With support from Erasmus+, the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport, SERVE and our partner Young Africa will implement the “SERVE/Young Africa – Building Capacity to Advance Young Africa 2017-2019” programme.
This programme is part of SERVE’s commitment to investing in capacity building for our partners, so that the services they provide to beneficiaries are of the highest standard. There are five components, which will be facilitated by experienced external personnel:
(1) Child Safeguarding training at Director and Centre level (in partnership with Keeping Children Safe) ;
(2) Youthwork training at Director and Centre level;
(3) Leadership & Management training at Director level;
(4) Administration training at staff level; and
(5) The pilot Achieve programme which aims to support the most marginalised youth to access TVET programmes in Zimbabwe.
In total over 100 YA staff and 50 youth will be direct beneficiaries.
The first training event will take place in May 2017 and SERVE will be updating this page regularly.
Information about the Erasmus+ programme is available here.
Programme Documents
External Evaluation of SERVE-Young Africa Building Capacity to Enhance Young Africa 2017-2019
External Evaluation – SERVE-YA Building Capacity – APPENDICES
Global Youthwork Toolkit – SERVE-Young Africa Building Capacity to Enhance YA 201719
Organisational Capacity Building Toolkit – SERVE-YA Building Capacity 2017-19
Tender – Approaches to Youth Work (expired)
SERVE Erasmus+ CBYA Toolkit Tender (expired)
Invitation to tender for Administration Capacity Building (expired)
TD ME (expired)
TD Combined Safeguarding (expired)
TD Admin (expired)
Child Safeguarding and Protection Training
By Karina McGinley
In May 2017 SERVE, with the support of EU Erasmus+, facilitated Child Safeguarding and Protection Training at the Young Africa HUB, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Rita, Samuel and Dalte from Young Africa Mozambique.
Young Africa, a partner of SERVE, is a youth empowerment organisation that focuses on the integral development of underprivileged youth in southern Africa through the delivery of skills training, entrepreneurship training and life skills education. Directors and Programme Officers from Young Africa centres in Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana gathered at the HUB for the training which was facilitated by Chris O’Donoghue. Chris was ably assisted by Petunia Magobe from South Africa.
Karina, SERVE, with Cathrine and Tendai, Young Africa Zimbabwe.
Topics covered included: Child Protection, Child Safeguarding, Abuse, Reporting, Policies and Procedures, Risk Identification, Risk Management, Recruitment, Images and Messaging and Cultural Practices. The seminar was a positive, thought-provoking and collaborative learning experience for all participants. Further trainings will take place for all staff and trainers at a centre level in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana later in the year. This will ensure that all Young Africa staff from drivers to directors, cleaners to centre managers will know their roles and responsibilities when it comes to child protection and safeguarding.
Event Report
Safeguarding for Centre Level Staff at YA Zimbabwe, YA Mozambique, YA Botswana and YA Namibia
Between September and November 2017, 73 staff members from 4 Young Africa affiliates completed Safeguarding Training. Topics covered included: Child Protection, Child Safeguarding, Abuse, Reporting, Policies and Procedures, Risk Identification, Risk Management, Recruitment, Images and Messaging and Cultural Practices. This training has ensured that all Young Africa staff from drivers to directors, cleaners to centre managers have a greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities when it comes to child protection and safeguarding.
For many this was their first time undertaking safeguarding training. The facilitator said that “all the participants left with a deeper understanding of the issues but also their role in the policy and what is expected of them”. Participants enjoyed the training with one saying it was an “eye opener for me not to allow bad things to happen to children regardless of their age or gender”.
SERVE and Young Africa will continue to work together to improve and maintain safeguarding standards.
A detailed overview of the content, impact and results achieved are available in the Project Report, External Evaluation and Programme Toolkit.
Event Report
Administration Capacity Building
In October 2017, 12 staff members from YA International, YA Zimbabwe, YA Mozambique and YA Zimbabwe completed Finance and Administration Capacity Building Training at YA HUB in Zimbabwe. The training included best practice approaches to the following – (A) Budgeting; (B) Procurement; (C) Payments; (D) Petty Cash and Cash Management; (E) Revenue, Banking & Receivables; (F) Bookkeeping and Accounting Systems; (G) Reporting Requirements and Donors; (H) Asset Management; and (I) Filing, Project Closure & Audit.
The training was facilitated by an experienced financial professional. The facilitator noted that “YA is about to be transformed through improved systems and administration. Participants internalised the processes and by narrating their own current situations, realised where they will improve and by when”. Regarding internal audit, she noted that “there is great scope for the implementation of an internal audit system which will check on the functionality of the identified internal controls”.
Participant feedback was positive with requests for more training in the future, and an acknowledgement that “structural embedding of these processes in systems and reporting is necessary for the growth of Young Africa”.
A detailed overview of the content, impact and results achieved are available in the Project Report, External Evaluation and Programme Toolkit.
Event Report
Leadership & Management
In June 2018, 17 senior staff members from YA International, YA Zimbabwe, YA Mozambique, YA Botswana and YA Namibia completed Leadership & Management training at YA HUB in Zimbabwe. The training was facilitated by Susan Morgan from the School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies at Ulster University.
Briefly, the training content included – (A) Vision, Mission & Values; (B) Leadership including ways of thinking about leadership, different leadership styles, behaviors, productive habits and emotional intelligence; (C) Management including review of three key management models and team roles; and (D) Supervision strategies.
Participant feedback was positive:
· “The exercises really made me reflect on my leadership skills”
· “The training was facilitated properly and the training methodology was quite acceptable since it was deductive … this is excellent”
· “I was expecting to learn more about leadership in general but I learnt more about myself instead with regard to leading and managing an organisation”
· “It has given me a more theoretical base and gave food for thought. The training came at the right moment because we were struggling with leadership questions”
· “I was able to understand the leadership style and see how it fit in and where I need to adjust on my leadership skills. The 7 habits really helped me to shape by skills”
· “I got to realise the reality of McGregor’s Theory Y especially. That employees once given an opportunity to contribute towards achieving objectives of the organisation will do what is best for the organisation. An example is the sharing of financial reports with all staff that las led to some view management as an ally rather than opposition in dealing with labour related issues”
The facilitator noted that” I believe it has enabled the participants to reflect in a very positive way the strengths and areas for improvement in both their personal and organisational management and leadership roles and critique wats these could be built upon and enhanced”.
A detailed overview of the content, impact and results achieved are available in the Project Report, External Evaluation and Programme Toolkit.
Event Report
Youthwork
Two experienced youthworkers (Chris O’Donoghue and Karen Munyayi) delivered this training through a highly participatory methodology. The training programme was based on SERVE’s Global Youthwork Toolkit, which was updated for this Programme. The training content included selected components from the Toolkit including – (A) Overview of Youthwork; (B) Leadership styles for youthworkers; (C) Skills in youthwork; (D) Programme Planning; (E) Policies and procedures including safeguarding.
A detailed overview of the content, impact and results achieved are available in the Project Report, External Evaluation and Programme Toolkit.
Event Report
Achieve
This innovative pilot programme adopted some of the youthwork methodologies outlined in SERVE’s Global Youthwork Toolkit. Two consultant mentors worked with YA staff and 21 vulnerable young people to improve access to vocational training. The programme had three stages – recruitment, programme delivery and evaluation. Programme content included induction; a teambuilding residential; personal development & lifeskills workshops focused on overcoming barriers to access, resilience, dealing with conflict and decision making; mentoring; action planning; a presentation day about future hopes of participants; and a celebration event.
A detailed overview of the content, impact and results achieved are available in the Project Report and External Evaluation.
