LIFE-SKILLS INITIATIVE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (LIFYEAD): 2011

Sunday, November 6, 2011

BACKGROUND:
Nigeria is a country with great business and investment potentials, much of which lies in the abundant of human and natural resources. Tapping these resources requires organized efforts that can facilitate useful and economically viable entrepreneurial endeavors and business ventures. These efforts should target primarily the country’s most viable population, the youth. It is on this platform that Life-Skills Initiative for Youth empowerment and Development (LIFYEAD), designed a programme to help the youths, especially those that are educationally and economically disadvantaged to acquire knowledge and skills relevant to their success in life.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Life-Skills Initiative for Youth Empowerment and Development (LIFYEAD) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) introduced in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka on July, 2008 by Nweke Prince O. Hails from Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State (South-East), Nigeria. However, the operation did not start immediately until July, 2009. The headquarter is located in Abia State while the branch operation is in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State. Its membership is drawn from all the Six Geo- political zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria headed by Regional Coordinator. LIFYEAD believed in Human Rights irrespective of ethic, Origin, birth, state, color, sex, language, beliefs and any form of discrimination is against our dignity and integrity.
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE:
Our organization structure is made of the Board of Trustees, National Coordinator, Deputy National coordinator, National Secretary, Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Office Assistance, Account Auditor, Financial Officer, Treasurer, Project Coordinator, Programme Coordinator, Regional Coordinators, Resource Persons/Facilitators, Publicity Secretary, Special Advisors, Members and volunteers.
OUR VISION:
The initiative is poised to provide life-skills training experiences to youths of all categories so that they can acquire relevant knowledge and skills necessary for self development, productivity, creativity and dependency.
OUR MISSION:
To make the young generation competent in all spheres of human endeavours in order to be able to compete favourably with others in this rapidly changing society.
MEMBERSHIP:
Membership is free to all who are committed to achieving the vision and the objectives of the initiative inline with the MDGs
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
• To raise the awareness of youth to self-employment as a career option.
• To promote good governance and human rights (through reinforcing citizenship rights, improving prisoners conditions and promoting the resolution of conflict through peace)
• To inculcate in the youth ability to think about or plan the future with great imagination and innovation creativity.
• To Promote peace and security
• To empower young entrepreneurs with business related skills.
• To develop the appropriate support systems, which can facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge?
• To promote healthcares and treatment (HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing)
• To establish mechanisms capable of encouraging innovation and creativity.
• To reduce the rate of unemployment, poverty, crime, hunger etc. among the youth.
• To teach the youth essential practical life skills that is required for productive living (Vocational Production), like: simple cakes, creative arts, hair salon, barbing salon, welding, painting and decoration, bricklaying, carpentering, ability to operate computer and other local production for household (cosmetics productions) such like: local pomade, custard powder, yogurt, soya-beans, soya-milk, kitchen soap, shoe-polish, ice-cream, Detergent, and many other related skills like: ICT and Decorations
OUR ACTIVITIES:
 Leadership Skills
 Advocacy
 Youths Empowerment
 HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing
 Advanced Skill Acquisition
 ICT Awareness Sensitization
 Career Counseling
 Community Development Issues and Studies
 Poverty Reduction
 Eradication for Drug Abuses and Usage
 Decorations (Interior and Exterior)
 Gender Issues
 Health Cares Treatment: Diabetic/Hypertension Testing and Counseling
 Business Management
 Financial Management
OUR SPONSORS:
• Prince Computer Schools Ltd
• Confidence Computer Institute
• Richmond Open University
• Institute of African Studies
• Creativity Mobilization Movement
• Tomorrow Leaders Forum
• AfriHUB Nigeria Limited
• Youth Friendly Centre
• Nsukka Local Government Area
• Royal Crown Academy
• Pastor Helen Chika Henry
• Hon. Onyeke Chineme
• Alamo Ministries
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:
•Access to our ICT training on advance programs.
•Free participation to local, regional, National and International Conferences, Workshops, Seminars, talk-shows etc
