YETA - PEACE BUILDING INITIATIVES Youth Empowerment To Act (YETA) is a Refugee led Community Based Organization established in 2018 as a liquid soap making group trained by OXFAM by then called NYARENGUN (LOVE GOD) Imvepi settlement, Odupi sub-county, Terego District-Uganda. YETA is legally registered with Odupi Sub-county and Terego District.

The formation of YETA was precipitated by increased socio-economic problems associated with youth unemployment (low levels of education), limited access to education by children with disability,lack of tertiary education and vocational skills trainings which has left the youth frustrated and has resulted to drug abuse (chronic alcoholism) that triggers violence (GBV,SGBV) and other conflict related acts in the community, suicide and village crimes such as theft and vandalism of community facilities like security solar light as ways of getting money, increased economic bondage of women, poor sexual behavior that has increased the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst young people, rampart  destruction of the environment, unequal involvement andparticipation of women and the minority communities in leadership and service delivery, low levels of community participation in hygiene and sanitation promotion to access clean and safe drinking water as well as cases of violence and conflicts amongst communities (Refugees and host).


Vision; To have a society with constructive, peaceful and productive self-reliant youth for inclusive service delivery and sustainability.

Mission; Commit to advocate and promote positive human values for a progressive society.

Achievements
Community led mobilization; utilization the community structures such as refugee/host leaders to take lead in mobilizing and empowering communities to actively participate in community developmental and trans-formative activities. This has increased the level of women and girls’ participation in leadership and decision making in their various communities.

Community led facilitation; Meaningful involvement of local community leaders andwomen as facilitators/trainers while implementing our activities has built more confidence in both refugee and host community women and men to always take lead and inspire others. By so doing refugee and host community members feel valued and has increased and improved their participation in most activities for ownership and sustainability. We identify knowledgeable and resourceful community facilitators with rich background on peace building or activities of relevance. Theiralready existing influence asleaders greatly impacted the beneficiaries in terms of using local languages, examples above all beingfrom the same society.

Use of the GALS methodologies; Use of the GALS methodology/tools such as challenge action tree and Gender Balance Tree whichinvestigates the roots and fruits of violence and deals at depth with specific issues identified by the community members, such as anger, prejudice, stereotyping, ethnicity, etc. This approach aims at gender transformative leadership, it tries to break thebarrier that hinders women and girls’ participation and involvement in leadership and decision making at all level.

This has empowered most women to take leadership roles, participate in planning at all level, make key decisions on key family or community concerns above all it has empowered them to know their rights and to participate towards development


Partner Contribution
YETA will build peace and improve social cohesion among refugees and with host communities and skills to support developmentand peace through training of women and girls on gender trans-formative leadership, human rights and peace building, Co-creating, coaching and mentor-ship programs for girls and women, Identifying and train male champions to advance women participationagenda, Mapping/ capacity assessment of  Local leaders (RWCs and LCs), Facilitating, structures with tools to enhance their work, Establishing and training the alliance of cultural and religious leaders of refugees and host communities,  Facilitating quarterly meetings of the alliance, Creating awareness on peace building, mental health and psychosocial support, Gender Based Violence and climate change through IEC materials, MDD, Debates, Sports, radio talk shows, spot messages and community dialogues,Mapping and undertake restoration of degraded environment, Identification, recognition and award of climate change champions among others.