the Dialogue sessions and/or exhibit your organization and work.  The nominations submission deadline is April 27 2009

(b) Individuals interested in making a presentation at the Forum on issues of youth-led development based on their experience or research. Please submit a concise 1 page synopsis of the topic for presentation and discussion.  The submission deadline is April 27 2009 Criteria for Nomination

§      Youth-led organizations at least 80% of the leadership is under 35 years.

§      Organization mission includes: empowering youth and allows them a significant role in organizational and/or project leadership positions.

§      Organization activities reach out to the community within which it operates. And coordinate activities that directly benefit youth.

§      Youth are involved directly in project development/conceptualization, planning and implementation.

§      Organization's projects are in line with local, regional and/or national development agenda as included in such documents as the District Development, Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plan, National Development Plan, Economic Recovery Strategy, or sectoral policy plans such as health, environmental conservation, food security, arid lands or pastoralist development, among others.  These must be specified in the nomination.

§      Include commendation from Governmental or non-governmental partner organization(s) that have provided material, financial or technical support.

The organization should demonstrate that the activities are well planned and executed, responsive to community priorities and/or issues that affect young people

Advance Logistical Arrangements

Kindly indicate whether the organization would be willing and able to participate in the national forum on 4 - 6 June 2009 in Nairobi .  Individuals representing the organization are expected to meet their own travel costs to Nairobi . The costs of meals and accommodation while in Nairobi will be catered for by the event organizers.

Additional infor mat ion will be made available as part of the confirmation process.

Please provide complete details about the organization and its achievements, as indicated in this form and send it to KCDF by e-mail Vijana@kcdfoundation.org or to P.O Box 10501 - 00100 to the Chief Executive Officer, before 27 April 2009. 

The application will be reviewed before the organization's can be participation confirmed.

Target

Please note that we aim to invite 100 exemplary youth-led organizations to participate in exhibiting at the Forum and also to participate in the Dialogue Sessions, between youth organizations and with other stakeholders, including development partners, Government agencies and financial institutions in support of youth-led development. 

Benefits of Participation for the youth groups:

i; Exposure to broader audience, to showcase their work and contributions to development in your community and nation-building;

ii; Opportunity to network with like-minded youth groups (by sector or activities implemented) and draw lessons of best practice;

iii; Opportunity to access a 12 month grant of between KShs 700,000 and KShs 1, 400,000 (or US$10,000 and US$20,000) to at least three organizations best ranked by participants to the Forum and the general public; and

iv; Opportunity to receive institutional development support, valued at approximately Kshs 300,000 to at least three organizations best ranked by participants to the Forum and the general public.