•Access to job opportunities with our employment agencies.
•Links to Networking, Coalitions, Donors and Agencies for Project Funding in your locality
•Recommendations to International NGOS base on the applicant’s Curriculum Vitae.
•Free access to real Job Opportunities within and outside the country especially with the following organizations: WHO, UNDP, USAID, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, United Nations etc
•Free Access to information’s on any up-coming Local, Regional, National, International Conferences and •Workshops on Health, HIV/AIDS, Education/Scholarship, Community Development and Climate Change
•Free constant training on Advocacy, Good Governance, Proposal Writing, Financial Management, Entrepreneurship, Career Counseling, Report Writing, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Response to Proposal, Human Rights, Climate Change, Environmental Sanitation, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Counseling and Testing
•Ability to acquire our training skills and others packages.
•Free access to health care training and experience
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
 Training of Prisoners in Nsukka metropolis Through Skill Acquisition
 Training of Undergraduate Students for 2-Day ICT Sensitization in Partnership with AfriHub Nigeria Limited
 Training of Secondary Schools Students with Skill Acquisition to becomes self-reliant, developed, creative and productive at Hill-view Unique Secondary Schools Nsukka
 Training of Post Primary schools on ICT awareness especially during the long vacations in partnership with Prince Computer School Limited
 Training of students in movie acting, auditions, dancing and singing in partnership with Young Stars Institute
 Free Distribution of materials to the physically challenging ones within and outside the University community. Promoting and the first to marked International Youth Day (IYD) in Nsukka Metropolis which was made of different cooperate bodies, local and national organizations, CSO, Militaries and Paramilitaries bodies etc
 Been among the short-listed 50 NGOs in South East Geopolitical Zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the European Union INSIDE to partake on their Capacity Building Workshop Project which lasted for two weeks on the eradication for poverty, good governance, peace and security, respond to proposal writing, financial management, monitoring and evaluation and management issues.
 Flagging up our banner to fight against child labor, human trafficking, prostitution, poverty, and hunger in the society
 Free Magazine distribution on simple guide to skill acquisition and procedures.
 Donation of footballs to the best secondary schools (Anglican Grammar School, St. Theresa’s College and Royal Crown Academy) in NNPC/Shell sports Competition ably presented by Maj. Gen. Chris Sunday Eze (Deputy Chairman, Nsukka National Assembly)
 Hosting Annual Conference/Seminar for the Physically Challenging ones, Youths, and Inter-Secondary Schools which title: “Business, Skills and Education Transformation: A Challenge to Nigerian Development for the 21st Centaury, under the Distinguished chairmanship of Her Excellency, Mrs. Clara Chime, First Lady, Enugu State ably represented by the Commissioner for Gender, Enugu State.
 Hosting 5-days workshop on youth empowerment through Information Communication and Technology towards nation building capacity and Structural Adjustment Program to First year students in the University of Nigeria Nsukka
 Training of Students on Homemade Production such as Detergent, Shoe Polish, Odor control and Yogurt
 Publication of Articles, magazine with the press within and outside the state of operation.
 Award of Honors to Lovers of Youth Empowerment Programs and Development in Nigeria by LIFYEAD ably presented by His Royal Highness Igwe Dr. Patrick Okoro
 Training of young youths on leadership skills in partnership with Tomorrow Leaders Forum, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
 Free HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing in partnership with University Nigeria Nsukka Medical Service
 Training on Cosmetics and Vocational Productions to Young Girls and Women’s in Rural Areas.
 Eradication for Drug Abuses and Usage in Nsukka Metropolis and Schools.
LIFYEAD BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DIRECTORY
1)Prof. P. N. C. Ngwu     -     Patron - Department of Adult Education, University of Nigeria
2)Prof. E. J. Otaburuagu    -    Staff Adviser/Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Nig.
3)Prof. P. U. Nwangwu    -    Spiritual Adviser
4)Prof. N .N. Elekwa      -        Former Head, Department of Public Administration, UU
5)Chief Dr. Mrs. M. A. Obi    -    Matron - Department of Public Administration, UNN
6)Dr. O. N. Nwakairi        -    Department of Adult Education, University of Nigeria – Nsukka
7)Chief Dr. Ndu Ukoha    -    9A Aba Road, Aba – Abia State
8)Engr. Denis Ikechukwu    -    20 Bendel Road, Off. Creek Rd. Water Side – Port – Harcourt

