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SERVE and Young Africa Zimbabwe

February 8, 2022 in Zimbabwe /by Serve

SERVE's Development Work with Young Africa Zimbabwe

About Young Africa Zimbabwe

Young Africa established their first skills training centre in in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe in 1998. Following this a centre was also developed at Epworth. SERVE have partnered with Young Africa Zimbabwe since 2008.

Young Africa Zimbabwe began its work in 1998 by establishing their first skills training centre in Chitungwiza, Harare. Chitungwiza is a township located approximately 25km outside Harare and has 1 million inhabitants. The people in this township are very underprivileged and there are few opportunities for education or employment. Most of the young people in Chitungwiza are unable to travel to Harare on a daily basis due to the ongoing fuel crisis, high bus fares and unreliable public transport. These social conditions mean that young people engage in risky behaviour and HIV/AIDS is a major part of life in Chitungwiza.

Today it is providing education, practical skills training and life skills training to over 400 young people daily, and over 1000 young people daily access some service at Young Africa Zimbabwe.

The impact of all programmes is monitored closely: 80% of the beneficiaries feel better off after training; 70% of the young people make more responsible decisions in regard to HIV/AIDS. Gender sensitivity and HIV/AIDS awareness are mainstreamed in action. Governmental and non-governmental authorities come to learn from us and have implemented the methodology of Young Africa into their own works.

At Epworth, Young Africa provides courses varying from dressmaking, building and carpentry to computer applications, secretarial services and O-Level tuition. A youth club offers young people somewhere to play basketball, games and watch movies. Life skills training and HIV/AIDS awareness training is mainstreamed into these youth activities. Young Africa has a formal agreement with the Ministry of Youth Development to rent a building for a minimum of 15 years (2005-2220). Young Africa has plans to expand the Epworth project site.

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Standing in solidarity with indigenous communities

February 4, 2022 in Sustainable Development Goals /by Serve

Standing in Solidarity with Indigenous Communities

A message from Paula Quigley, SERVE Programmes & Administration Manager

“We stand in solidarity with indigenous communities. They rely on the land, water and natural resources. The latest oil spill in east Ecuador and numerous other human-made disasters led by greed & the attitudes of governments are wreaking havoc on the environment and endangering the survival of indigenous communities. Unfortunately, these communities do not get a share in the profit made either. Governments of the world must do more to halt these human rights violations and work towards achieving the SDGs.”

– A message from Paula Quigley, SERVE Programmes & Administration Manager

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SERVE and Muvamba Mission

February 2, 2022 in Mozambique /by Serve

SERVE's Development Work in Muvamba Mission

About Muvamba Mission

Muvamba Mission is located 80km north of the district town of Massinga and consists of a primary school and secondary school, youth centre, nutrition centre and maternity ward.

The physical location called Muvamba Mission consists of a primary school and secondary school, youth centre, nutrition centre and maternity ward. The site serves the communities living within a radius of 100km. The wider area of Muvamba is a rural area of 3,500km²with a population of 51,000 people dispersed around fifty local communities. Illiteracy rates are in excess of 70% and in many communities the rate is over 90% for females.

Many of the communities are so rural and isolated that primary school education has only been available for the last two years.

The development challenges in Muvamba include access to water, provision of primary health care, provision of primary and secondary school education, fighting illiteracy, sustainable agriculture, income generating projects, working with young people, combating a HIV/AIDS rate of 13% and the provision of infrastructure such as roads etc.

SERVE have been working with the Muvamba Mission for the past seven years. This partnership has included support for development projects run by the Muvamba Mission and the sending of Irish volunteers to work in Muvamba.

Water for All in Muvamba, Mozambique

Clean, safe drinking water is scarce. Today nearly 1 billion people in the majority world don’t have access to it. While it is the foundation

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SERVE and Young Africa Mozambique

February 2, 2022 in Mozambique /by Serve

SERVE's Development Work with Young Africa Mozambique

About Young Africa Mozambique

Young Africa Mozambique is focused on empowering young people to live and works in two communities near Beira.

Young Africa Mozambique has has a TVET Centre in the Manga community outside Beira. This Centre has been operational since 2008 and has provided accredited TVET training in 17 distinct skills to over 5,000 young people. Life skills training is mainstreamed into all activities and 70% of graduates are economically active.

Young Africa operates a pioneering Franchise Model which involves local business people running their business as franchisees at the TVET Centre.

