Since 2017 Tree of Life has been working with young people under the Youth Empowerment for Peace (YEPP) project. The programme includes a variety of activities such as psychoeducation, trauma healing, livelihoods development and pro-peace activities. Over the last year the youth were trained in Team Building and Leadership Skills, Entrepreneurship Skills, Jewelry Making from beads and baking. Our 3 pioneer communities also participated in Clean-Up Campaigns and Youth Dialogues. During a follow-up session we learnt that many of the youth are becoming agents for peace in their own ways, by helping other youth to cope in a difficult environment. Many of the young people have also started up their own small businesses and projects as a result of the training they received from Tree of Life.
Below are a few testimonies by some of the youth involved in the programme:
“I used to look down on myself but with the help of Tree of Life I have become a confident person and I always challenge myself. I have even started a Self-Help Group with 20 other women in my community.”
“As a community we have started an initiative where we collect clothes for an old age home – we also help them with chores such as wash plates or do the laundry. As youths we also sometimes go to an institution for students that are mentally challenged in our area. We like to go there to hang out with them to show love, and one of our team members sometimes plays his music for them. We have also gotten recognition from our local District Administrator when we do pro-peace sports and clean ups, the latter of which we did without financial support from Tree of Life. In some cases we have helped other youth who feel suicidal – it’s nice to know that some people can come to us for help.”
“I used to suffer from ulcers, and also when ToL met me I was actually very suicidal. I was very depressed and did not really think that the future had anything in store for me. After the processes that I went through with ToL I was no longer suicidal, and now also my ulcers are now gone. I now truly believe that no matter what you are going through, you can get through it, because I have. I am doing beads as a way of getting an income. I am very grateful to ToL for teaching us how to make beads because it is now a way for me to earn money.”
“I want to help fellow youths who are addicts and who have a dark future”
“I’d like to support and empower youth in my community so that they have a better tomorrow”
“We are going to change our lives through baking and also to change our community by selling our products”
“As youth we wish to take more responsibility and be more useful in our community.”
