Africa-Press – Seychelles. A new non-governmental organisation – YES (Youth Empowerment Seychelles) – was launched by the youth, for the youth, on January 31, 2023.
Chairperson and founder, Benjamin Port-Louis, said it was his interest in current global youth affairs and the issues the youths in Seychelles face that led him to create the organisation.
“I saw that the youth needed support and needed to be given the chance to show their qualities, with outside-of-the-box thinking and innovative ideas. I feel it is time that the youths of Seychelles have their voices heard, and play an open and active role in the development of Seychelles,” said Mr Port-Louis.
In fact, that sentiment is shared by all members of YES.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) constitution clearly states that their goal is to strengthen youth’s lives by connecting them with viable opportunities for a sustainable generation embedded in the spirit of peace, unity and justice, be it in relation to employment, health, education, skills, innovation, agriculture, talent, sustainability and capacity building.
Comprising young, skilled professionals, who have already shown resilience in the face of adversity, and understand the hardships the younger feel when navigating the systems in place, YES hopes to be dynamic and modern in their approach, providing a vehicle towards changing negative social stereotypes, cultural obstacles, and/or legislation affecting the freedom and rights of any youth.
Already they have several scholarships, both Bachelor’s and Master’ on offer, and anyone interested to apply can query at [email protected], as well as having begun a variety of projects for the upcoming year, including those that incorporate vocational, educational, awareness, sport, environmental and even animal welfare aspects.
Additionally, the NGO incorporates advisory members from other generations, to help bridge the generational gap and provide viewpoints from different perspectives. One such member, Marie-Antoinette Chow, believes that this provides a fantastic opportunity to share her knowledge acquired and wisdom remembered to help youth awaken their innate power within.
“This creates the space and direct access to give our youths the eyes to see beyond challenges, the mind to serve us into solutions, the ears to hear and bring necessary impactful changes, and the balanced emotions to guide and lead their hearts,” said Ms Chow.
Members believe that YES will be seen as a gateway to intergenerational equity, civic engagement and democracy building by increasing access to various services, programmes, and resources, as well as promoting a safe environment for mental, emotional, physical, and psychological well-being to empower young people to reach their full potential, as well as encouraging and equipping young people to be active citizens who participate within the community, and help bring about a safer, fairer and more sustainable Seychelles.
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