Ms. Ongachi Ritah

St James Youth Friendly Initiative CBO

St James Youth Friendly initiative is a youth Initiative is a community-based program that empowers adolescent girls and young people through integrated health education and economic skills development. We focus on promoting accurate health knowledge and strongly advocating for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights among school-going girls, while providing practical capacity building trainings in agriculture and entrepreneurship for youth. By combining SRHR advocacy, life skills, and livelihood training, the initiative equips young people to make informed decisions about their health and futures, reduce school dropouts, and build sustainable income-generating activities. Our goal is to create healthier, more confident, and economically empowered youth who can positively transform their communities. Through a holistic and participatory approach, we work directly with schools, local communities, and youth groups to deliver hands-on training sessions, establish peer support networks, and create opportunities for practical application of learned skills. This initiative emphasizes sustainability by building local capacity and fostering youth leadership, ensuring that empowered girls and young people become agents of change who drive long term health improvements and sustainable economic growth within their communities while bridging the gap on unemployment.