YAKA

France – Senegal – Tunisia

DESCRIPTION

YAKA

YES Akademia (“YAKA”) combines cross-cultural, community development with empowerment programs for youth aged 15-35 years old, largely from marginalized or rural areas. YAKA offers programs for approximately 500 youth annually in Paris, its suburbs, other regions of France and with partners abroad, helping them develop ideas and personal projects in civic engagement and social entrepreneurship. YAKA’s keystone programs are IMPOWER and Press Start: 100-500 hours of workshops and field trips for 2 weeks to 18 months with mentoring and travel wherein youth build practical competencies and soft skills (i.e., leadership, critical thinking, public speaking, non-violent communication) and are motivated to pursue entrepreneurial actions, higher education or personal projects with self-confidence, courage, and awareness of their environment. YAKA also engages in community work: building and managing 3 intergenerational centers in public residences in the suburbs of Paris.

The Comgest Foundation supported YAKA’s 2022-2023 programs in Paris, rural France, Tunisia and Senegal.

IMPACT / MAIN INDICATORS

1) IMPOWER: 14 French youth participated in a 21-day solidarity trip to Aga Biram, Senegal; completed a solidarity project; organized an educational forum in Aga Biram and Dakar with over 150 locals attending.
2) Press Start: social entrepreneurship program for 8 Tunisians/8 French youth with one-week in Tunis (Tunisia) and one week in Paris.
3) YAMA: A 2-week intercultural partnership at a French ecovillage for 15 youth including refugees and asylum seekers from France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain and Afghanistan.
4) InterAction: Multiple workshops and community-building activities at 3 intergenerational centers in social residences in Ivry-sur-Seine, Valenton and Montesson..

PROJECT
SPONSORS

YES Akademia – France
http://www.yesakademia.ong
http://www.instagram.com/yesakademia_yaka/
http://www.instagram.com/pressstart_yaka/

LOCAL
PARTNER

Selection
Duration

Project selected in September 2019
Duration : 6 years

Financed
by

The Comgest Foundation

COMMENT FROM THE AMBASSADOR

Dawn Turek

The Comgest Foundation supported YAKA actions for youth in cross-cultural exchange, community development, formal and non-formal learning and skills development. YAKA’s steady growth has continued and includes:
1) sending French youth to Senegal with its IMPOWER program to complete a year-long solidarity project with the villagers of Aga Biram.
2) working with partners in Tunisia to implement a social entrepreneurship program, Press Start with youth from France and Tunisia;
3) opening its 3rd intergenerational center with funding for a staff member;
4) organizing 10 French youth to attend the European G1000 Summit in Brussels with international youth speaking to elected European officials

5) implementing its multi-cultural, ecological program, YAMA, with youth from 6 different countries