Philosophy and Development Approach
Family Based Development
AYB-SD adopts a family-based development approach. We believe that focusing on the comprehensive development of families in poor communities will lead to social change. Accordingly, AYB-SD does not only economically empower youth and women in marginalized communities, but it also targets the families of youth and women participating in our programs so as to create positive influence on the society at large. To reach all family members, AYB-SD organizes art expression and human development classes for teens and children, as well as health and environmental awareness for all family members. For example, AYB-SD trains a young man and offers him an employment opportunity, while at the same time gives micro-credit to his mother, involves young children in the family in cultural and art sessions, and engages all of family members in health and environmental awareness sessions.
Integration of Training and Employment
In addition, AYB-SD provides employment opportunities (formal opportunities and self employment) to youth and women graduating from its training programs. Youth and women who have received specialized and vocational training at AYB-SD are offered formal employment opportunities through the Employment Office, or micro-loans (or small loans) to start their own business. Thus AYB-SD provides competitive labour to the market as well as equips youth and women with the needed skills so as to lead their own lives.
Changing Stereotypes
All AYB-SD programs are not working ultimately for service provision! The ‘changing stereotype’ strategy is integrated in all the operational plans of the programs. We work on encouraging poor communities to seek knowledge rather than just receivers of knowledge and to look positively to themselves and their future. In addition, we don’t just employ youth and head of households, but we work on changing the stereotypes against certain jobs that poor people mostly work in (e.g. housekeepers, office assistants…etc). The poor are sometimes even discriminated from joining jobs in companies (sales, admin, secretary…etc) due to their social status, although they might be trained or qualified to work in these jobs. It is our role to abolish this stereotype.
Community Participation and Inclusion
Beneficiaries should be turned to be creators of knowledge rather than just receivers of knowledge, which AYB-SD has done through the ‘community council’. This council is composed of group of youth, women, and children who receive various services through our programs. The ‘community council’ attracts more and more members as our programs expand. The team leader of this council is selected through a democratic process, which is through electing him/her through the council members. After graduating from a certain program in AYB-SD, the ‘community council’ members receive TOT on our curriculums and systems, and thus work as volunteers in our programs after being beneficiaries. The ‘community council’ members act as consultants for the various programs, where the council feeds us with remarks and evaluation regarding some programs’ contents and others.
Twin System and Financial Sustainability
AYB-SD is also unique in its approach to sustainability. AYB-SD has got social ventures that create both social impact and financial sustainability for the organization. We adopt something called a twin system for financial sustainability, where each development program in the organization has got a twin social venture. This social venture generates profits to pay off the operation costs of its corresponding program. This is shown clearly in the figure:
Revive covers the operational costs of the Training and Career Guidance Program (TCGP) given to poor youth and women. In addition, Revive contributes with its training manuals to the TCGP so as to be translated and used in its training sessions and thus maintains high quality training for beneficiaries.
Zaytoona covers the operational costs of the Vocational Training Program given to marginalized youth and women. In addition, Zaytoona offers employment opportunities to the best graduates of the Vocational Training Program so as to work in Zaytoona workshop.
Tafanin covers the operational costs of the Cultural and Health Awareness Program for poor children and family members. Tafanin also contributes with its children development manuals to the Cultural and Health Awareness Program so as to be used in its cultural and art sessions with children and teens, and thus maintains high quality service for beneficiaries.
The Employment Office is a self-sustainable program, where its costs are covered by the service fees paid by customers to get qualified candidates.
The Loans Program (small loans and micro-loans) is a self-sustainable program, where beneficiaries pay service fees against the services provided by the program.
Franchise System in Universities
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