Investing in leaders in Liberia

20 April 2009

By Emmanuel S.King, Jr (from the Africa Alliance of YMCAs Newsletter, Issue 11).

At a gathering in central Liberia during the launch of the YMCA 44th Membership Campaign in November 2008, a young Liberian and former president of the Gbarnga YMCA, Fayiah Tamba, thanked the Liberia YMCA for the leadership training he had received. “I am where I am today because of the Liberia YMCA and the many training programmes that have prepared me for leadership.”

Through the National Youth Council (NYC), the Liberia YMCA prepares young people for leadership in their communities. Many of the young people who joined the YMCA came through YMCA leadership programmes in their high schools, universities or communities. They meet regularly and this is where preparation for leadership begins. During meetings, some are assigned leadership roles by their colleagues and begin handling their own activities under the guidance of trained youth mentors.

Today in Liberia, several names can be traced back to the NYC, which is the focal point of youth leadership development at the YMCA. Some of these young people are making an impact in their communities and wherever they find themselves. For example, Vonyee Newton Kolison, the first female President of the Monrovia Youth Council, is now Coordinator of the Liberia YMCA Psychosocial Counselling Programme. When Vonyee joined the YMCA she was an introvert, but with the training received and her interaction with other young leaders, Vonyee aspired to by the first female President of the Monrovia Youth Council. “The training received in the YMCA prepares us for leadership, and for me, this is the beginning of the leadership roles I have been prepared for,” she said.

In 2002, the YMCA of Liberia, with support from Y Care International, identified 20 young people from across the country to undergo a one-year intensive long-distance leadership programme, with a facilitator from the UK. These young people were also paired with mentors who guided their work during the course and in the communities in which they lived. Some of the beneficiaries of this programme are now in key leadership roles: Former NYC President Marcus Freeman, is now serving in the Liberia National Police as Special Assistant to the Deputy Inspector of Police; Joseph Jimmy Sankaituah, former President of the NYC, is now President of the umbrella youth organisation, the Federation of Liberian Youth. Timotheus Kamaboakai, another young person who went through this programme, has served in many capacities at Liberia YMCA and recently served as ‘Young Professional’ at the World Alliance of YMCAs headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The President of the NYC, Alston Almah, is excited about the many opportunities that the Liberia YMCA gives to young people to develop their full potential. “It’s not just about the training programmes, but the space to implement what you learned. Today, all YMCA boards have a minimum 30% of young people. On the National Board, there are at least three young people who play active roles in articulating the views of the youth constituency. At the secretariat level, most programme coordinators and project managers are young people. It is a demonstration that the YMCA of Liberia is not only youth focussed but youth driven.”

Alston always uses training sessions to encourage his colleagues to see themselves as future leaders. The Liberia YMCA takes youth leadership very seriously and through the NYC, youth leadership training camps are held, bringing together young people from all backgrounds. As part of the youth camp, trainers provide direction in the areas of capacity building, self-esteem, character building and development, peace and mediation strategies, and life skills training, among others.

The Liberia YMCA Youth Leadership Development Programme is a pride to all members and staff of the YMCA. In the words of the former National General Secretary of the Liberia YMCA, Peter ZN Kamei: “If there is one thing that we do at the YMCA, it is to identify and develop leaders.” Leadership is core to all of the YMCA’s programmes and activities. As a result, many of the young people who are leading the nation in the government, business and private sectors are beneficiaries of at least one of the development programmes of the Liberia YMCA.