Saturday, November 5, 2011

2011 LIFYEAD WYD Report

THE REPORT OF THE LIFE-SKILLS INITIATIVE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (LIFYEAD), 2011 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY CELEBRATION IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE – NIGERIA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL YOUTH REFORMATION ORGANIZATION (IYOREF), LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

The 2011 Life-skills Initiative for Youth Empowerment and Development (LIFYEAD), held on August 12^th, 2011 on the campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State (South-East Region), Nigeria, co-hosted by International Youth Reformation Organization (IYOREF), Lagos State, Nigeria USA and sponsored by the University of Nigeria General Enterprises limited (UNGEL); Prince Computer School Limited, a division of Prince Holdings; Confidence Empowerment Foundation, Anambra State; University of Nigeria HIV/AIDS Unit; Living World Campus Fellowship (UNN) with nearly 172 students from different states in attendance; 8 youths delegates from different NGOs that focus on Youth Development around the South-East Region; 12 NGOs from different states and delegates representing their paramilitaries.

However, the International Youth Day celebration was organized in conjunction with our yearly conference with paper presentations which title: Nigerian Youth and their Unemployed Challenges: The possible Way Out: and was addressed by Rev. Joseph M. starling, Texas,

USA

and founder of the Place of Hope International.

Notwithstanding, some of the participating Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS) includes the following:

1) University of Nigeria, Nsukka HIV/AIDS Team lead by Mrs. Ada okeke for conducting HIV/AIDSD testing and counseling

2) Name of Delegate: Chuwkuemeka Godswill

Organization: Greenland Consult (GC)

State: Enugu State

Phone: +234(0)806-662-5331, +234(0)803-242-2884

3) Name of Delegate: Dr. Mrs. V.C. Chibuko

Organization: Centre for Children and Youth Counseling (CCYC)
State: Enugu State

Phone: +234(0)803-073-2691

4) Name of Delegate: Hon. Nwachukwu Mathew

Organization: Potential Minds Initiative (PMI)

State: Abia State

Phone: +234(0)80

5) Name: Adebayo Oluwatosin

Organization: International Youth Reformation Organization (IYOREF)

State: Lagos State

Phone: +234(0)818-742-9033

6) Name: Ozuzu Promise

Organization: International Youth Counseling

Nigeria

(IYCN)

State: Imo State

Phone: +234(0)703-253-

7) Name:

Organization: National Association of Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY)

State: Ebonyi State

Phone: +234(0)806-923-0194

8) Name: Comrade Acha Emmanuel

Organization: Youth Education on Human Rights And Civil Responsibilities (YEHRCR)

State: Enugu State

Phone: +234(0)803-375-1328

Eventually, the event was covered as regards to Videoing by CUDIMAC and pictured by owoh Henry while Technical Assistant was Okechukwu Meletus and powered by Living World Campus Fellowship, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Finally, the event would not have been successful without the active participation of the following personalities:

1) Prof. Obasi Igwe - Lead Opening Ceremony

2) Pastor Eze Gideon - Opening Prayer

3) Prof. E.J. Otagburuagu - Staff Adviser

4) Prof. P.N.C. Ngwu - Patron

5) Dr. Goodhead Uchendu - Chairman of the occasion

6) Rev. Joseph M. Starling - Guest Speaker

7) Dr. Mrs. V.C. Chibuko - Co-Guest Speaker

8) Hon. Nwodo Ken - Chairman, Local Organizing committee

9) Nweke Prince - National Coordinator

10) Chika Henry - Programme Coordinator

Paper Presenters Include the following persons:

1) Attah Emmanuel

2) Hon. Nwachukwu Mathew – Potential Minds Initiative (PMI)

3) Chief Dr. Mrs. M.I.C. Adamere – Asebe Shehu Yar’dua Foundation (ASYF)

4) Ozuzu Promise – Intenational Youth Council, Nigeria (IYC)

5) Comrade Acha Emmanuel –

6) Dr. Mrs. V.C. Chibuko – Centre for Children and Youth counseling (CYCC)

7) Mrs. Okeke Ada – University Medical Services.

Basically, participants were also offered generously with food, snacks,

Soft drinks and free certificate of participation to all represent NGOs at the end of the event. At the closing remarks, the chairman, Local Organizing Committee – Mr. Nwodo ken finally thank and appreciate all delegates and other intended participants who showcase their present at the events irrespective of the on-going rain in the university community.

