The Youth Cafe Advisory Board of Directors Member Dr. Moses Mwaniki during the HENNET meeting on May 13th 2023.
The Youth Cafe (TYC) is pleased to join The Health NGOs’ Network (HENNET). HENNET is a network comprising over 100 local and international Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith-based organizations (FBOs), and Research Institutions working on health and health-related issues in the 47 Counties of Kenya. It was founded in 2005 by 7 Health CSOs comprising NGOs and FBOs and was registered in 2007 as an NGO in the NGO Coordination Board with the goal of coordinating and networking health CSOs.
The Youth Cafe is committed to promoting health and well-being among young people. We recognize that access to quality health services is essential to achieving this goal. As such, The Youth Cafe has designed several activities that aim to improve access to health services for young people.
These activities include increasing the number of young people accessing health services significantly in the next two years, conducting regular community health outreach programs with health education and awareness messages annually, partnering with local health facilities to ensure they provide youth-friendly services and facilities, and advocating for policies that increase access to health services for young people at the national and local levels. In addition to improving access to health services, we work to promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles among young people.
HENNET Civil Society Organization Deliberations meeting on NHIF's Strategic Plan.
The Youth Cafe advocates for increased investments in health systems that cater for young people's health needs, partner with local health facilities to improve the capacity of health workers to provide youth-friendly services, develop and implement at least two innovative technology-based solutions annually that improve health outcomes among young people, and build strong partnerships with national and international health organizations to promote the health and well-being of young people.
The Youth Cafe has been working on issues related to malaria prevention and management among the youth since 2012. The Youth Cafe has implemented various interventions to address the malaria epidemic among young people, including; Community mobilization, behavior change communication, and distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets.
The Youth Cafe has also implemented various interventions to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people, including; peer education, community mobilization, and behavior change communication. The Youth Cafe recognizes the importance of resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH) in achieving the goal of malaria elimination in Kenya.
The Youth Cafe joins HENNET because its proposed interventions are aligned with HENNET's goals of achieving malaria elimination, ending HIV/AIDS epidemic, and building resilient and sustainable health systems. Our work will contribute to reducing the burden of malaria and contribute to the achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets among young people in Kenya and improving their health and well-being.
The Youth Cafe looks forward to making a meaningful impact in the fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS. TYC will also work to strengthen the capacity of health facilities and community-based organizations to provide comprehensive HIV/AIDS and Malaria services to young people. This will include building the capacity of health workers, improving supply chain management, and strengthening health information systems.
TYC recognizes the importance of resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH) in achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets and ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the spread of Malaria. As such, TYC joins HENNET to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and to support its efforts to strengthen the HIV/AIDS component of the health system.
The Youth Cafe’s Health intervention programs serve the youth aged 15-35 in all 47 Counties in Kenya and 22 Countries in Africa. TYC works to ensure diversity and inclusion of all young people, taking into account (among other things) region, geography, gender identity, sex, socio-economic status, faith, religion, culture, ethnicity, creed, (dis)ability, sexuality, marginalized grouping, legal status, and any other status.
The Youth Cafe has many partners who contribute their knowledge, finances, tools, and other resources to attain our goals. Primarily, we partner with Young People to build a better, more resilient Africa while linking the region and the world. Our projects have a multi-stakeholder and cross-sector approach where they draw concrete links between younger and older generations on the one hand and Africa and other regions on the other, enabling exchanges,
creating a resilient continent for all ages, building networks and coalitions, cooperating with “unusual” or underutilized actors such as those in the private sector and media players digital), sharing costs with other actors whenever possible, mutual learning, maximizing synergies to avoid duplications and carrying out a joint search for solutions. The Youth Cafe acts as a global bridge builder bringing youth closer to youth programming by engaging member states, regional, continental, and global organizations, and opportunities that address health issues pertinent to them.
In addition to HENNET, The Youth Cafe is also part of other health networks, including; The Global Health Network, Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI), The National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya(NEPHAK), Kenya Aids NGOs Consortium (KANCO) and CSO Covax.
Some of our other health partners include; World Health Organization, Pathfinder International, Social Entrepreneurship to Spur Health (SESH), Ending HIV Transmission by Optimizing PrEP in East Asia, Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Southern Medical University Dermatology Hospital, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, among others.
The Youth Cafe will benefit from its membership at HENNET through capacity building for HENNET member organizations in the relevant health-related fields. This will enhance The Youth Cafe’s ability to advocate for and promote youth-friendly health services to the youth. The Youth Cafe will also have an opportunity to post important health information on HENNET’s website in addition to posting on our website.
This will enhance the reach of the information and provide an opportunity to partner with other health organizations in the network on health interventions. TYC will attend monthly meetings convened by HENNET; this will be an opportunity to share knowledge and network with other member organizations.