A unifying strength of all YMCA’s is the close way they work with local communities, bonds of trust often built up over many generations. When working with young people from disadvantaged communities in poorer countries, this is of crucial importance.

Local YMCAs know how best to serve their local communities, because their communities tell them. This happens because YMCA community workers and volunteers are in them every day. They are an integral part of the community.

At the global level, we work alongside the World Alliance of YMCAs to provide technical expertise on youth employment and enterprise programming. We co-founded the first global YMCA Community of Impact on Youth Employment, bringing together YMCA practitioners to share expertise and strengthen the quality and impact of our collective work.

Our role at Y Care International is to help to strengthen YMCA’s and other local youth-focused organisations to do what they do best: empowering young people and their communities. We learn about what types of support have the greatest positive outcomes for young people and their livelihoods. And, with your support, do more of it.

The global youth employment crisis is growing, as is the breadth of organisations committed to tackling it. We increasingly work in collaboration with other local and international organisations that share our vision for decent work and are committed to taking it to scale. This enables us to share and develop expertise, reach out to new communities and design and test new approaches.