Full Organisation Profile

Our Vision:

YARAC envisions a leadership of young people that is analytical, reflective and responsive; a healthy generation of young people whose ultimate goal is service to humanity.

Our Mission:
Empower young people through information sharing and transformative education about their reproductive rights and civic responsibilities.

What is YARAC?

YARAC is an acronym for Youth, Adolescent Reflection and Action Centre. YARAC is the result of a workshop to conclude a three–year project with young adults and adolescents about their reproductive rights and behaviours in Plateau State, Nigeria. The original project titled “HAD I KNOWN” (Helping Adolescents off the Road to...) was funded by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fund for Leadership Development.

Established in 1999, YARAC builds and expands upon the gains, contacts and awareness that the MacArthur funded project created among the target beneficiaries, including teachers, parents, religious bodies and other organisations about youth and adolescent reproductive and other behavioural patterns in an ever changing world.

During the three-year period of working with Adolescents [AGES 10-19] and Young adults [20-25] specifically with those in school and out-of– school groups, participants shared traumatizing experiences regarding issues of reproductive rights and decision-making. Some of these include, horrifying abortion techniques (several of them leading to Teen deaths), Girls being expelled from school with out opportunities to return to continue after delivery. Others include disintegration of family relationships as a result of teen behaviours, cases of HIV/AIDS among teens and young adults, drug use and ‘sex hawking’ etc. Cases of lack of basic rights, roles and civic responsibilities were evident during the experience sharing.

In order to disseminate the results of the findings and encourage sound decision making, an innovative and interactive multi-media approach including drama performances, music and video was packaged and presented in over 200 places. Such places include schools, churches, conferences and meetings of Parents Teachers’ Association to create awareness and stimulate dialogue around issues of adolescent reproductive behaviour and the need for community involvement etc.

Follow-up surveys and interviews after the project as well as unsolicited feedback from the workshops and presentations clearly demonstrate that:

1.There is a yawning rift between youths, teens and their parents thus the need to maintain and strengthen a Centre that facilitates healthy reconnection. For example, parents expressed frustration and confusion in trying to sit to discuss over issues that bother around sexuality with their teens. Some of the Male parents assume such an issue is the responsibility of the Mother.

2.Youths and Teens are desperate to seek information, where they can dialogue about their growth but lack such friendly facilities that can facilitate this process. And dialogue here means sharing and confidence building that would lead to self-actualisation (esteem).

3.Parents also want to update themselves with the new technology from which children are fast learning. 95% of parents contacted reported shock and lack of knowledge about where and how teens learn their behaviours and attitudes.

4.Religious groups, High Schools, Colleges and other development organisations showed willingness to seek the services of the Centre to assist with their youth and teen programmes.

5.Many youths and teens particularly girls are stigmatised, thrown out of school and abandoned by parents, for those same mistakes that many adults today barely survived.

6.Youths want to be involved in the options to improve the society but lack the courage to question existing cultural values that are no longer acceptable in a modern world.

7.Youths are also seeking alternative education strategies that will turn them from role models to goal models.

8.Above all, the issue of civic rights, democratic processes, knowledge of their roles and responsibilities as citizens remain a huge gap.

These reasons among others served as a strong motivation for establishing a centre to provide youths and adolescents with education and training opportunities to regain confidence and become responsible, productive and be accountable to members of any community they find themselves.

Thus, YARAC was established as a not-for-profit organization to provide a proactive FORUM for youths and adolescents to interact, discover the challenges and opportunities surrounding their growth, gain knowledge and understanding of civic responsibilities, acquire the confidence to make responsive and informed decisions as they grow. YARAC is about connecting youths, adolescents, parents and the society at large together through youth organizing.

YARAC VALUES:

• Respect for Humanity
• Recognise civic and reproductive rights of youths and adolescents
• Individual potentials and creativity
• Volunteer and community Service
• Discipline, hard work and productivity
• Value people and not tribe/ethnicity/religion
• Leadership Development: putting these values into practice as active citizens

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES:

• Maintain a Youth and Adolescent Centre for information sharing and dissemination.
• Develop and promote youth and adolescent friendly programmes i.e. training in Reflection-Action Skills techniques, leadership development, Basic reproductive health needs including HIV/AIDS awareness, communication skills/confidence building, self-discovery and career/goal development, and issues of civic roles and responsibilities.
• Provide Holiday programmes for youths and adolescents including programmes such as Excursion visits to Legislative Houses, policy-making institutions, environmental awareness and other areas of significance to beneficiaries.
• Build cultural and information/technology bridges through exchange visits to other Organisations with complementary objectives within Nigeria and abroad.
  Advocate for, and lobby policy and lawmakers on behalf of youths and adolescents.
• Provide a healthy environment where youths and adolescents can interact freely with their parents and other members of the society.
• Organise counselling and training sessions for parents and guardians on the needs of adolescents and youths
  Produce Newsletters, Drama presentations, Debates and Workshops on the activities of youths and adolescents.
  Produce audio-visual materials for domestic learning and discussions for parents, school use.
• Organise short and long-term courses for youths and adolescents on thematic issues of Democracy, Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, Leadership Development and Constitutional matters.
• Gain commitment from local, state and national government for youth employment development programs/opportunities.

ADMISSION:

YARAC is open to adolescents and youths including those physically challenged and are embattled by the odds in society. YARAC is committed to helping adolescents and youths seeking to understand the social complexities that exist in the society, the opportunities as well as the probable consequences and implications of various lifestyles and behavioural choices. YARAC is also for Parents and Guardians that have difficulties with the behaviours of their teens. The Centre offers counselling services to these categories of persons to discover their potentials, re-integrate them back into the society by shaping and re-focusing their personal goals and offer a forum for parents to share their experiences and learn from each other.

ORGANISATIONAL LEADERSHIP:

YARAC has a four-member Board of Trustees made up of committed women and men of high integrity, who bring varying skills and experience to the organisation. YARAC also has a management team of seven members. They include a Chairperson, Secretary, the Executive Officer, and four members. Seven staffs are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Centre. Another great asset of the Centre are persons who volunteer experience and time to help youths and adolescents grow with great hope and potential.

FUNDING:

YARAC’s activities run courtesy funds from trustee support and goodwill of Foundations and Institutions that are committed to a great future and are investing in the ‘Tomorrow of Today’: Adolescents, Children and Young Adults. These are The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago USA, Development and Peace Montreal, Canada, DFID-Nigeria, Small Grants Project from the World Bank.

Tor Iorapuu Ph.D.
Executive Director, YARAC JOS