Once again, we thank you all and hoping to see you in our up coming Saturday, August 12^th, 2012 International Year of the Youth in Enugu State, Nigeria.

2011 LIFYEAD WYD Welcome Speech

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR, LIFE-SKILLS INITIATIVE FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (LIFYEAD), NWEKE PRINCE IN COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONAL YOUTH REFORMATION ORGANIZATION (IYOREF),NIGERIA-USA ON FRIDAY AUGUST 12^TH, 2011 IN NIGER HALL, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE

The Vice-chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

The Chairman of the Occasion

The Head of the department of Political Science here present

The lords, Spiritual Temporal

Your Royal Highness

Chief and Elders here present

NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, Companies or representative here present

The Military and Paramilitaries, here present

Other Voluntary Organizations here present

Member of LIFYEAD and IYOREF here present,

Lovers of Youth empowerment and Development

Members of the Press

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is with a deep sense of humility and dedication that I welcome you all to this joyful events to been held in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I equally extend a very warm welcome to the many NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, Companies or representatives, Royal Fathers and other distinguished friends, partners, men and women who have honored us their presence today. We are indeed grateful to God Almighty for bringing you here safely.

Notwithstanding, International Youth Day (IYD) was initiated by the United Nations General Assembly in collaborations with other developed and developing countries around the world in December, 1999 which finally was declared in August 12^th, 2000 in United States of America. However, one of the major reasons for this notable day around the world is to celebrate the young youths energy, imagination, initiatives, skills, and to recognized their contributions and active participation towards enhancing peace and development in their various community.

I am to inform you that this NGO was initiated in 2008 while she started its operation in 2009 with 15 members. Today, this organization is fully recognized and approved by Nigerian Network of NGOs; world Youth Movement for Democracy; National coalition of Nigerian Youth in South-East Nigeria; World Association of NGOs; Global Youth Action Network; Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS; Nsukka Local Government and as well partners with many Local, Regional, National and International Organizations. The organization has today trained so many secondary schools; youth in different communities; undergraduate students of the university and many intended beneficiaries in the following areas, such as: ICT Component, Leadership Skills, Vocational skills, Youth Development, CV/Reporting writing, proposal Writing, and most especially in conducting HIV/AIDS testing and counseling with the assistance of the university medical HIV/AIDs unit till date. At present, the organization has 26 staff; 8 board of trustees; 12 resources persons, 6 advisors and 158 volunteers both within and outside the country.

If am permitted to say, I wills suggest that there is need for the government to encourage youth development issues; established training centres in rural communities; courage non-formal education system to enable the unemployed and the school drop out acquire some relevant skills to become creative, developed and self-reliant which on the other hand would help the nation to reduce the rate of crimes, election thugs, over-dependency and community violence in our respective homes.

Finally more details about this organization can be downloading in our blogspot, google search, facebook and linkedin and encyclopedia etc.

Ladies and gentlemen, NGOs, Foundations or representative here present, I once again thank you all for your kind attention. We wish you happy celebration and conference. May God in His infinitely mercy grant you all safe journey back to your respective destinations. Stay with us.

NWEKE PRINCE

NATIONAL COORDINATOR

(LIFYEAD)

Friday, September 9, 2011

People detained by the police in Vietnamfor using drugs are held without due process for years.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Tens of thousands of men, women and children are being held against their will in government-run forced labor centers in Vietnam. This is not drug treatment, the centers should be closed, and these people should be released.

Joe Amon, health and human rights director at Human Rights Watch

(Bangkok) – People detained by the police in Vietnamfor using drugs are held without due process for years, forced to work for little or no pay, and suffer torture and physical violence, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Government-run drug detention centers, mandated to “treat” and ”rehabilitate” drug users, are little more than forced labor camps where drug users work six days a week processing cashews, sewing garments, or manufacturing other items.

The 121-page report, “The Rehab Archipelago: Forced Labor and Other Abuses in Drug Detention Centers in Southern Vietnam,” documents the experiences of people confined to 14 detention centers under the authority of the Ho Chi Minh City government. Refusing to work, or violating center rules, results in punishment that in some cases is torture. Quynh Luu, a former detainee who was caught trying to escape from one center, described his punishment: “First they beat my legs so that I couldn't run off again... [Then] they shocked me with an electric baton [and] kept me in the punishment room for a month.”

