Young Achievement Sports Development (YASD)
Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD) is a youth focused community based organization that uses sport to transform communities.
YASD uses sport as a tool to raise awareness on developmental issues. The organisation works with disadvantaged and marginilised young people to help them attain an education and life skills. Through its programming YASD’s intention is to develop role models and community leaders from the vulnerable children, participating in its various programs
Our History
Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD) was initiated in 2005 by a group of young people living in an informal slum settlement that was borne out of continuous displacements and eviction of the residents. The community was destroyed by a Government of Zimbabwe clean-up operation that destroyed informal settlements. https://www.un.org/press/en/2005/tibaijukapc050722.doc.htm
The clean-up operation resulted in most of the children dropping of school and roaming the streets. Being idle made them more vulnerable to a lot of risky behaviour: drugs, crime, prostitution and early marriage.
YASD was started as a home-grown solution to these social problems which young people were going through. The idea was to take young people away from the risky behaviour by keeping them busy through sporting activities as they would play and go home to rest afterwards. The “sports sessions” where usually characterized by holding various discussions which shaped the programming of the organisation in later years.
From these “sports sessions” the YASD founders realised the need to do some remedial classes for those who still had an interest in education, this saw the group introducing a reading club were those who wanted to continue with school were assisted by those that had done better in school.
The impact of the “sports sessions” and reading club are the core bedrock of the YASD programming. The realization that a group of young people could have such impact to transform a community culminated into the registration of the organisation in 2007.
Our Work
Theory of change: YASD’s Theory of Change addresses the situation in the world where young people are not given equal opportunity to exercise their rights or develop their full potential. YASD strives to address this inequality by applying strategies that change harmful structures and norms in local communities and enable young people to develop, to make strategic life choices in the interest of their well-being and what they value in life.
The Educational Assistance Programme is an initiative designed to ensure young people from marginilised communities become literate. The program facilitates inclusive learning opportunities by providing informal and formal quality education.
- Scholarship- YASD coordinates an academic scholarship for young people from the Hatcliffe community. The scholarships cater for school fees, uniforms and stationery
- Women Can Reading Club- the reading club is designed for young women who failed to have access to education through early marriage, dropping out of school etc. The project makes use of volunteer educators who offer remedial education to the young women for free. The project is designed to empower women and build their capacity to lead at all levels i.e. socially, economically. YASD believes putting young women and girls at the centre of economies will fundamentally drive better and more sustainable development outcomes for all.
Sports Training Program- the Sports training programme makes use of various sporting disciplines to impart life skills. The program focuses on involving young people in sports and creating a safe space to discuss specific issues in their community and proffer solutions to these issues.
Over the Boundary (OtB) is a grassroots cricket mentorship development program which focuses on introducing the game of cricket to marginilised and vulnerable communities that have no access to the sport. The programme equips young people from marginilised and vulnerable communities with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be economic leaders in their families and communities. Over the Boundary is designed for young people aged 7 and 18 who are living in marginilised communities. The program is typically offered on a weekly basis, over the course of ten months, the program focuses on 70% cricket skills coaching and 30% life skills. OtB is delivered through 4 modules that focuses on four pillars i.e.
- Personal development and self-awareness
- Sexual Reproductive Health Rights
- Human rights
- Financial Literacy
The OtB manual tackles topics such as gender inequalities, economic and social inclusion amongst young people. The programme builds the capacity of young people to be self-aware, to know their Sexual Reproductive Health Rights as well as to be empowered to be economic leaders. Under the OtB programme YASD has distributed cricket equipment to over 300 young people in four communities where the programme is being run.
Goal
Young Achievement Sports for Development in partnership with Women Win deliver a women empowerment project focusing on empowering young women, the project is a global movement funded by the Standard Chartered Bank. The Goal programme uses sport, play and life-skills education to transform the lives of adolescent girls across 48 countries. The programme equips girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be economic leaders in their families and communities.
The Goal programme is designed for girls aged between 12-18 who are living in underserved communities and is typically offered on a weekly basis, over the course of ten months, the programme teaches girls the critical facts about health, communication, rights and managing their personal finances in order to help them transform not just their own lives, but those of their families and friends.
In 2022 the Goal programme is being conducted in Hatcliffe, Mbare and in professional sports clubs. The programme is currently reaching out to over 725 young women.
Sessions in the Goal Project also touch on the various aspects of gender and how they affect the sound growth and development of young women. The young women appreciated sessions on gender roles and how it shapes the gender phenomenon concept.
In 2022 GOAL reached out to over 500 young women, YASD implemented a 3 pronged approach to increase participation of young women in the Goal programme. The approach targeted vulnerable communities, schools and professional women’s sports clubs.
YASD was implementing the GOAL programme in two communities of Hatcliffe and Mbare. The organisation leveraged on the huge impact GOAL had had in the previous years. Through intensive community based programming the organisation will draw from its strong community presence to reach out to more adolescent girls
TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES
Affordable prices
Ways To contribute
Education Assistance
$150/term
Homeless World Cup Team Support
$1000/person
Activity Based Support
$500/activity
Local Bank Details (Zimbabwe)
Bank account details for financial contributions to support Young Achievement Sports Development (YASD)
Ecocash Merchant code: 211364
Merchant Name: (YASD CHARITY)
Bank: Steward Bank
Name: Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD)
Account Number: 1000 492 066
Branch: Kwame Nkrumah
For International Donations pleace contact us or Click Here