YEDI ENGAGES 4000 YOUNG NIGERIANS AT 4th ANNUAL SKILLZ HOLIDAY PROGRAM

To meaningfully engage children and young adults during this long holiday, Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) is organising a week-long holiday program for age 11 to 18 years. Tagged Skillz Holiday Camp , the annual, youth-targeted event which is in its 4th year focuses on educating young people about prevention of endemic diseases such as Malaria and HIV, as well as empowering them with knowledge on healthy habits and life management skills using the convening power of football and other physical activities in a safe, fun, non-discriminatory and interactive environment. Generously sponsored by ExxonMobil and M.A.C AIDS Fund, the summer camp which was flagged off on Monday August 1, 2016 at 4 locations in Lagos will also take place in Ogun and Akwa Ibom States from August 8th to September 2nd.

In a statement made available to the press on the need for such a summer program, Anu Ishola, YEDI’s Executive Director stressed the importance of positively engaging young people during long holidays. aims at engaging young people during the long holiday, a period where youths are most vulnerable, have a lot of idle time and are exposed to negative peer pressure that increases the likelihood of engaging in risky activities. This year, we are targeting 4,000 young people in Lagos, Ogun and Akwa Ibom,” she noted while thanking the sponsors and volunteers for supporting a program that makes the holiday period a memorable one for young people.

According to the statement, the camp runs for 8hours per day over five days and participants will experience a series of exciting activities that will engage them for the whole day which will be handled by trained volunteers who will serve as coaches. Some of the activities include registration, orientation and physical exercises (where all participants partake in morning exercises and be briefed on the day's activities); breakfast (they are all given a well nourishing breakfast in preparation for the day's activities); Lunch (they are treated to a healthy meal with water); Bed-net demonstration (they are taught the importance of Long Lasting Insecticidal Net and how best to use it); Talent Hunt and exhibition (they are given an opportunity to showcase and hone their skills); Quiz competition (they will take part in some brain exercises to improve their knowledge); and several other activities.

ABOUT YEDI

Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative, principal host of the Skillz Holiday Camp, is a Nigerian NGO committed to introducing effective and innovative approaches aimed at mobilizing, educating, empowering and inspiring young people and communities in Nigeria. Through its various programs, YEDI equips young people with basic and relevant life-coping skills, and provides them a platform to have important discussions about life, take guided steps to achieve their goals, stay strong when faced with challenges, and protect themselves and others from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria. With support from its sponsors and partners, YEDI has empowered more than 60,000 children in over 400 project sites and schools in Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Ogun States with plans to extend operations to Abuja and Rivers State. Thanks to its funders and partners, YEDI has empowered over 8,000 young people since 2013 with the Skillz Holiday Camp platform. More information is available at www.yedi.ng