The "Girls' World" initiative: the cradle of the first launch
Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) grew out of a small initiative formed in the summer of 1998 called "Girls' World: that started its first activity from its headquarters - in the Dreams of the Birds Kindergarten in Sana'a - in a way that allowed many girls to obtain their right in education, which at the time was beyond the reach of a large percentage of girls, unlike their male counterparts. So, the initiative allocated a large percentage of free school seats to girls from low-income families with the aim of creating qualified models of girls, which resulted in a quantum leap in developing the capabilities of girls to play tangible roles in advancing community development.
1998
Administrative Expansion and Drawing a Logo for the Initiative
The "Girls’ World Initiative", since its launch in the last third of the year 1998, is the only one in Yemen interested in educating girls and building their knowledge capabilities in an appropriate environment compatible with the needs of scientific and practical life. Through the successful experience in the first year of the initiative, the girls clearly expressed the extent of the need for the valuable development courses offered by the initiative and the necessity of its continuation, to start during the year 1999 to expand its administrative and operational structure, so that the benefit reaches the largest possible number of girls.
1999
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) Alternative to Girls
With the beginning of the new millennium, a radical change occurred in the institutional structures of the "Girls' World Initiative", and it became more attractive to attract the attention of girls trainees and volunteers, as well as and donors, by replacing a new entity called the International Language Center for Girls, and the Center built the capacities of girls in English language, as a tool of direct communication with the outside world, and by virtue of its influential role, was able to supply the Yemeni arena with qualified girls and leaders in Yemeni society.
2000
The First Center in Yemen Concerned with Enhancing the Capabilities of Girls
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) has provided a special environment for girls coming from conservative societies to take part in the community development, attaching special importance to eliminating the educational gender gap, by educating girls, building their abilities and life skills and refining their leadership skills, too. As it is the first in Yemen to undertake this aspect. The year 2001 also witnessed an expansion in establishing many relationships, and for the first time it began training girls in the field of computer skills.
2001
Implementation of integrated development programs
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) was able to establish itself in the community as an educational and professional center that provides an encouraging and safe environment for education. During the year 2002, it began to shed light on high school graduates in particular, in order to overcome the difficulties that they face before the university stage in regard to clarifying the vision in choosing appropriate specializations, gaining basic expertise in preparing scientific research. In addition to a number of skills that directly touch the requirements of their academic and practical future and provide equal educational opportunities for girls who are able to pay fees, or who are awarded scholarships.
2002
The Start of Civil, Humanitarian and Democratic Work
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) began in 2003 in civil, humanitarian and democratic work, and became one of the civil interfaces in the local and regional scale that works to enhance Yemeni community awareness. It also played a prominent role in supplying the Yemeni society with cadres of active girls who are able to actively participate in achieving societal justice and sustainable development, by empowering and strengthening their capabilities in the field of human rights, education, and acquiring an integrated knowledge background politically, economically, socially and culturally.
2003
Enhancing Awareness of Cultural and Legal Concepts
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) - in the first place - trains and prepares girls scientifically, professionally and culturally in the living global languages and assistive qualification to create decent job opportunities to contribute in improving the living standard for girls and enhancing their community participation in various areas of life. During the year 2004, human rights awareness was a well-established and necessary principle in Girls World Communication Center (GWCC), based on the importance of promoting rights for girls with the aim of integrating them into community work and networking to promote human rights.
2004
The Official Birth of " Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF)"
Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) began in 2005 by adopting the idea of economic development, integrating youth into society, and building partnerships with the private sector. The targeting of male youth came with the aim of supporting the gender gap by raising their awareness of the gap and its causes also gaining their advocacy to improve the situation of women and girls in Yemen in order to create opportunities for young people to be part of the promotion development. Then, on April 20th, 2005, it was announced the establishment of the Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF), in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, as a non-governmental, non-profit civil society organization that encourages young people, especially marginalized groups and girls, to express their views and needs and participate in the development of Yemeni society. And the work of Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) began within the operational and administrative framework of the institution.
