ORGANIZATIONAL P R O F I L E

Organization Name: Youth Empowerment Strategies In Developing Opportunities (YES I DO)

Address: Nughutu Street, Kilakala ward,

P.O.Box 2377,
Morogoro, Tanzania.
Phone: +255714736973
E-mail: info@yesido.or.tz CC: bahatirichson@yahoo.com
Web page: www.yesido.or.tz

Contact Person: Dr. Bahati Richardson

Title: President
Legal Status of the Organization :
i) Registration Authority : Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children
ii) Registration No : 00NGO/08266.
iii) Date : 27.10.2015.
iv) Registration Reference : The Tanzania National NGOs Coordination Board; the Registrar of NGOs.

Why We Exist
Young people are often regarded as the assets of any nation. The government of the United Republic of Tanzania affirms this statement in its various
governance document. However young people in Tanzania face many challenges ranging from unemployment, corruption, lack of participation in
various decision making bodies, apathy and minimal understanding of their civic rights to mention but a few.

These challenges and others which are not mentioned here need to be addressed in manner which assures young people a brighter future or gives
them a better environment to live to their fullest potential. The environment should prepare young people to be accepted members who can contribute
to the development of their communities. Young people cannot do this without being involved. They need to be empowered to understand that they
have opportunities and they can make positive contribution to their communities and the country at large. As opposed to now where by the majority of
young people are not in the picture of what is going on in their country, despite the fact that they are the most affected with various decisions made
without being involved. YES I DO is passionate to seeing that young people are empowered, engaged, mentored and monitored to achieve their best
potentials through working with the government and other development partners by prioritizing economic empowerment for young people through
enabling them to create and or secure decent sustainable employment opportunities.

Work is a source of personal dignity, family stability, peace at household, community and the nation at large. Work is the key in poverty reduction and
facilitates in achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development in the country. However, youth employment situation remains one of the key
challenges in Tanzania. Unemployment rate among youth -15 and 34 years old- is 13.4 %; females stand at 14.3% and amongst males is 12.3 %. Urban
areas are hardest hit with unemployment rate, reaching 22.3 % as against 7.1 per cent in the rural areas. (World Bank report 2014 entitled ‘Tanzania:
Productive jobs wanted)

The main causes of youth unemployment/underemployment in Tanzania as identified are linked to low education and skills levels, skills mismatch, low
levels of entrepreneurship coupled with limited access to appropriate finance, technology and markets, low absorptive capacity of the labour market
for new entrants and the concentration of growth in highly capital-intensive and urban based sectors. The report further entails that every year it is
estimated that over 800,000 young men and women enter the labour market as new entrants, of which 500,000 are school leavers (primary and
secondary) with little or no skills, out of those only 40,000 are employed in the formal sector leaving a total of 760,000to join the unemployed or
underemployed reserve. The informal sector absorbs the bulk of the labour force but it is stretched to the limit. Informal sector employment is
growing at 2.4 % annually which is below the growth of the labour force (3 %).

These include school and college graduates and those who migrated from rural areas to urban areas. Accordingly, it is estimated that by 2030 the
labour force will have more than doubled, reaching around 50 million. This therefore underscores the importance of creating a conducive environment
for business to flourish so that more jobs are created for people over time.

YES I DO in response to this need joins other development partners to promote the goal of decent and productive employment for youth as a national
priority; promote access to employment opportunities and resources by the vulnerable and marginalized population -youth, young mothers and
people with disability.

Background of the Organization

YES I DO was formed on 20th July 2013 by a group of indigenous youths who felt compelled to respond to needs of young people, and it is led by
young people. The formation of this organization was inspired by among other factors; availability of large number of young people who are
underutilized, understanding of young people’s needs, understanding of the potential youth have when it comes to bringing social change in
communities and country at large, the Tanzania Youth Development Policy, MKUKUTA and SDGs, Tanzania development vision 2025, the realities
currently facing young people (youth unemployment, apathy, corruption and declining leadership) and experience gained through working with youth
in various youth led organizations national and International.

