Since 2021 (through to 2026) Tree of Life has been conducting the Bread for the World Funded Youth-Led Community Projects (YCP) initiative.
YCP seeks to build the capacity of young people as they design and manage community projects contributing to community cohesion and sustainable livelihoods development. YCP builds bonds on the gains of ToL's longstanding Youth Engagement for Peace Project (YEPP), which largely focuses on providing young people with psychosocial support and peacebuilding skills, both of which are essential foundations for the building of sustainable communities.
YCP uses a holistic model that incrementally builds the skills and capacities of young people to manage small grant funding for projects, as well as to form effective groups that work toward becoming independent. Once trained in the required group dynamics and business skills, youth groups may apply for three sets of graduated small-grant funding from ToL. An initial grant of US$200 is offered to the team. Teams that prove to be effective and accountable with the funds are eligible to apply for the next grant phases, being US$500 and US1,300 thereafter. The latter has to be a large-scale project which will benefit their community. All project activities and funds are approved and projects continuously monitored by Tree of Life.
Some notable successes of the YCP Project:
Individual incomes increased: Several youth began their own Income Generating Projects (IGPs) using the skills they had learned from ToL along with their own resources. Until today many of the youth who have come through our programming have established and sustained their own small businesses, all whilst also continuing their community-development activities supporting other youth!
Collaborations with Government and key stakeholders: Tree of Life has been grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Government officials in several of our areas of operation. Given Youth are a priority in the National Development Strategy 1, several Government officials, including from the Ministry of Youth, have applauded ToL's model of working with youth and we look continued engagement in this regard. At least two YCP youth were selected by their local Councillors to represent Zimbabwe at international events, including on Gender Based Violence. In Chinhoyi, our YCP youth team there have partnered with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to spread environmental awareness. Several youth groups have collaborated with their local police in spreading Anti-drug and substance use messaging.
Women Empowerment: 70% of the YCP youth groups are led by women and over 60% of thousands of youth reached by the project have been females. Both the YCP and YEPP projects have empowered young women and girls to become active members in their communities. YCP groups address issues of gender equality and equity, inclusion of women, access to opportunities for women, preventing abuse and supporting abused women and girls. As one of many examples, one of our Chitungwiza groups "Shining Stars" have been amplifying women's issues such as the "Girls are not brides" campaign, through the leadership of young women.
Reduction in social ills: The YCP youth countrywide have conducted Anti-Drug and Substance use campaigns reaching hundreds of youth. Since the sessions many youth have approached the YCP teams declaring their commitment to stopping drug use. Aside from Anti-Substance use messaging the YCP teams have been instrumental in speaking up against sexual abuse, creating awareness, prevention against abuse and mechanisms of support to the abused.
