Young Volunteers for Environment

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Young Volunteers for Environment: Young environmental champions creating the green economy

Togo
Year Founded:
2001
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Project Stage:
Scaling
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
Website:
http://www.jve-international.org/
Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/senalouka
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/jveint
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

To better living conditions for future generations, Sena transforms young people into environmental champions to support the creation of a green economy. Young Volunteers for Environment, “JVE,” is Africa’s largest youth organization working for the protection of the environment.

WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"

What if young people could shape their own green economy opportunities and create a new wave of employability?
About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Togo has had one of the most assaulted ecosystems in Africa over the last fifty years. The country has lost 5.75 percent of its forests between 2005 and 2010 as over 80 percent of the population uses wood to meet home energy needs. Togo’s youth are not educated on these subjects from an early age. The high youth unemployment rate prevents long-term economic growth and development.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

JVE has developed a platform that brings together all youth organization networks in Africa that build synergies and allow for the promotion of green jobs. After completing a training, the youth graduate with knowledge on key environmental topics, project design and group management. They are then hosted by various communities and raise awareness on environmental protection and devising solutions for local environmental challenges. Unemployed graduates support the creation and development of Village Development Committees. Upon completion of the year, they become members of the local JVE branches located across the country. Youth organize conferences and awareness-raising campaigns through radio, television and public events.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

Once the youth are educated on key environmental topics, they are put in direct contact with communities where they experience them firsthand and gain practical experience in creating and spreading solutions. Sena has also implemented poverty-control projects that combine environmental and business education for middle-school students. Through such activities, students discover new employment opportunities, and quickly develop entrepreneurial skills.

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

Sena began pulling together nearly 120 youth organizations in about 50 African countries a few years ago. In September of 2013, Sena formalized his unified youth platform by launching Tunzaafrika, which unties more than 500 organizations that work on youth, the environment and entrepreneurship. Tunzafrica will serve as the single point of contact with development agencies and sub-regional organizations and will stand as the youth spokesperson on all matters relating to the environment, the green economy and sustainable development.

Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?

JVE's goal is to become an observer at the African Union and at Africa United For Climate Change.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

JVE actually utilizes and connects the other players in the market through a platform that brings together all youth organization networks in Africa in order to build synergies for more relevant results and that simultaneously allow for the promotion of green jobs.
Team

Founding Story

The youngest of seven children, Sena frequently accompanied his mother to do washing and collect water. He realized and appreciated that water was essential to everything that villagers did. At the age of ten, he started a football league in his village. In high school, he began writing for local news outlets. In university, he launched the first student radio program. After a fire outbreak in his village, he was struck by the fact that all inhabitants stood together as one to put it out. In 2000, he decided to establish, with children and youngsters, an association called Youth United for Environmental Protection (JUPE, later renamed as JVE). His actions were supported, at first by local authorities and villagers.

Team

The organs of YVE are composed of a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, an Executive Board, the statutory auditor and local branches. The General Assembly (GA) is the supreme organ of YVE. It includes all the active, supporting, and honorary members who meet once a year to examine the issues related to the mission and policy of the organization. Under the responsibility of an Executive Director, the executive board manages daily running of YVE. National branches comprise of country representations of JVE International in the world. They contribute to the goals of JVE International and implement their projects locally and nationally. The national branches also have their governing body and the executive body that runs the activities of the branch. There are also autonomous local branches.
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Challenges: What challenges might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
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Impact - Reach: How many people did your project directly engage in programmatic activities in the last year?

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