Youth Action International (YAI) Youth Action International, or YAI, is an international nonprofit working to rebuild war-torn African communities, founded by youth activist

Kimmie Weeks Kimmie Weeks (born December 6, 1981) is a Liberian human rights activist." ...

, a survivor of the Liberian Civil War.

Kimmie Weeks

According to their website, YAI was started and inspired by acclaimed youth activist Kimmie Weeks, a survivor of the

First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War lasted from 1989 to 1997. President Samuel Doe had established a regime in 1980 but totalitarianism and corruption led to unpopularity and the withdrawal of support from the United States by the late 1980s. The Nat ...

. At age nine, after nearly being buried alive as a result of disease, hunger and suffering, Weeks pledged to spend his life helping children. At age 16, in 1998 Weeks successfully headed Liberia's Children's Disarmament Campaign, an effort to lobby the disarmament of approximately 20,000 Liberian child soldiers. Two years later, his work led then Liberian President Charles Taylor and his government to attempt to have Weeks assassinated. As a result, Kimmie was forced to flee to the United States where he was granted

political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another enti ...

. 1999 Report on Human Rights
''1999 Report on Human Rights''
Retrieved April 22, 2010. Once he arrived in the United States, Kimmie Weeks enrolled and completed his final year of high school at Glasgow High School in Newark,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

. He then enrolled at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA where he completed a post graduate program. In 2001, Weeks enrolled at

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and received a BA in Political Science and History in 2005. While at Amherst College, Weeks founded Youth Action International. Weeks was the recipient of the 2007 Golden Brick Award which honors young people under 25 years old who are working to change the world. Also in 2007, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presented Kimmie with Liberia's highest honor by decorating him Knight Grand Commander in the Humane Order of African Redemption.
"Liberian youth key the national renewal, says Kimmie Weeks", 2007 Kimmie is the youngest recipient of this honor. He is featured in the new book "Peace in Our Lifetime" as an international peacemaker, along with Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. He serves on the Board of Directors of DoSomething and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council.http://www.kimmieweeks.com: "Kimmie Weeks biography", 2007.

Organization

According to its website, YAI promotes the wellbeing and development of children and works to provide economic empowerment for war-affected youth (ages 13–30). YAI focuses on post-war countries (

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

) that face the daily realities of hunger, and a lack of basic needs such as clean water, safe schools, parks and medical care. YAI has developed an extensive network of volunteers around the U.S. and Canada. YAI works for the survival, protection, and development of children and women in Africa through fundraising, education, and advocacy. YAI is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Massachusetts and is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. YAI is governed by an independent, non-salaried board of directors Headquartered in Traverse City, MI, Youth Action International maintains field offices in three countries in Africa: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Chapters

YAI College Chapters support YAI's mission by educating their peers, faculty and staff of their colleges about YAI and its programs. They also fundraise for YAI programs. Current Chapters *Amherst College *Bucknell University *Marlboro College *McGill University *Middlebury College *Mount Holyoke College *Rutgers University *Rye Neck High School – Kids with Sole *Smith College *State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany *University of Minnesota

Areas of focus

*Scholarships and educational services *Small business development (including micro-loans) *Vocational training *Agricultural/farming *Health care and awareness

Funding

Financial support for its work is derived from voluntary contributions made by foundations, corporations, non-profit organizations, and individuals around the world as well as money raised through the efforts of YAI College Chapters and Kimmie Week's speaking tour.

References

External links

Youth Action International website

Kimmie Weeks official website

Youth Action International Youtube channel

My Hero Project

* ttp://www/news.sl/drwebsite/publish/printer_20052761.shtml British and American Team arrived in Sierra Leone to assess creation of Women Centre
Kimmie Weeks discusses aid
{{Authority control Charities based in Massachusetts Foreign charities operating in Liberia Foreign charities operating in Uganda Foreign charities operating in Sierra Leone Development charities based in the United States