Our goal (according to our mission statement) is that our children will grow up to become contributing members of society. Our Youth empowerment and transitioning program helps prepare each VOH child for their future.
We empower and help VOH children transition into adulthood through a number of ways:
1. Preparing them for post-secondary education.
Many of our young people are suited for university, trade school, or other formal post-secondary education. We help them apply for local scholarships and work on sourcing funds for in-house scholarships that the youth can apply for.
2. Training, industry exposure, and employment opportunities.
We help our graduates access training either on-site or off site. Additionally, we organize field trips to trade shows and other environments where they can learn about the opportunities they have and choose which they may want to pursue. We also help students connect with hiring opportunities.
3. Youth transition homes.
When youth from our children’s homes reach 19 years old, they move into a youth home. These homes give them a more independent living situation while still living on-site at the Village.
We have separate youth homes for boys and girls and each home accommodates four. They cook for themselves and are responsible for keeping their home clean and maintained. When the youth graduate from high school they are given the opportunity to learn additional life skills like gardening, tailoring, computer technology and other small business entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to provide for themselves.
Catch up with some of our graduates
We love staying in touch with our graduates and featuring them on our blog. Click here to read our “Where Are They Now?” interviews.
#BringingHope Project
Don’t forget to check out our #BringingHope photo project to celebrate the individual dreams of VOH Africa children!