2. Who we Are The Youth Empowerment Network and the Red Thread Literacy Program are joint initiatives facilitated through Red Thread Guyana. The Literacy program has been in operation since February 2001, and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Project -Enhanced Public Trust Security and Inclusions Project (EPTSI), Red Thread developed the Youth Empowerment Network in January 2010 . Literacy Classes and Youth Empowerment Workshops are hosted in the Red Thread Building and are facilitated by four core Red Thread members and six short term volunteers.
3. What we Do The Youth Empowerment Network and the Red Thread Literacy Program cater to vulnerable children and youth from communities within Georgetown and greater Guyana to help them develop an awareness of themselves and their talents, increase literacy and knowledge, while fostering a connection to their peers and the larger community. The Literacy Program and the Youth Network work across gender and race and strive to encourage youth to actively participate in bringing about the kind of world in which they would like to see themselves.
4. Why Are We Important? Our initiatives with youth work as a catalyst for greater social change. We work on multiple levels to accomplish these goals : A holistic approach: connecting the individual, the community, and national/regional influence Conflict resolution: the prevalence of conflicts among young people who are forced to occupy the same space can be great. With the Youth Network, conflict management and resolution training has been implemented and achieved through a step by step process. Youth empowerment: equipping the next generation with the information they need to challenge and think critically about their communities and society. Literacy Program: Literacy and numeracy are an essential part of youth empowerment.Increasing literacy levels results in an increase in academic outcomes which are so essential in expanding the capacity of youth to make changes in their lives for the better.
5. Literacy Program The Literacy Program has been running since January 2001, and is intended for children aged 7-12 and for adolescents aged 13-19. It involves: Computer classes Individual and group classes in reading, writing, and numeracy Workshops on difference, especially gender and race Workshops using the arts as an aid to self-expression Objectives include working with students with poor literacy skills to: Learn to read, write and access information effectively as a basis for expressing themselves more freely Think more critically and creatively Learn to combat stereotypes, especially of race and gender
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9. Youth Empowerment Network The Youth Network has been operative since February 2010, and involves: A variety of workshops, courses and activities Bi-weekly seminars Summer Camp The Youth Network works with children aged 13-19, with several goals in mind: To encourage creative and critical thinking To develop a sense of personal power and freedom To initiate youth behavior which will positively impact the young people’s own lives and the lives of their neighbours.
10. Workshops Workshops are geared towards improving the self and the individual as a member of society. They are designed around the principles of information sharing and organized group tasks.
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14. Camp Through participation in activities such as team sports, drama, and interactive games, the Youth Network Camp gives children the chance to Engage in conflict resolution Develop positive group dynamics, & work on ‘people skills’ Build trust Develop confidence Recognize and reject stereotypes
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18. Fund Raising Activity Proceeds from our various fund raising initiatives will go toward much needed necessities for both the Literacy program and Youth Network: Literacy students are in need of the most basic necessities for class facilitation including a printer on which to print assignments books, notebooks, pens, pencils Basic science equipment Volunteers to facilitate classes! In order to provide a conducive environment for learning and to accommodate the growing number of students we need a long list of supplies!
19. Youth Network Summer Camp 2010 In 2010 the Literacy Program and Youth Empowerment Network came together to host the fist annual Youth Network Summer camp. Through the hard work and dedication of Red Thread’s core members and volunteers, last year’s Summer Camp was a great success. Theme: Trust and Relationship Building (Micro level behavioral changes) Through various workshops, exercises and activities, the camp gave the Youth a sense of entitlement and ownership in their own space and in their own lives for the first time. It began the process of building previously unattainable trust between youths and the facilitators and the youths amongst themselves.
20. Summer Camp 2011 Theme: Mobilization and Community building Youth as catalysts for greater social change (Macro behavioural changes) While last year’s camp focused on the self, team building and conflict management, we would like to take the Youth to the next level this year and get them involved in the greater community. We would like to bring their awareness to their collective power as community members, and get them engaging in activities which will have a positive impact on society as a whole. In addition to further personal improvement activities, we would like to provide training for the youth during the 2011 camp in order to help them facilitate local street clean ups, web based information sharing networks and the establishment of relationships with younger youths in reading buddy and tutoring sessions over a longer term period.
21. Summer Camp in Dire need of funds!!! This year our task is even greater. In 2010 we received subsidized accommodation and received funding from Red Thread to pay for the camp which will not be possible going into this year. This means that we need to raise at least US$5000 before July 31st to make the Youth Network 2011 Summer Camp a reality, and it is entirely up to us, the volunteers. The Summer Camp requires funding to: Effectively coordinate camp activities Pay for camp rental fees, food and transportation, T shirts for the children, as well as stationary and other necessary camping materials for 35-40 youths!
22. How you Can help Your support can make a big difference in these children’s lives. If you are looking for a way to get your valuable donations directly to people who need it, you need look no further. Proceeds from our fundraiser will be covering the program costs, without a cent going toward the bureaucratic process or into pockets of camp facilitators (because we are all volunteers!!!). If you would like to assist with our initiatives, you can get involved in the following ways: Carry a Youth Network and Literacy Plan Fund Raising Envelope to your workplace and see how much you can raise! Make a cash or in kind donation. Visit Guyana and volunteer to be a camp facilitator this August, or volunteer your time with the Literacy Program! * For an e-list of in kind donations, please contact Hana Bobala. Members of the Guyanese diaspora in Canada can make sure your donations reach us in Guyana.
We work on multiple levels to accomplish these goals : A holistic approach: connecting the individual, the community, and national/regional influence Conflict resolution: the prevalence of conflicts among young people who are forced to occupy the same space can be great. With the Youth Network, conflict management and resolution training has been implemented and achieved through a step by step process. Youth empowerment: equipping the next generation with the information they need to challenge and think critically about their communities and society. Literacy Program: Literacy and numeracy are an essential part of youth empowerment. Increasing literacy levels results in an increase in academic outcomes which are so essential in expanding the capacity of youth to make changes in their lives for the better.
During class, the children have covered topics such as…
-It was a great success, thanks to the heavily subsidized accommodation costs. Members raised approximately 400,000 GYD through the generosity of the Guyanese public and subsidization by Red Thread , however in many areas the camp was short of supplies (soap, water, food and stationary supplies) and we were unable to accommodate educational field trips for the youth. Volunteers found themselves reaching out of pocket to cover the cost of basic necessities in addition to volunteering their time for the entire two week period.
-All of our initiatives are in need of funding, however the Camp is our highest priority at the moment given the high amount required and the urgent nature of the funds needed.