Young people are trained as part of the production process or service delivery, and graduate with an accredited qualification. This model has helped the TVET centre achieve 55% self-sustainability after 4 years.

There is huge potential for the agricultural sector in Mozambique and within the context of the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor plan Young Africa plans to replicate the Franchise Model in the new centre in Dondo community – providing exclusively agricultural based TVET courses to rural youth.

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Introducing Milimo Muchanga

January 31, 2022 in News & Events, Skills Training, Sustainable Development Goals /by Serve

Meet Milimo Muchanga

Introducing Milimo Muchanga, SERVE’s liaison with The Assumption Parish community located in Mazabuka, Zambia. Milimo is proactive and committed to youth development in his community and makes him a role model for community leadership.

Milimo recently completed a four-day youth leadership workshop with the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in January 2022. Following these workshops, Milimo shared with us what he learnt. And now, we’d like to share it with you because it outlines youth development.

Milimo Muchanga shares the points to be noted

Do all through love, nothing through resistance
Education and life skills training enables youth to overcome challenges.
Youth leaders ought to actively listen to young people so they may help them build a meaningful life for themselves.
No favourites in the group.
Treat young people with respect to build a better community for them.

Milimo noted points for the future of Assumption Parish:

The Assumption Parish Youth Committee must be trained on the importance of volunteering to support young people while understanding their needs and on the importance of taking feedback from the youth so that we can improve the activities offered by the Youth Centre.

The Assumption Parish Youth Committee members also need to be trained on how they can fundraise to support youth through different sustainable projects.

Milimo Muchanga with the full group who attended the Youth Leadership Workshops with Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Jan '22

Milimo Muchanga featured in Dochas 2022 calendar

Support Milimo's work in the Assumption Parish in Mazabuka, Zambia with a regular donation to SERVE

SERVE sends scholarships to young people for tailoring course

January 27, 2022 in News & Events, Zambia /by Serve

SERVE offers 15 scholarships to empower young people in Mazabuka, Zambia

Irish charity SERVE has stepped into 2022 by funding a tailoring skills programme for 15 young people in Nchete House located in Mazabuka, Zambia.

In addition to this, SERVE has funded six sewing machines to setup in the Youth Centre of Assumption Parish in Mazabuka where the newly trained young people will work from.

The tailoring programme at Nchete House, Mazabuka, Zambia has been active for numerous years and is considered a ‘breakthrough opportunity’ for raising equity while also addressing unemployment.

SERVE is extremely thrilled to support young people through this local programme. It addresses their challenges with a (of many) sustainable solution for youth development.

Youth Centre in the Assumption Parish located in Mazabuka, Zambia - Photo by Milimo Muchanga

Nchete House offers tailoring course in Mazabuka, Zambia - Photo by Milimo Muchanga

Milimo Muchanga with one of the teachers in the classrom at Nchete House in Mazabuka, Zambia

Milimo Muchanga with Sr. Charity at Nchete House in Mazabuka, Zambia ahead of the new tailoring programme with 15 youths sponsored by SERVE

Your regular donation to SERVE will help us continue to fund skills training for young people

Cork charity sends COVID-19 support to different countries

January 25, 2022 in India, News & Events, Philippines /by Serve

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic SERVE has offered financial support for emergency relief and COVID-19 related programmes in different countries

Cork based, Irish Charity, SERVE adopts the partnership model approach to tackle inequality in the world. In addition to donor grants, public donations to SERVE are also crucial to this relief. Your regular donation to SERVE helps tackle challenges where it is most needed.

Emergency Relief in the Philippines

SERVE has financially supported the Presentation Sisters twice in 2021 to purchase and distribute emergency food supplies for the Badjao community in Cebu. This ensured that 419 families and 69 “transient families” were provided with food supplies such as rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar and coffee over two months.

Once the community received the funds from SERVE, the Presentation Sisters mobilised a local team of teachers and youth leaders to organise the distribution of the food supplies. This was done by following COVID-19 safety protocol. The Presentation Sisters closely monitored the distribution and kept a record of who received the food supplies.

In December 2021 the Badjao community were strongly hit by the Super Typhoon Rai. Homes were destroyed along with severe disturbance to water supply. In an emergency response to the typhoon, SERVE immediately sent financial support to purchase and distribute emergency food supplies in the community. This was again overseen by our partners, the Presentation Sisters.

COVID Awareness Programmes in India

SERVE and Association of People with Disability (APD) have worked together since 2005 to support people living with disabilities in Karnataka, India.

