Background

Youth Vision Zambian (YVZ) was established in 2002, and is registered with Registrar of Societies Zambia as a national NGO. YVZ aims to have a model of youth participation, which enables young people to advocate and be recognized, and empowers them to be equal partners in policy design, decision making and resource allocation, both at community and national levels. It's our believe that young people should be presented with the evidence-based facts about all different choices they can make regarding their sexuality, and be provided access to quality and affordable SRHR services and Education. YVZ therefore aims to empower young people with knowledge and skills which promotes healthy sexual and reproductive health behavior, and prevents HIV and AIDS infection, STIs and unplanned pregnancies.

Fundamental to the work of YVZ is that the promotion of SRH issues and rights of young people should be seen in the greater perspective of socio-economic development and gender relations, hence YVZ not only seeks to promote healthy sexual behavior and access to services and contraceptives, but also the greater and more effective participation of young people in national development goals. This means that skills such as leadership, lobby and advocacy is part of youth training activities conducted by YVZ, so as to empower youth to advocate for their own issues.

Governance

YVZ is governed by an Executive Board elected for a term of three (3) years during the Annual General Meeting while the day-to-day- management of organization is headed by an Executive Director who is supported by six (6) full time staff, three part-time staff, Six (6) interns, (16) sixteen trained peer educators and community volunteers in the projects sites. YVZ exhibits a proven record of fruitful partnerships and application of transparent and proper accounting and reporting in its internal and external relations.

Strategies

Youth Vision Zambia is a recognised Zambian civil society organisation championing youth sexual and reproductive promotion and rights. The organisation has successfully implemented a number of projects and programmes in relation to comprehensive sexuality education, HIV and AIDS prevention, and provision of youth sexual health services promotion of gender and political and policy change. As an organisation YVZ relies on intimate knowledge of the proposed project target areas and groups, and of the socioeconomic and political environment the proposed project will operate in. YVZ have implemented projects and programmes in cooperation with both local and international civil society organisations, various government institutions and UN agencies.

In 2010 YVZ has trained Members of Parliament (MPs) who are on the health committee so as to highlight the issues of SRHR to the policy makers. YVZ conducted a successful training for the Media institution and journalist. The training for the Media targeted editors and news health reporters so as to make SRHR issues news worthy. YVZ is a co-chair of Partners Zambia a loose network of NGOs that work on SRHR in Zambia. YVZ has also been instrumental on the adoption of the National SRHR Policy for Zambia. YVZ has successful implemented a comprehensive sexuality education for young people in Zambia, which aimed at increasing the involvement of young people in family planning. Young people were encouraged to be a force for change in planning, implementing and monitoring the project. The number of visits made by young people to community-based SRH services dramatically increased, together with the attendance by young men to SRHR trainings.