Youth Action International
Encyclopedia
Youth Action International (YAI) Youth Action International, or YAI, is an international nonprofit working to rebuild war-torn African communities, founded by youth activist Kimmie Weeks, a survivor of the Liberian Civil War. The organization establishes safe and healthy environments for women and their children by providing for their core needs and developing new community infrastructure. YAI is run by a network of young international leaders who are defining a new approach to delivering humanitarian aid. By leveraging the use of local materials and employing local people, YAI maximizes the economic and social impact of programs which include building schools and playgrounds, as well as micro-lending.
, a survivor of the First Liberian Civil War. At age nine, after nearly being buried alive as a result of disease, hunger and suffering, Weeks pledged to spend his life helping children. At age 16, in 1998 Weeks successfully headed Liberia’s Children’s Disarmament Campaign, an effort to lobby the disarmament of approximately 20,000 Liberian child soldiers. Two years later, his work led then Liberian President Charles Taylor and his government to attempt to have Weeks assassinated. As a result, Kimmie was forced to flee to the United States
where he was granted political asylum )
Once he arrived in the United States, Kimmie Weeks enrolled and completed his final year of high school at Glasgow High School
in Newark, Delaware
. He then enrolled at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA where he completed a post graduate program. In 2001, Weeks enrolled at Amherst College
in Massachusetts
and received a BA in Political Science and History in 2005.[9] While at Amherst College, Weeks founded Youth Action International.
YAI has developed an extensive network of volunteers around the U.S. and Canada. YAI works for the survival, protection, and development of children and women in Africa through fundraising, education, and advocacy.
YAI is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Massachusetts and is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. YAI is governed by an independent, non-salaried board of directors
Weeks' Honors
•The recipient of the 2007 Golden Brick Award which honors young people under 25 years old who are working to change the world.
•Also in 2007, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presented Kimmie with Liberia’s highest honor by decorating him Knight Grand Commander in the Humane Order of African Redemption.. Kimmie is the youngest recipient of this honor.
•Featured in the new book "Peace in Our Lifetime" as an international peacemaker, along with Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
•In 2008, MTV Canada and Discovery Chanel International profiled Kimmie’s work as part of a new reality series called 4REAL.
•Weeks received his bachelors from Amherst College
and his Masters from the University of Pennsylvania
.
•While he currently serves as Executive Director of Youth Action International, he also serves on the Board of Directors of DoSomething
•A member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council.
, Sierra Leone
, Uganda
) that have faced the worst situations of all - they are beyond the need of international emergency services, but not yet advanced enough to have a self-sustaining commercial economy. These countries face the daily realities of hunger, and a lack of basic needs such as clean water, safe schools, parks and medical care.
• Small business development (including micro-loans)
• Vocational training
• Agricultural/farming
• Health care and awareness
Major Donors
Foundations
* Alabaster Foundation
* Angele & Tassos Nomikos Memorial Fund
* Circle of Life Foundation
* Clarence Foundation
* DoSomething
* Fidelity Charitable Group
* Health Education & Relief Foundation (HEAR)
* Heart of the Heartland Foundation
* JustGive
* KIN Global – Kellogg School of Management
* Koppleman Foundation
* Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Foundation Inc.
* Tides Foundation
* The United States Aid for International Development (USAID)
* The United Nations World Food Program (WFP)
Corporate
* African Palava
* Clareo Partners
* Doritos
* Hess Collection
* Hydrosphere Resource Consultants
* JM Enterprises
* MoneyGram
* Pre-Business Group
* Susan Parker Opportunities for Growth
* Worth Interiors, Inc.
* The Kimmie Weeks Speaking Tour
* The Falconer Group
Current Chapters
• Amherst College
• Bucknell University
• Marlboro College
• McGill University
• Middlebury College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Rutgers University
• Rye Neck High School – Kids with Sole
• Smith College
• State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany
• University of Minnesota
History
According to their website, YAI was started and inspired by acclaimed youth activist Kimmie WeeksKimmie Weeks
Kimmie Weeks is an internationally acclaimed human rights activist. He was born on December 6, 1981 in Monrovia, Liberia.-Early years:In 1991, Kimmie Weeks experienced the First Liberian Civil War first hand. He and his mother, Estina Ntow, were forced to leave their home and marched with many...
