Monrovia – The Youth Coalition for Education Liberia (YOCEL) is rolling out its women economic empowerment project, targeting about five hundred girls who are expected to benefit from internship roles at various institutions.
YOCEL Executive director Beyan Pewee informed this paper that over the last few years, his organization has been working assiduously in building leadership skills amongst young people to become change agents in Liberia.
He said as the organization seeks to continue confronting the challenges facing young people in the country, the internship project named internship hub will help address the problem of unemployment and underemployment amongst Liberian Youth.
In jumpstarting the project, Pewee maintained that YOCEL has launched a recruitment process for four female interns who will be absorbed in various departments of YOCEL
“YOCEL recognizes that a young population with few opportunities to work can put great strain on a nation and its ability to develop.”
“YOCEL affirms that as Liberians, we are all inextricably linked to one another. Helping others succeed helps our nation succeed, “he said.
Flow project
Pewee’s internship project is in line with the Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW) project that seeks to create opportunities for women and girls and foster a transformation towards an enabling environment in which women’s rights are better protected.
At both local and national levels the programs will contribute to sustainable, inclusive development and to fight against poverty and the lack of equal rights for women and girls.
Internship Implementation
According to a concept note shared with this paper, the purpose of the program is to provide young people with needed skills and competencies, match employers and organizations in and around Liberia with young people who are seeking to contribute to a rapidly evolving nation refine their own business and communication skills and engage with leaders in a field of business they are interested in.
It is YOCEL’s expectation that participants who enroll in the program will not only gain skills and additional opportunity networks, but also thought partners and mentors who can help guide them as they seek to build their CVs
About YOCEL
YOCEl is a youth driven organization, pressing to promote young people in realizing their full potential and make impact in society. To achieve this, the organization is a lead advocate for education reform, youth empowerment and participation in decision making.
YOCEL was born out of the desire to increase educational outcomes for all and promote Youth involvement in the education and life modeling of their own future.
Since 2013, YOCEL has been working on youth education and development projects in at least 6 districts across three counties (Montserrado, Grand Gedeh & Lofa) targeting directly at least 30 local youth organizations and indirectly reaching out to over 50,000 young women and men through awareness creation, capacity development, public dialogues, research, consultations and advocacy campaigns.