It is a nationally designated NGO with a registration No.00NGO/08266 given in 2015 (certificate copy attached), headquartered in Morogoro. Its
operational areas include in Mvomero, Kilosa and Gairo districts in Morogoro Region; Other Regions are Ruvuma (Songea), Pwani, Mbeya, Iringa, Mara,
Dodoma and Singida and incorporated in Unguja (Zanzibar) currently.

YES I DO operates to enhance empowering organizational development of youth through forming youth entrepreneurs’ groups’ networks at village and
ward levels. Currently there are 680 networks with 3,407 groups having 17,035 individual members who benefit from YES I DO.
The specific focus on organizational expertise and experience of YES I DO are: organizational development trainings in entrepreneurship, access to
market information, technologies and finances (micro-finance channelling), incubation and mentorship based upon agriculture, businesses, small
industries and technology. Through this initiative, YES I DO has empowered several youths who have been real entrepreneurs in fish and horticultural
farmers, agro-processors and access finances (credits) viably.
Additionally, YES I DO provides education and advocates for Human Rights, Children’s Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and access to
Productive Resources as cross-cutting issues.
Vision
To have Children, Adolescents and Youths in Tanzania achieve their highest individual potentials; with good health in a safe, positive and nurturing
environment.

Mission
To work in a holistic manner towards improving the quality of life of vulnerable and marginalized Youths, Adolescents and Children in Tanzania, by
empowerment through strategies that increase access to education, healthcare and sustainable living through income generating projects
(entrepreneurship).

Objectives
i. To educate youths on Public policy, Good Governance (democracy, participation and accountability) and Human Rights plus advocating
ii. To advocate for a conducive business and working environment for youths
iii. To support youth engagement in agricultural value chains, business and technology as our entrepreneurial areas
iv. To build and develop child-friendly environment for their development including operating educational centres
v. To provide education/skills on Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Family Planning and HIV/AIDS
vi. To resolve land conflicts, promoting land rights, grabbing and envirocare amongst youths.

Target Population
Throughout our implementation, we target two specific groups of community members with distinct characteristics; Youths with skills but do not have
jobs, Youths with jobs but do not have the prerequisite skills and Youths without both skills and jobs. And the other group is of people with disabilities
who are willing to or already engaged in productive economic activities. We empower these groups to support their own communities including
children and adolescents through our groups’ network model. The youth groups we target range between 15 to 35 years of age, and the children from
0-14 years of age, meanwhile, the people with disabilities can be of any age between 0 to 35 years.
No. Of Working Staff:-

Types of Senior Level Mid-Level Field Level Total

Staff Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Total
Regular Staff 0 0 2 2 2 2 4 4 8
Voluntary
Staff 2 2 1 1 31 30 34 33 67
Total 2 2 3 3 33 32 38 37 75

Board of Directors

S.N Full Name Contact No. Qualification Designation

1 Mr.Hans Mhalila +255754525622 M.A Economics Board Chair
/Development Planner
2 Mrs.Sarah S.Itolya +255715880500 Entrepreneur & Peer Member
Educator
3 Allan L. Wales +255656488865 Youth Representative/IT Member

4 Mrs.MarselinaKibena +255789832711 Farmer & Activist Member

5 Hon.Devotha Minja +255713695917 M.A Rural Member
Development
6 Nenelwa A. Kushoka +255712049421 M.A Economic Member/Executive
Development Vice-President
7 Prof. CyriucusS.Binamungu +255718409511 PhD in Laws Member
8 Eng.Tom Daniels +12082777809 Mechanical Engineer Member
9 Dr.Bahati Richardson +255714736973 Ophthalmologist/ Board
Development Secretary
Specialist /President
The Organizational Structure of YESIDO
GENERALASSEMBLYMEETING

BOARDOFDIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

EXECUTIVEVICEPRESIDENT EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

DIRECTOROFPUBLICRELATIONSAND DIRECTOROFPROGRAMS&DEV.
DIRECTOROFFINANCE&ADM.
CONSULTANCYSERVICES

DATABASE PROJECTCOORDINATORS
OFFICEADMINISTRATOR PROJECTACCOUNTANTS ADMINISTRATOR

FIELDSTAFF&VOLUNTEERS
OFFICEASSISTANTS&INTERNS
COMMUNITY
Model of Operations

The ultimate aim of YES I DO is Entrepreneurship Development (in agriculture, industry, business and technology) through self-sufficiency of the youth
community, young mothers and people with disabilities. The staff members of YES I DO work along with these communities organized in small groups
with members ranging between 5 to 15 for youths and 5 to 20 for young mothers, these later on join at ward level to form a network (CBO).