“Tens of thousands of men, women and children are being held against their will in government-run forced labor centers in Vietnam,” said Joe Amon, health and human rights director at Human Rights Watch. “This is not drug treatment, the centers should be closed, and these people should be released.”

International donor support to the centers, and to the Vietnamese government’s Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, which oversees them, can have the perverse impact of enabling the government to continue to detain HIV-positive drug users, Human Rights Watch said. Under Vietnamese law, HIV-positive detainees have a right to be released if drug detention centers cannot provide appropriate medical care.

Vietnam’s system of forced labor centers for drug users has its origin in “re-education through labor” camps for drug users and sex workers established following the victory of North Vietnam in 1975. The centers received renewed political support in the mid-1990s during a government campaign to eradicate so-called “social evils,” including drug use. As Vietnam’s economy has modernized, the system has expanded. In 2000, there were 56 such centers across Vietnam; by early 2011, there were 123.

People are commonly held in the centers after police detain them or family members “volunteer” them for detention. In a few cases, individuals volunteer themselves, believing the centers provide effective drug dependency treatment.

Former detainees told Human Rights Watch that they were sent to the centers without a formal legal hearing or trial, and without seeing a lawyer or judge. They said that they were unaware of any means to review or appeal the decision to detain them. Those detainees who entered on a voluntary basis said that they were not free to leave and that their detention was arbitrarily extended by center management or changes in government policy.

Detainees described performing menial labor for long periods processing cashews, farming, sewing clothing and shopping bags, working in construction, and manufacturing products made from wood, plastic, bamboo, and rattan. Kinh Mon, a former detainee, told Human Rights Watch: “I did cashew husking for three years. I worked six and a half to eight hours a day to finish my quota. The fluid from the cashews burned my skin.”

Some detainees work for years without pay. Others are paid a fraction of the minimum wage, and center management deducts food, lodging and so-called “management fees” from their pay. At the end of their detention, some detainees said, their families had to pay the centers for debts that center officials claimed the detainees owed.

Since 1994, international donors have worked with these centers on “capacity building,” including training center staff in forms of drug dependency treatment and support for HIV interventions. The HIV prevalence of detainees is unknown, but has been variously reported at between 15 and 60 percent. Most centers offer no antiretroviral treatment or even basic medical care.

Some former detainees provided Human Rights Watch with the names of companies that allegedly had products processed in the centers. However the lack of transparency or any publicly accessible list of companies that have contracts with these government-run detention centers made corroborating the involvement of companies difficult. Often, detainees did not know the brand or company owning the products they worked on. Human Rights Watch said it is investigating companies that may have contracted with the detention centers.

Among the companies whose goods some detainees said they were forced to process were two Vietnamese companies, Son Long JSC, a cashew processing company, and Tran Boi Production Co. Ltd., which manufactures plastic goods. Human Rights Watch sent correspondence to both companies a number of times seeking their comments, but neither company replied.

Vietnamese media reports over the past decade identify both Son Long JSC and Tran Boi Productions Co. Ltd as producing products with detention center detainees. In 2011, the director of one detention center told a foreign journalist, with whom Human Rights Watch met, that Son Long JSC oversaw cashew processing within his center.

“Forced labor is not treatment, and profit-making is not rehabilitation,” Amon said. “Donors should recognize that building the capacity of these centers perpetuates injustice, and companies should make sure their contractors and suppliers are not using goods from these centers.”

Human Rights Watch called on the government of Vietnam to close down these centers permanently and to conduct an immediate, thorough, and independent investigation into torture, ill treatment, arbitrary detention, and other abuses in the country’s drug detention centers. The government should also make public a list of all companies that have contracts with detention centers for processing or manufacturing products.

Donors, and their implementing agencies, should review their assistance to detention centers and ensure that no funding is supporting policies or programs that violate international human rights law.

Companies working with Vietnam’s drug detention centers, including through sub-contractors, should end such relationships immediately, Human Rights Watch said.

“People who are dependent on drugs in Vietnam need access to community-based, voluntary treatment,” Amon said. “Instead, the government is locking them up, private companies are exploiting their labor, and international donors are turning a blind eye to the torture and abuses they face.”

NWEKE PRINCE

NATIONAL COORDINATOR

LIFYEAD, NIGERIA

+234(0)8064451455