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YUVA (Youth United in Voluntary Action)

YUVA is a Mauritius-based non-government organisation (NGO) which was established in February 2015. The organisation works with people living under the poverty threshold; and is active in four service areas: education, health, empowerment and employment. Their work focusses on children and youth, putting these groups at the centre of local and international humanitarian and development initiatives. YUVA is an acronym for Youth United in Voluntary Action.

Background
The organisation was founded by Krishna Athal; who is also its current executive director. YUVA is the largest youth-led NGO in Mauritius and Africa and it has adopted national and international policies, which ensure the ethical and lawful governance of the organisation. Their head office is in the heart of Port Louis, Mauritius’ capital city and the centre of the country's economic, cultural and political activity.

YUVA members are not limited to a single demographic or religion. People from any age group contribute; suggesting that youth is defined as feeling young in spirit.

Work and initiatives
YUVA’s programmes are classified into four interconnected pillars, namely: education, health, empowerment and employment. These are said to break the cycle of poverty. The NGO prescribes to a decentralised model for social development and programme implementation by collaborating with volunteers and other groups on projects.

They also provide strategic advice focussing on volunteerism and civic engagement in social, economic and political development programmes.

Education
YUVA’s education initiatives focus on reducing dropout and absenteeism rates; providing learning materials and free private tuition; and ultimately, promoting quality education in different levels of young people’s schooling careers. They have distributed school supplies to primary and secondary school children from disadvantaged families. Under the YUVA Leadership Academy, Mauritian citizens apply to attend face-to-face courses about sex education, social change and entrepreneurship. Full scholarships were also awarded to eight young people for a Diploma in Community Services Work from the Charles Telfair Institute.

Health
Health initiatives include educating young people about healthy diets and habits. Various programmes for school children have been designed to promote active lifestyles including participating in sport. YUVA has distributed plants, largely for medicinal purposes, across the country’s nine districts for disease prevention. They have also contributed to the National Diabetes Education Programme, organising blood donation and medical camps around the country.

Empowerment
YUVA’s empowerment-oriented programmes are geared towards leadership, teamwork and building confidence among youth. The YUVA Leadership Academy is a social entrepreneurship initiative that charges a minimal cost for the educational programmes then uses the funds raised to support local communities living below the poverty line. Courses offered at the academy include: a Certificate in Leadership For Social Change, a Certificate in The Entrepreneurial Mindset and a Certificate in Moral, Civic & Sex Education. Members of the public also submit their ideas for social initiatives to the organisation which could improve the standards of living of children and young people in Mauritius.

Employment
Through employment-focussed programmes, YUVA develops technical skills and prepares youth for the workplace. In the aim to curb Mauritius’ high unemployment, the organisation collaborated with the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) to host workshops during which young women and school leavers registered for the National Skills Development Programme (NSDP).

Awards
YUVA walked away with the Africa NGO Leadership Award in 2017 and 2018 at the Africa Leadership Awards. The annual ceremony recognises and rewards the exemplary work of organisations based throughout the continent. The organisation was the runner up for the Best Practice Award at the 2017 – 2018 SADC Protocol@Work Summits and Awards.