Youth Engagement Services (YES) Network Pakistan

The Youth Engagement Services (YES) Network incubates and funds social micro-enterprises led by disadvantaged Pakistani youth, integrating alienated dependents into social entrepreneurs.  This helps to motivate this large portion of society into leading lives as active citizens that have a vested interest in generating positive development for their communities.

1.The New Idea

Even though the vast majority of the Pakistani population is under 30-years-old, there is insufficient support to help them become productive members of society.  Pakistani society at large fails to tap into their largest resource for economic development for low-income communities- their youth. According to Youthquake in Pakistan, close to 70% of Pakistan's population in under the age of 29.  YES network seeks to reach out to this marginalized group of people in order to tap into this enormous potential and focus on the possibilities that can directly contribute to the overall improvement of Pakistan's economic situation by helping to lower crime, violence and terrorism rates.

It is an innovative idea because it has multiple benefits for both server and the served. It is a new way to empower disadvantaged youth, a training ground for building good citizens, a service delivery program to the poor and needy, a way to reduce the incidence of crime, poverty, drug abuse, terrorism and unemployment, a way to yield good work habits all while contributing to a source of productive labor. In short, it provides an effective way to meet the needs of the disadvantaged youth and low-income communities simultaneously.

YES Network plans to be the youth’s first choice for breaking their barriers, discovering their potential, re-branding their image and assuming a central leadership role in the community.

2. The Problem

Around 70% of Pakistan’s population is currently under the age of 29. Poorly educated, socially excluded, and lacking access to economic and social opportunity, these disenfranchised youth are without channels to contribute their creativity, talent and energy positively and constructively. Unemployment, lawlessness and poverty drive many into disastrous cycles of violence, drugs and terrorism, causing society to view them as liabilities rather than valuable potential. Such conditions have contributed to a fragmentation of Pakistan’s social fabric, unstable economy and destruction of confidence from foreign investors.

3.The Strategy

Current government programs and civil society organizations at best only provide services to youth.  YES Network is actively engaged in turning victims into leaders, recipients of aid into providers of social services. After holding open forum meetings and advocacy sessions to acquaint the community with the program and sensitize members to its mission, YES provides seed funding as a loan-like-grant (ranging from $500 to $1,000) alongside with incubation of social enterprises designed and lead by young Pakistanis. YES requires a 50% payback for the loans after one year and the recovered funds are recycled to increase outreach and reduce dependency. These projects will be a basis for a reconstruction of identity, imbuing individuals with a sense of usefulness, accomplishment and capability. Benefits will extend not only to those served by these micro-enterprises but their communities, who benefit from the fruits of their labors.

YES Pakistan is currently ready to work with 2,500 individuals and incubate 500 micro-enterprises by 2010. YES has already raised more than US$ 800,000 as grants and seeks another US$ 55,000 for complimentary incubation and micro credit operations for 30 micro-enterprises that would have an outreach of 6250 people.

The micro-enterprises will focus on improving literacy, health services, and ICT usage, having young female entrepreneurs as the core target group; the benefits of these services will extend to the community at large as youth cultivate marketable skills, become more capable of securing jobs, overall employment increases and incentives for violent activity diminish.  YES specifically targets young women, who face the greatest barriers to establishing an active role in society. The Network will sensitize communities through advocacy sessions for public and private entities to begin shifting local attitudes and beliefs. After strengthening partnerships, YES will encourage local organizations to adopt youth services policies.

4.The Person

Ali Raza Khan is the Country Representative of Youth Engagement Services (YES) Network Pakistan. He participated in one-year Master Program in Social Work from McGill University, Montreal, Canada as a Sauvé Scholar. He also holds a Master degree in Political Science focusing on Development Politics. He had done one-year diploma in Documentary Making from Jean Sauvé Foundation, Montreal, Canada. He obtained certification in Strategic Communication from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. In addition to that, he had done a wide range of professional courses such as Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Community Mobilization, Business Plan Development, Communication Skills, Material Development, Youth Organizing, Reproductive Health, Advocacy, etc, from abroad.

Ali is also the founder of first-ever youth service program in Pakistan. He has a wide experience of working with youth, which is filled with change and challenge; visioning; planning and program development; innovative and social action initiatives and much cooperative exciting work both within and outside the country. He is an Ashoka Fellow, International Leadership Development Program Fellow, Sauvé Scholar Fellow, and Population Council Leadership Development Program Fellow. He has won several international awards. Recently, he was given the title of "Architect of the Future" by the Waldzell Institute in Austria. He has served as a consultant, trainer, facilitator for several local and leading international organizations such as ILO, Education Development Council, Population Council, Church World Service, Caritas Pakistan, etc. He has conducted over 150 training workshops for small and medium scale youth driven and youth serving organizations. He has the honor of meeting with outstanding leaders of the world such as former USA President, Mr. Bill Clinton and former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr. Muhathir Muhammad. He has given talks and presentations at the leading international platforms and educational institutions.