Save Young Talent Initiative (SYTI) is local initiative in Lira district whose aim is to empower children and young people at risk to realize their hidden potential through career guidance, inspirational and motivational exposures, building capacity, facilitating acquisition of materials and financial support and development of systems.

Development efforts of SYTI are guided by the principle of inclusiveness, community participation, use of locally available resources and working with and not for the community.
SYTI was initiated by Apil Jennifer and Mutebe Henry in 2006, and under the guidance of the resource persons in the district.

Major interventions of the Initiative include:

• Interactive communication activities organized and carried out in targeted communities to sensitize mobilize and create a supportive environment among opinion leaders, cultural leaders and district leaders in order to garner support for Career and or Talent development.
• Training and education to empower children and young people (12-24 years) with skills and knowledge that enables them to know their nature, their deepest values, and their unique contribution capacity. Further, to enable them define themselves from within rather than by people’s opinions by which they contract the tendency of comparison with others.
• Implementing effective strategies that increase access to career/Talent development opportunities e.g. giving exposure to children and young people who present exceptional/ superior abilities in different walks of life.
• Fundraising for the welfare of children at risk to enable them improve their standards of living.
• Training to strengthen/ improve leadership capacities and social support structures in the project’s catchments areas.

PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

SYTI is proposing a four year intervention that will be implemented in Lira district. The project will target selected communities with an approximate total population of 110,000 children and young people.

The main purpose of the proposed project will be;

• To contribute to the mitigation of resources of social and emotional impact of the war, HIV/AIDS   child abuse and or other factors that increase the risk of children and young people in the district. This will be done through the provision of career guidance, inculcation of values to change attitudes and perceptions, psycho-social support services and counseling services.
• To promote career/ Talent education for children and young people especially girls to enable them acquire essential knowledge and skills in life planning and coping with effects of the war on their mental and psychological health.
• To provide vocational skills training in children’s centers located in Lira district. Skills training at these centers will target orphans and especially disadvantaged girls, in order to give them an opportunity to create gainful self employment.
  

Key activities proposed in the four year intervention will include;

• Initiative/ project launch meetings I targeted communities.
• Consultative meetings with key stakeholders.
• Participatory learning and action exercises to identify/confirm priorities and programs services.
• Documentation of baseline
• Conducting skills training programs for orphans and disadvantaged young people.
• Training of 10 talent scouts and 20 child-care facilitators.
• Skills transfer activities targeting child-care givers for children living with HIV and or those affected by the effects of the war.
• Reproducing service materials such as flip charts to support home based care services.
• Training of community support groups to serve as counseling aides
• Organizing and conducting community large scale communication activities such as fairs, drama, film shows that impact lives of young people into attitudinal change.
• Distributing available HIV/AIDS and related diseases educational materials to children and young people as partial fulfillment of HIV mainstreaming.
• Training career guidance service providers
• Organizing community level learning events including exchange visits.
• Exposing children’s talents and those of young people to potential audiences and or any groups that may particularly facilitate the full development of the child’s potential.
• Facilitation of inspirational, motivational speakers to encourage, impact and mentor children and young people to grow to their fullest potential.

The needs or problems this Initiative will address are priorities already outlined in the national HIV/AIDS strategic framework, constitution of the republic of Uganda, and the religious and cultural institutional conceptual framework, which form a basis of people’s values and perceptions of a descent life.

In particular the strategic framework strongly promotes approaching the problems through community response, encouraging all support organizations to work with the community.
The most recent research shows that children and young people’s realization that their contribution capacity, is a function of self-consciousness and personal endeavor is a desired approach to care and support for children and young people all over the world.

For our approach is evolutionary but has a revolutionary effect.
The Initiative knows of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his position by conscious endeavor; SYTI will help children and young people to ignite the self-realization amongst themselves.

Data and information from several research efforts for career/ talent development also imply that there is a vast talent in children and young people in Uganda and in northern Uganda in particular. However, those that live beyond the life expectance levels, only, realize it late; in the evening of their lives, and only live the climax of their talent or career.

We therefore consider that children and young people ought to be the primary target for career/ talent development since the future of the nation lies in their hands.
The Initiative considers this group (children and young people) as a risk group due to the high levels illiteracy levels, gender disparities, and effects of the war in the region.
They are consequently vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection, child abuse and neglect, low self esteem build up, lack of integrity and hopelessness leading to immorality which is against the values and principle on which all nations stand i.e. a life of value and purpose; a life worthy living.

The success of the initiative, we believe, will influence policies at the district and community levels. Policies it will influence could be related to;

• Allocation of public resources to career and or talent/skills development for children and young people who have not had a chance to grow up in descent families but present exceptional ability and need to be healthy and productive,
• Policies that formalize community child-care and youth friendly services as part of the formal service delivery system.
• Policies that promote allocation of public resources to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), that are important and effective players in the struggle against HIV/AIDS and related diseases, child abuse and neglect, all forms of acts, beliefs, customs and practices that work against the full growth and development of children and young people, and, deter them from achieving the best of their career or talent in their lives.

The Initiative is also creating an opportunity for communities to share and learn from each other. Lessons learned will be documented, shared ad used in improving performance and in creating greater impact by replicating what works.