2005
Building Peace through Economic Empowerment
As a result of the great interaction by young people regarding the economic activities implemented by the International Language Center for Girls in the year 2005, the administrative staff of the Center and Youth Leaders Development Foundation (YLDF) found a great demand for advanced learning in economic aspects out of the need to obtain job opportunities, so the Youth Economic Development Center (YEDC) was established Youth Leaders Development Foundation (YLDF) in 2006 which paved the way for the opening of private enterprises for young men and women. And thus, contribute to the advancement of the country's economy through economic empowerment and integration in the labor market and building strong relationships with private companies directly. "Youth Leaders Development Foundation (YLDF)" in its two centers has been able to contribute to peace by creating economic opportunities.
2006
Rehabilitation of Civic Organizations and Youth Initiatives
The expansion of the development and training scope of the Youth Leaders Development Foundation (YLDF) increased, where in 2007 it began preparing and building capacities of local civic organizations in Yemen and emerging youth initiatives that lack a lot of expertise and skills in the scope of community, human rights and civil work.YLD was able to devise a special pattern that enhances its connection with graduates of its development and educational programs and programs related to human rights, in addition to participating in community activities that enhance its unique role in the Yemeni civilian life and style.
2007
Wider geographical and qualitative scope
Awareness of human rights concepts is a strategic goal in the Youth Leadership Development Foundation. The International Language Center for Girls has been dedicating it since 2003, being a polar focus in its framework, and it has been specializing in girls’ education in particular. During 2008, the Foundation began to include young men and women in the strategy of teaching human rights, based on the generalization of teaching, so that girls and young men are aware of the guaranteed rights, networking with society to promote human rights, and generalizing training to include several governorates in Yemen.
2008
Launching into the world of technology
The YLDF worked on clarifying many issues that are considered very sensitive in Yemeni society, alerting them to their seriousness, with direct intervention. That is through developing quick solutions to it, by raising awareness and deepening knowledge about it and portraying its catastrophe using new means, including technology, such as early marriage, dropping out of schools, and joining terrorist groups.
2009
Comprehensive mainstreaming of human rights awareness among both gender
The Youth Leadership Development Foundation is a pioneering institution in human rights education. It provides young Yemeni leaders from all governorates with the information, skills, and behaviors necessary to build their capacities to work as human rights activists and trainers, and enable them to get acquainted and network with the community. Human rights activities are among the strongest activities that have built a knowledge base for the Foundation in all governorates, and it is the only Foundation that has targeted young people from the island of Socotra.
2010
Significant contributions have won international recognition
On the sidelines of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh on January 22, 2011, the League of Arab States honored the Youth Leadership Development Foundation, in recognition of its outstanding contributions in supporting policies and youth work in Yemen. Despite the political and security fluctuations during the year 2011, the Foundation was able to continue to perform its educational and awareness-raising activities, directly intervening in supporting young people to open their own projects, to overcome unemployment and economic frustration among young people that could push them to engage in conflicts. The Foundation also promoted children’s rights and protect them from violations, and dropping out of school .
2011
Orientation to participate in political awareness of youth
The Youth Leadership Development Foundation, in its two centers (the International Language Center for Girls and the Youth Economic Development Center), made great efforts in peace building, conflict resolution, human rights awareness and economic empowerment, given that Yemen was going through difficult circumstances at all political, social and economic levels. The Foundation has promoted gender equality and equal citizenship among Yemeni youth and raised youth information in the field of human and child rights. As a result of political changes and the expansion of the role of youth, the Foundation expanded its activities to include participation in building the political capabilities of youth. The Youth Leadership Development Foundation won first place and the regional distinction shield in the citizenship project represented by the Kuwait Model School, in the regional arbitration in Amman, Jordan.
2012
Integrating youth into civic life
The Youth Leadership Development Foundation is part of the Social Accountability Network in the Arab World, and its vision expanded during 2013 to include regional work during which it achieved many successes in raising community awareness, framing peace and conflict resolution, spreading equal citizenship and promoting gender equity, raising the voices of youth and women and enhancing their role in civil and social work.
