Do You Want To Make Difference?

Youth of Choice is an organization built on a foundation of dedicated volunteers that devote their time and energy in advancing our commitment to Social Change.  Since the organization was founded in 2008, International and Local Volunteers have been an important part of Youth of Choice programs.  The purpose of the Vulindlela Volunteer Program is to contribute specific skills to various projects, to promote inter cultural learning and experiences, and to promote Youth of Choice at home and abroad. Whether you regard sustainable community volunteerism as giving back, or paying it forward, when done correctly the experience is meaningful for you as the volunteer and the community with whom you choose to share your knowledge and experience. Vulindlela, is a Zulu word which simply means "open ways" and we hope when you volunteer with us you can help to pave a brighter future for children and young people we work with. This may be the one time you’ll want to leave behind more than just footprints.

In order to bring Hope, inspire Change and drive Impact of our programs in Children and Young people, we need your help!

There are many things that you can do to get more involved with Youth of Choice in your own community. You can organize a charity event to fundraise for us, run our campaigns in your school or community, drive our programs on the ground, volunteer your time in our activities etc.


Together, we can make a difference. Drop us an email at info@youthofchoice.org

YOC TEAM: Driving Social Change
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SHOES FOR HOPE

Don't throw away your old shoes. This week we are launching another very exciting initiative and we ask you to show your support for the SHOE DRIVE CAMPAIGN by donating your old shoes to us. Just before Christmas this year we will give them away to those who are in dire need of them. Last year we distributed more 100 shoes to orphans and vulnerable children in improvised communities. You can make a difference. Your old shoes can bring a smile in a child life and provide hope. Some kids will use these shoes to walk to school, play soccer etc. For your nearest drop off point or point of collection, please call 0826786309.

Together, we can make a difference.

YOC TEAM : Driving Social Change
www.youthofchoice.org
www.facebook.com/youthofchoice
www.twitter.com/YOUTHOFCHOICE
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HAVE YOUR SAY!

Speak to us, we are ready to listen to you. Help us by answering these 3 simple questions and this will assist us to better prepare programs that are relevant and effectively drives impact.

1. What social issues affecting young people should Youth of Choice (YOC) be trying to address through their interventions programs? 2. Have you attended any of our outreach projects or educational campaigns? 3. How has YOC influence change in your life or your community?

You can add your comments here or you can email us at info@youthofchoice.org

Thank you for your time and together, we can make a difference.

YOC TEAM : Driving Social Change
www.youthofchoice.org
www.facebook.com/youthofchoice
www.twitter.com/YOUTHOFCHOICE
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POETRY SLAMS AIDS

Youth of Choice Organization (YOC) has come up with another exciting and new innovative strategy to promote HIV awareness among the youth through poetry. This campaign is themed “Keep the Promise” and aimed at encouraging young people to be the voice for driving behavior change.

Poets are asked to write poems that reflects on a situation dealing within the parameters of HIV/AIDS education, prevention and encouraging testing. YOC hopes to successfully launch the campaign on December 3 to align with the World Aids Day commemorative events.

For more information, drop us email at info@youthofchoice.

YOC TEAM : Driving Behavior Change
www.youthofchoice.org
www.facebook.com/youthofchoice
www.twitter.com/YOUTHOFCHOICE
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UNITED AGAINST HUNGER

Every six seconds, a child dies from hunger-related causes and more than 200 million children suffer from undernutrition, according to the latest United Nations figures. Hunger and poverty is everyone’s problem and needs everyone’s help. Responding properly to the hunger problem requires urgent, resolute and concerted action by all relevant actors and at all levels. It calls for the need for all of us to be united against hunger.

This Friday, 29 October 2010 the Youth of Choice Organization will be reaching out to an impoverished community of France to feed vulnerable children and orphans as part our campaign to contribute towards poverty alleviation as contained in the Millennium Development Goals 2015.

Nelson Mandela had a dream, Martin Luther King had a dream, and Mahatma Gandhi had a dream," she said. Now it is time for all of us to dream big and mobilize an unstoppable movement of humanity to act against the hunger that continues to condemn hundreds of millions of children to unfulfilled lives simply because they have not had access to nutritious food.

Show your support for this worthy cause and your contribution will go a long way towards combating poverty. Get in touch with us at info@youthofchoice.org or 079 5396131

YOC TEAM
"Driving Social Change"

PASSION FOR CHANGE

YOC Change Agents are international and local volunteers who share YOC values, serve as role models for children and youth around the communities we work with, and choose to participate in YOC activities without compensation. YOC team of Change Agents from all sectors of society support our organization. As role models, these volunteers inspire the youth and raise awareness about the Youth of Choice locally and internationally.

Our Change Agents are credible role models, and must have the ability to build essential life skills such as goal setting, leadership, discipline, respect and teamwork. Our Change Agents may speak to the media on behalf of YOC, attend events and fundraisers. Many Change Agents have visited YOC field locations to generate awareness and fundraising opportunities, and to see the effectiveness of our programs first-hand. These visit hopes to generate significant media attention and opportunities to deliver our message to the general public.

More than 30 Change Agents currently represent YOC in programme activities and they volunteer their time for free.

Be inspired and join our Team of Change Agents. Drop us an email at info@youthofchoice.org

YOC TEAM
"Driving Social Change"

GET BUCK ON AIDS - Behaviour Change Initiative

In case you missed it, the local dance crew Predators won the GET BUCK ON AIDS krump competition recently hosted by the Youth of Choice Organization (YOC). They unseated the Spartans dance crew who wer...e the previous winners of this competition. This is a youth to youth led HIV/AIDS awareness related contest which is the project of YOC that uses krump (new form of hip hop dance) to accomplish HIV education, prevention and encouraging testing with an urban flair.

With the continued high rates of HIV infection amongst youth, YOC has found a new and innovative way to reach youth with prevention messages. The project targets young people with a cool X factor from previously disadvantage backgrounds. The project allows young people to be the voice for HIV/AIDS awareness and give them an exciting platform to exercise their creative dance energy and build their self esteem. The project has been themed “ GET BUCK ON AIDS” giving young people a creative, nonviolent outlet to be entertained and educated.

Krump (new form of hip hop dance) is gaining a lot of popularity across the youth and this is heavily influenced by television shows such as Do You Think You Can Dance and movies such as Step Up. The benefit for the project is that the young audiences identifies with the contestant, appreciate the creative approach, and are responsive to the prevention messages, and YOC hopes that young people will 'own' and promote the HIV/AIDS positive messages throughout their social circles.

When asked about the project, Jabulani Myeza the founder of the Youth of Choice Organization he said, “We see this as an effective model of communication and top of mind prevention strategy to encourage behavior change. Our research has indicated that linking popular youth culture and prevention messages will result in the adoption or maintenance of sexually healthy behaviors, the young people who are the creators and the consumers of these nontraditional interventions attest to hip hop power to reach and teach”.

Youth of Choice Organization is a new dynamic youth movement of choice for nurturing young minds, driving social change and building future leaders. Registered as a non profit and anyone wish to support their good causes can contact Mr. Sbonelo Mashimane on 082 6786309 or email info@youthofchoice.org. The next show will be at the Winston Churchill Thearte on 6 November starting at 10 and all interested groups to wishing to participate must contact Cecil Khumalo on 078 7734513 before the closing date, 29 October.