Each network member must join the organization membership to deserve receiving services it offers to its members, at no extra charges. All activities
in the respective youth communities are planned in co-ordination with the networks and implemented through the networks with support from staffs,
local volunteers along with foreign volunteers. Hence, the community becomes SELF- SUFFICIENT and the community entrepreneurship development
work is SUSTAINABLE. Our motto is Jenga Uwezo, Tumia Fursa, Leta Maendeleo, literally means Empowerment, Opportunities, Development.

Prior to starting Entrepreneurs’ Groups at the community level in the villages/streets and joining them to form a Ward level Network; YES I DO organization
starts by introducing the initiative plus its objectives to a respective district council of which apart from granting a permit to operate in, they also introduce
our organization and the initiative to the Wards that link us with the Village leaders for mobilizing community members (youths, young mothers and people
with disabilities) through a village meeting. It is during this meeting that the said community members who willingly agree to form groups (which will later
on join to form a ward level network) arrange the date for network formation and joining the organization membership.

The process of groups’ network formation includes payment of membership and registration fees (payable at TZS 10,000/= in total per each member
once annually), election of their leaders and arrangement for constitutional creation dates and approval activities is done meanwhile the network leaders
with support from the organization process network registration at the district council.

After forming and registering their network, they open their bank account. Subsequently, YES I DO staffs conduct group verification to ascertain their
legitimacy, legality and socioeconomic status of each individual group member then, follows a series of entrepreneurship trainings on each group’s
chosen economic activity based upon an entrepreneurial area/economic enterprise selected, they start saving money weekly at group level and monthly at
network level with which to initiate their projects before channelling them to access micro-credits from our operational partners which include public and
private financial institutions as well as other development partners we work with.

The process of Monitoring and Evaluation of each group starts and continues through their networks, each network has seven leaders and in each
group within a network must have at least five leaders. Each network conducts internal audits and reports at the ward-level meeting held once after
every three months, the organization sends external auditors to each network at the end of each year, reports are shared at the annual general
meeting held once annually in any chosen district or region yearly.
Priority Areas of Intervention/Thematic Areas
Development philosophy of YES I DO is based on its core approach that community is the nucleus, which helps us design programmatic development
agenda around the basic and strategic needs including fundamental rights of the people, especially who are unheard and disadvantaged. Following
thematic focus areas are the bases of the organizational programs/initiatives

 Education/Child rights/Girl’s Child

In rural Tanzania due to poverty and illiteracy child rights are badly neglected especially of girl’s child. Discrimination with girls is on peak due to
social orthodoxies. YES I DO is not only conducting awareness sessions in rural areas but also conducting meetings with parents to highlight the
importance of the girl’s education. For this enrollment campaign is initiated twice in the year and record is maintained in school registers.
Supporting schools by constructing toilets, supplying sanitary pads and renovation of school buildings, activation of the school boards to
celebration of children’s day is initiated by YES I DO. It also strives to build and operate its own schools from nursery through primary and
secondary schools to university.

 Health Promotion and Services Provision

Adolescents are poorly informed about sexuality and reproduction. Most often parents, public opinion leaders and policy makers believe that
withholding information about sexuality and reproduction from adolescent will dissuade them from becoming sexually active. Adolescents
without adequate and accurate information find increasingly difficult to deal with the physical, emotional and social changes affecting them.
They are pushed to risks of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and sexual abuse. Ignoring the needs
of adolescents, therefore, incurs a high cost in lost development opportunities, social disruption, and ill health. And, it means failing to fully
support our next generation of parents and leaders.