2013
"Young Leadership Development Foundation" wins international awards
During 2014, the Youth Leadership Development Foundation received an award from the Canadian organization Equitas - the International Center for Human Rights Education, in recognition of the exceptional work it does; In encouraging and empowering young people to make a positive change in their societies, during the participation of Safa Rawya, General Manager of the Foundation, in the Equitas International Program for Human Rights Training in Montreal (Canada). On March 11 of the same year, the Yemen Liquefied Gas Company awarded the annual Belqis Prize worth twenty thousand dollars to the Foundation for the Development of Young Leaders, as a pioneering institution in the field of Yemeni women's development.
2014
Promote children
The Youth Leadership Development Foundation has shed more light on the issues of child marriage, dropping out of schools, and the issue of corporal punishment at schools, in addition raising the awareness of young men and women about the importance of child rights issues, by linking civil society workers in the educational environment, technical skills and encouraging civil society workers to work on expressing everything related to children’s rights, raising awareness of children’s rights, citizenship and psychological support for children and women “appeared to be outside the topic.”
2015
Empowering women in political participation and peace building
Young Leadership Development Foundation has promoted the political participation of Yemeni women’s leadership, and worked to remove the negative stereotype about the role of women in politics, and to enhance that role in a policy-friendly environment, and to improve the participation of Yemeni women in peace processes and build the capacities of women and men to achieve a logical participation of women in making sustainable transformation during the conflict.
2016
Emergency response to the needs of the population in a humanitarian crisis
Because of many different conflicts that Yemen has been facing for a long time, in particular; The crisis that has afflicted it since March 2015, which resulted in the transformation of approximately 85% of the population into a group that needs humanitarian support, so the YLDF decided to respond to the needs of the population in this humanitarian crisis, to contribute to alleviating the burden on the poorest group in one of the poorest countries in the world, as the weakest link is centered between children and women, as they are the most suffering segments of society in light of the war in the country. The Foundation developed its own emergency strategy, focusing most of its attention on interlocutors in the field of emergency assistance for food security and protection, and the largest share of that attention was directed to child protection and issues of gender-based violence.
2017
Providing humanitarian aid on a large scale
The Youth Leaders Development Foundation worked to continue the emergency response to the humanitarian crisis that Yemen is going through, to promote economic recovery, and to raise the level of informal apprenticeships in Yemeni society, and was keen to continue to enhance the role of women in political participation and peace building.
2018
Benefit from the accumulated experience
During 2019, YLDF gained accumulated experience in the areas of development and emergency by providing emergency life-saving food assistance and providing protection with a greater focus on child protection and gender-based violence, and the Foundation became more able to adapt despite the difficult times of war. 2019 is considered a fruitful year for the foundation, bringing with it new partners, friends, challenges and acquaintances.
2019
The inspiring year for Youth Leadership Development Foundation
Despite the difficulties that have occurred around the world in 2020, it is an inspiring year for YLDF, even though the organization, like other organizations, has faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has had its consequences over project implementation and resource mobilization, nevertheless the organization had the ability to perceive difficulties as lessons and turn challenges into opportunities.
2020
"Ward" is a Step towards a Sustainable Development
2021 is the year of strategic transformation with an ambitious vision that keeps pace with reality and responds to the conditions for evolution in order to play more effective roles in the future. In 2021, the Young Leadership Development Foundation launched the "Ward" project aimed at creating financial sustainability, through which it emphasized its belief in what it says and does. Having accumulated sufficient experience from the many entrepreneurship projects it has implemented in more than a decade and a half, "Ward" comes to provide safe and friendly space for women and girls, and empower businesswomen.
2021
New challenges and ongoing confrontations
The Foundation set the goal of empowerment in mind in the year 2022, as it focused on projects and interventions contributing to the economic empowerment of individuals and improving income and production for families. At this goal, the Foundation faced many obstacles, difficulties and challenges, and it took time, effort, energy and drained many resources to reach the goal in cooperation with Local partners, donors and volunteers, but in the end it reached and achieved part of the goal and still aspires and hopes.