Activities Youth on the Move 1st year
Youth on the Move is a young organization which was launched in the Netherlands in 2006 and in Kenya after the riots, March 2008. The focus of its activities is on Kenya. In the Netherlands, a group of volunteers existing of youth with epilepsy fundraises for YotM.
Though just started, the actions of Youth on the Move have already given some remarkable fruits. An office has been established, having a training room, a library and a computer room. Furthermore, several collaborations have been established with various stakeholders of which the most important are the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports as well as UCB Pharma (‘Live beyond Epilepsy’ campaign ). Also several appearances in the media did occur like interviews on various radio channels, TV and in magazines (An interview and documentary about Youth on the Move will be published at their international website www.livebeyondepilepsy.com and Ezine. Three interviews on Ghetto Radio and Homeboyz Radio, interview with Straight Up from NTV, documentary Grapevine at KBC, interviews in the Daily Metro, Nairobi Star, Pregnant Magazine (with one of the youth coordinators who is already mother)
Training of 6 youth with epilepsy as professional youth coordinators
In the first year, YotM selected six youth with epilepsy to train them as professional youth coordinators, by giving classes on Monday and Tuesday about the following topics: culture and identity, teamwork, youth participation and coaching. Professor Kioy, a neurologist gave them classes on epilepsy at the University of Nairobi.
Official launch Youth on the Move
Saturday the 30th of May we officially opened the Youth on the Move venue at Birongo Square in Nairobi West. The youth coordinators in training (Moses, Daina, Chris, George, Daphne and Augustino) took the honor to present our new programme. They shared their personal experiences with epilepsy and came with their demands to the government. George asks the government to finance the drugs for all people with epilepsy.
And according to Daina the visits to the doctors should be free of charge as well. But most important according to them is that the government will support them in creating awareness on epilepsy so that they will be treated with respect and dignity like any one else.
Reports at livebeyondepilepsy.com from UCB Pharma
Youth on the Move collaborates with UCB Pharma by making video reports about youth and epilepsy and the way people deal with epilepsy in Kenya. These video’s are published at www.livebeyondepilepsy.com and also to be seen at www.youtube.com.
Weekly Movers Meeting
Every Saturday (except for the last Saturday of the month) our youth come together to meet and to organize activities to create awareness about epilepsy. Everyone who wants to join in can come to the Training Centre to be part of the team of active volunteers. They can walk in from 9 am, by 11 am the meeting kicks off and takes place until 2 pm. Our Training Centre is in Nairobi West, Birongi Square (matatu 14 from town to Madaraka).
During the meeting we also have our Sikika talk about the most burning issues of our group. (Sikika means being heard). We talk of issues like: epilepsy and sex, conning, changing dreams into reality, inferiority, rape. If you have an issue you'd like to discuss, feel free to bring it in and we'll put it on the list of topics! The discussions are reported in articles for the Sikika magazine which people all over Kenya read.
Movers Festival
The youth with epilepsy requested to organize a festival to bring epilepsy fully in the attention through infotainment. Therefore they decided to write a song on epilepsy. It was written and recorded by youth together with famous Kenyan artists Jua Cali and Wyre. The song has been aired on the radio and was performed live by the youth in August 2008 at the Movers festival, a music festival organized by YotM at the KICC grounds in Nairobi. A music video has also been recorded and will be released soon. Dance classes have been organized with the famous Ian from Nix.