Education and awareness about reproductive health and sexuality is critical to adolescents’ development. Relevant information that helps
adolescents understand sexual changes as positive and natural aspects of their development and promotes safer sexual practices, including
delayed sexual initiation, abstinence, and access to methods for pregnancy prevention and STDs and HIV/AIDS prevention are absolutely
essential for them both in and outside of formal education systems. Studies show that good quality sexuality education for adolescents and
young people does not increase their sexual activity and instead it promotes safe sexual practices. For instance, a review commissioned by
UNAIDS and reported in October 1997, was based on the analysis of 68 research reports on sexual health education from diverse countries. The
main conclusions were:
  education about sexual health and/or HIV does not encourage increased sexual activity.

 quality sexual health education either delayed the onset of sexual activity reduced the number of sexual partners or reduced unplanned
pregnancy and STD rates.

 responsible and safe behaviour can be learned.

 sexual health education is best started before the onset of sexual activity.

Information and knowledge about reproductive and sexual health issues, combined with services, are key to empowerment and well-being of
adolescents, particularly adolescent girls. Adolescent girls' access to information is particularly limited for many reasons, including customary
attitudes, early marriages, and absence of basic literacy, lack of adequate support system in school, economic dependence and gender inequalities in
families and in society at large. Because of such discrimination, adolescent girls often lack the knowledge and skills they need to advance their status
in society. Gender-based violence and sexual reproductive health are closely linked. Adolescent girls and boys, both in-school and out-of-school,
therefore, may require special support to acquire the skills they need to protect themselves.

YES I DO expects the following outcomes by implementing SRHR;

 enhance adolescent’s ability to take responsibility for making healthier choices, resisting negative pressures and avoiding risk behaviours;

 develop a human right-based perspective to reproductive and sexual health of adolescent girls;

 enable adolescents to make responsible and informed choices and decisions regarding their sexual and health needs;

 contribute to prevention and elimination of all forms of abuse, including sexual abuse and incest;

 promote positive portrayals of adolescents;

 enhance gender equality, equity and empowerment of adolescent girls; and

 Strengthen the policy framework and response towards adolescent health and development.
  Economic Empowerment/Youth Groups’ Networks
For youth members various skills training are provided through their groups’ networks including literacy skills, improved livelihood skills, improved life
skills, access to productive assets, access to market, commercialization of indigenous and hybrid chicken, engagement in economically viable
horticultural production and utilization, agro-processing ventures, fish farming , train them with employability skills and acquire employments ,
initiate internal savings, lending and access to finance.

 Speedy justice/ Legal Protection

YES I DO is providing free legal aid to deprived and disadvantage group with the support of different partners. Not only free legal aid to disadvantage
groups is given but also awareness sessions especially with rural youth, young mothers and people with disability community members on law,
seminars on legal rights and trainings of lawyers and police department are the part of legal protection program. For mass mobilization specific
translated publications and radio programs are conducted by the organization.

 Human Rights, Gender Equality and Good Governance

YES I DO strongly advocates equal rights for all citizens of Tanzania without any discrimination. From the restoration of democracy and the judiciary,
to religious extremism, kidnapping of people with Albinism, gender based violence and forced marriage of indigenous minorities, YES I DO has
consistently objected to and campaigned against human rights violations. YES I DO trains volunteer youth on gender rights and human rights to work
as dogwatch in their areas to highlight the issues of gender violence cases like early child marriage, killing of people with Albinism issues. These
volunteers work in groups on village level through their networks. YES I DO strongly believes that without gender equality society cannot move on.
Almost in every project implementation and programmatic theme gender is the cross cutting theme of YES I DO work, from legal aid support to
worker’s rights, child rights to democracy campaign in every move priority is the gender equality for YES I DO.

On Good Governance and Equity in Political Participation, YES I DO is successful in strengthening the capacities of potential Tanzanian youth leaders
and institutions. The most effective activity towards this output is a series of leadership training workshops. This area contributes to raising the
Tanzanian public’s awareness of good governance principles and the importance of political participation of youths as opposed to the propelling
notion that “politics is evil for youths to engage in.” This is not true because by rejecting/ignoring to prepare youths well in leadership today, then we
accept weak, corrupt and visionless leaders of tomorrow for our country. YES I DO is therefore working hard along with other like-minded
organizations to transform this notion and the same time empowering youths to participate fully into leadership positions as well as advocating for
senior leaders in the government and private sectors to accept credible and competent youths into decision-making positions.
Organizational Experience
YES I DO since establishment has conducted the following activities/projects below as shown in the table.