SERVE sent financial support to APD to initiate COVID-19 awareness programme in three rural districts of Karnataka, India. The main goal of the project was to protect people with disabilities against COVID infection by mobilising the local health departments for vaccinations of people living with disabilities (PwDs).

This project also ensures PwDs and high-risk groups access services during the lockdown period by devising alternative methods of delivery. APD has implemented the project with the support of RPD task force leaders with the support of govt departments such as Dept. for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens and other relevant stakeholders. Read more.

Your regular donation to SERVE helps continue our work in vulnerable communities in different countries

Irish charity SERVE shares the work its done in 2021

January 18, 2022 in Development News /by Serve

SERVE's Work in 2021

In 2021, SERVE worked with eleven development projects in eight countries. In Ireland, we also launched a Think Global Act Local programme and a development education programme for schools. We also acknowledge that despite the pandemic, SERVE has received generous public donations to continue our work. Our sincere gratitude for all your support.

Snapshots

Over 3 years, our SERVE Development Programme reached over 7,300 young people to improve access to vocational skills training, life skills and entrepreneurship training in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

We delivered financial support in favour of a Youth Leadership training programme for 40 young males living in the Nkaneng area in South Africa.

We’ve offered aid for COVID-19 emergency responses in the Badjao tribe, Philippines and in rural areas of Karnataka, India.

We launched, Think Global Act Local, a brand new volunteering programme that was hosted online keeping in mind the challenges of the pandemic and recruitment for the 2022 programme has now opened.

11 projects, 8 countries

SERVE has supported diverse projects that contribute to the Global Goals. All the initiatives were made possible with the institutional grants that SERVE received in 2021. Total grants amount to over €500,000.

Local Programmes, Global Impact

SERVE’s new Think Global Act Local programme bridges communities in Ireland to our partners in the Global South through discussions of Global Goals.

SERVE collaborated with Scala to support nine volunteers to build the Cork Global Goals Youth Village. This Village advocates for Climate Action in a local set up.

SERVE launched the SDG Champions School Programme to continue the invaluable connection with schools despite the ongoing pandemic. Seven schools from across the country have come aboard for programmes to be concluded in 2022.

Your regular donation to SERVE will help continue our work.

Ana Maria’s Culinary Journey

August 19, 2021 in Development News, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Mozambique, SDP News, Skills Training, Women Empowerment /by Serve

Ana Maria Reginaldo's Culinary Journey

ANA MARIA REGINALDO, 27, resides in Manga, close to the Young Africa campus. She is married with three children. She was aware of Young Africa and decided to enrol after hearing her friend speak highly of the Catering course and the opportunities it afforded her.

Her husband supported her and helped with fees. She enrolled because she wanted to assist with household expenses. She excelled during the training and graduated in December 2018. The Young Africa marketing team secured an internship for her at Hotel Mozambique. Her manager at the hotel was so impressed by her culinary flair and work ethic that after her internship she was offered a permanent job. She is now refining her skills in this reputable hotel but has not abandoned her dream of setting up her own business.

Her life has improved. She noted that she feels fulfilled as she is productive. She can pay her children’s school fees, contribute to household expenses, and with savings she has bought land to build her own house. She added that she encourages other young women to enroll and have a bright future.

Teresa’s Story of Resilience

August 19, 2021 in Development News, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Mozambique, SDP News, Women Empowerment, Zimbabwe /by Serve

Meet Teresa Joana Tito from Beira Mozambique

Teresa Joana Tito, lives in Beira, with her husband and young children. Before training at Young Africa Mozambique, she sold fruit and vegetables to satisfy her family’s financial needs. However, she did not earn enough to make ends meet. Her husband was also unemployed.

Thu Aug 19 2021
8:32 pm

Her dream was always to run her own take-away, Teresa enrolled in the Catering course at the Beira Campus. She attended training from January to June 2018. During the training, she received practical and theoretical lessons, entrepreneurship training, and life skills education.

During the course, she found out about the micro-credit programme, funded by SERVE & Irish Aid. The programme offers graduates the opportunity to receive interest-free loans to start their own businesses. She submitted her business plan (developed with information obtained during entrepreneurship training) and all other documents for review. Her plan was approved.

After a market assessment, she opened her take-away in a busy catchment area close to the local university. With the income she generates through her take-away she can pay for her children’s school fees, look after her family’s needs and she has also started to rebuild her home following the devastating Cyclone Idai.

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