407 Exploration House, 145 Robert Mugabe Way, Harare, Zimbabwe
407 Exploration House, 145 Robert Mugabe Way, Harare, Zimbabwe

Our Expertise

Peer to Peer Education

All of our programmes are delivered through our youth-led peer to peer education model which enables the transfer of knowledge and skills to high numbers of young people. The peer educators are based in the communities and provide intensive support to other young people in various challenges they will be facing. This model has enabled each YASD peer educator to reach approximately 50 young people and, through our network of 15 to 20 peer educators, we typically reach around 750-1000 young people every year. The model enables us to reach various young people in the slum community which has a n approximate population of 7 000 families.

In addition to engaging and connecting youth, peer educators work closely with local leaders and duty bearers, YASD supports them to better reach young people through apacity training in conjunction with other youth led organisations. This increases the capacity of the peer educator, the acquired skills remain beyond the programme cycle. Therefore, a relatively short but intense period of investment through the peer education model can achieve long term impact.

Youth Moblisation

YASD has a unique understanding of the challenges facing young people and how to best mobilise, engage and motivate them to lead change in their communities. The peer educator model can be used to engage and inform young people from a range of backgrounds and is particularly effective in linking the youth in the community to services.

It has been successfully adapted to meet the specific needs of disadvantaged groups including orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), people living with HIV, people with disabilities, people affected by conflict and young women

Youth Engagement

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We also work with a range of institutions and service-providers to promote effective youth engagement strategies. This includes health workers, National AIDS Council officials, teachers, religious leaders, and youth representatives of political parties. We have also worked with development agencies to develop youth programmes and policies as well as with private and public sector service-providers to reach young people more effectively. We understand that young people are a heterogenous group whose needs are different. Our programming is designed to meet the individuals need as well as the collective grouping

Policy and Practice

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YASD also achieves reach through efforts to influence the local policy debates which have a bearing on young people’s lives. Our focus is ensuring engagement with local duty bearers to influence policy, programming and resource allocations which better responds to youth concerns through bringing together young people and the local policy makers for dialogue. For example, the community we serve does not have a health facility and young people walk over 5 kilometres to access Sexual reproductive services such as contraceptives.

Moreover the staff at the health service centre are adults who were not in tune with the challenges facing young people in the community. With support from a youth network partner YASD engaged the local duty bearer to have a discussion with young