Program / project Duration Project Aim Geographical Funder/ Donor Total

name coverage budget
Linking Small Potato Jan 2018- To double incomes of Six districts Kilimo Trust $187,965
Value Chain Actors Dec 2019 4,500 Small Retailers in 4 regions
through Collective and Vendors of round
Efforts (Li-SPACE) potatoes.
Public Expenditure Mar 2017 Advocacy on Social Kilosa Action Aid $75,000
Trucking System -Dec 2018 Accountability District International
(PETS) for SAM Monitoring (SAM)
Ward Level Jan 2016- To mobilize at least 6 districts in SALT $400,000
Entrepreneurs’ Groups Dec 2020 16,000 youths to form 3 regions. International
Network (WEN networks and &DSG
Project projects

Internal Capacity of YES I DO

As a step towards developing YES I DO strategic plan, an analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) was
conducted in order to determine what focus YES I DO should put in building on its strengths and opportunities, what needs to be done to
address the weaknesses and manage threats. Below is the SWOT analysis for this organization which has helped further identify
complementary actions, such as the organizational strengthening support, review of the policies and procedures and capacity building.
 Table 3: SWOT Analysis
Criteria area
Identity, legal and
membership
Human resource
capacity-(Staffing and
capacity within the
Network structures)
Product and Services
Management/
Leadership
Processes and systems
Working Environment
Financial control and
Strengths
 Unique identity based on
the evolution, structure
and members
 Extended visibility at Local
Level and national level
network
 Existence of grass root
networks, in ten regions of
Tanzania mainland
 YES I DO exists legally
 Committed leadership (the
board at national level)
 Existence of
skilled/competent team at
national and some MLNs
 Reserve of institutional
memory
 Tangible results from
projects at LLN
 Diversity of products and
services; e.g. market
linkages, radio
programmes, training, offer
of legal support.
 Leadership at the national
level and most of the
middle level in place.
National leadership in
particular has been very
active.
 Management team in place
Existence of established
and regularly updated
systems and tools
(constitution, policies and
guidelines, YES I DO Portal)
 YES I DO has rented office
buildings for national level
and some middle level
networks (Iringa, Songea,
Dodoma etc)
 Some local networks have
offices and meeting places.
Weaknesses
 Weak records of members
especially at LLNs
 Low contributions of fees
from the members.
 High expectations on the
members to receive funds
from national office for local
network activities
 Insufficient capacity of
members to engage and
raise voices constructively
 Insufficient human resource
as per needs of the
institution.
 Mostly are part-timers and
volunteers
 Inability to meeting all
expectations of the members
due to multiple expectations.
 Gaps in communication,
coordination and strategic
processes.
 Gaps in some skills in staff
team.
 Gaps in some leadership
skills at national and middle
level networks
 Gaps in some elements of
the systems and tools.
 Most of middle level
networks have no
appropriate office space.
 stakeholders
 Low understanding of
Opportunities
 Increasing realisation on
the role of
agribusiness/farmers
organisations as an
important player in rural
development
 There are plenty lot of
rural initiatives’ targeting
farmers although the
approach and
implementation may not
be appropriate.
 Institutionalisation of the
farmer promoters
approach as local change
agents.
 Availability of researchers
to support small
agricultural entrepreneurs
 Opportunities for skills
development
 Internal human capacity
development programme
 Availability of external
expertise and experiences
 Availability of extension
officers at local levels
 Availability of strategic
 Diverse room for funding
sustainability  YES I DO has started to take financial regulations among
action on increasing its staff
internal revenue and  Unpredictability of funding
controls. base
 Accounting system is  Burdened conditions of
installed (QUICKBOOK) donors fund
Cross-cutting issues;  Recognition of all  Weak understanding and  Existence of expertise
(gender crosscutting issues in practical interpretation of outside and support
Climate change YES I DO policies and gender and HIV/AIDS YES I DO
HIV/AIDS, Family strategic plan. mainstreaming.
Planning, SRHR, Human  Existence of YES I DO
Rights gender policy
 Existence of HIV/AIDS
internal mainstreaming
policy
 Existence of articles in the
constitution providing for
gender balance in the Board
of Directors and middle
level committees. Existence
of on-going activities on
climate change on the
ground