, a survivor of the First Liberian Civil War. At age nine, after nearly being buried alive as a result of disease, hunger and suffering, Weeks pledged to spend his life helping children. At age 16, in 1998 Weeks successfully headed Liberia’s Children’s Disarmament Campaign, an effort to lobby the disarmament of approximately 20,000 Liberian child soldiers. Two years later, his work led then Liberian President Charles Taylor and his government to attempt to have Weeks assassinated. As a result, Kimmie was forced to flee to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he was granted political asylum )
Once he arrived in the United States, Kimmie Weeks enrolled and completed his final year of high school at Glasgow High School
Glasgow High School (Delaware)
Glasgow High School is one of the three public high schools belonging to Christiana School District, and is located in Newark, Delaware...
in Newark, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. He then enrolled at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA where he completed a post graduate program. In 2001, Weeks enrolled at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and received a BA in Political Science and History in 2005.[9] While at Amherst College, Weeks founded Youth Action International.
YAI has developed an extensive network of volunteers around the U.S. and Canada. YAI works for the survival, protection, and development of children and women in Africa through fundraising, education, and advocacy.
YAI is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Massachusetts and is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. YAI is governed by an independent, non-salaried board of directors
Kimmie Weeks
Kimmie was born in Liberia 1981. Weeks is a survivor of the Liberian Civil War. At age nine, he was nearly buried alive. After that experience, he pledged to spend his life helping children who are caught in civil wars. At age 16, he headed Liberia's Children's Disarmament Campaign of over 20,000 child soldiers, and provided health care and recreation supplies to children.Weeks' Honors
•The recipient of the 2007 Golden Brick Award which honors young people under 25 years old who are working to change the world.
•Also in 2007, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presented Kimmie with Liberia’s highest honor by decorating him Knight Grand Commander in the Humane Order of African Redemption.. Kimmie is the youngest recipient of this honor.
•Featured in the new book "Peace in Our Lifetime" as an international peacemaker, along with Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
•In 2008, MTV Canada and Discovery Chanel International profiled Kimmie’s work as part of a new reality series called 4REAL.
•Weeks received his bachelors from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
and his Masters from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
•While he currently serves as Executive Director of Youth Action International, he also serves on the Board of Directors of DoSomething
•A member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council.
Mission
According to its website, YAI promotes the wellbeing and development of children and works to provide economic empowerment for war-affected youth (ages 13–30. YAI focuses on post-war countries (LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
) that have faced the worst situations of all - they are beyond the need of international emergency services, but not yet advanced enough to have a self-sustaining commercial economy. These countries face the daily realities of hunger, and a lack of basic needs such as clean water, safe schools, parks and medical care.
Areas of Focus
• Scholarships and educational services• Small business development (including micro-loans)
• Vocational training
• Agricultural/farming
• Health care and awareness
Funding
Financial support for its work is derived from voluntary contributions made by foundations, corporations, non-profit organizations, and individuals around the world as well as money raised through the efforts of YAI College Chapters and Kimmie Week’s speaking tour.Major Donors
Foundations
* Alabaster Foundation
* Angele & Tassos Nomikos Memorial Fund
* Circle of Life Foundation
* Clarence Foundation
* DoSomething
* Fidelity Charitable Group
* Health Education & Relief Foundation (HEAR)
* Heart of the Heartland Foundation
* JustGive
* KIN Global – Kellogg School of Management
* Koppleman Foundation
* Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Foundation Inc.
* Tides Foundation
* The United States Aid for International Development (USAID)
* The United Nations World Food Program (WFP)
Corporate
* African Palava
* Clareo Partners
* Doritos
* Hess Collection
* Hydrosphere Resource Consultants
* JM Enterprises
* MoneyGram
* Pre-Business Group
* Susan Parker Opportunities for Growth
* Worth Interiors, Inc.
* The Kimmie Weeks Speaking Tour
* The Falconer Group
Country Offices
Headquartered in Traverse City, MI, Youth Action International maintains field offices in 3 countries in Africa: Liberia, Sierra Leone and UgandaChapters
YAI College Chapters support YAI’s mission by educating their peers, faculty and staff of their colleges about YAI and its programs. They also fundraise for YAI programs.Current Chapters
• Amherst College
• Bucknell University
• Marlboro College
• McGill University
• Middlebury College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Rutgers University
• Rye Neck High School – Kids with Sole
• Smith College
• State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany
• University of Minnesota