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WHO WE ARE

The Yoftahe Development Association (YDA) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2021, an idea for creating an NGO emerged as a result of a casual conversation between friends who shared similar goals and have always wanted to give back to the community that gave them all they had. The first project for YDA was to renovate /build a new public library in Debremarkose, in Northern Ethiopia. Yoftahe Development Association is named after Kegn Geta Yoftahe Negussie, a prolific Amharic writer who composed the first Ethiopian national anthem used from 1930 to 1974. Kegn Geta Yoftahe Negussie also played a significant role in establishing the National Patriotic Theater and is known for preaching unity among Ethiopians. As YDA, we strive to emulate Kegne Geta Yoftahe's love for the nation, intellectual curiosity, and public service to benefit all Ethiopians.

WHAT WE DO

YDA intends to contribute to

Education and

Social Change.

As YDA, we want and hope to contribute measurably to the improvement of early literacy and numeracy in elementary and high school classrooms and beyond. By introducing a culturally appropriate and contextualized educational best practice from the developed world, YDA intends to contribute to education and social change. In order to accomplish this goal, YDA will provide continuous professional development for teachers and meaningfully contribute to improving the quality of education provided to students. As part and parcel of youth development, YDA hopes to introduce innovative livelihood initiatives enabling youth to become self-sufficient and develop a sustainable income.

In order to realize this goal, YDA will focus on providing short and long-term trade and skills training for youth in fields highly demanded by the job market.

 

We at YDA believe in an integrated approach to development, and our goal is to improve the health and nutritional status of their children from conception to five years of age. Additionally, we will provide public health issue support as part of our portfolio, which will be able to establish systems for making lasting changes in the perception of health in communities. In addition, we will be partnering with public libraries to establish resource centers that will be accessible to the broader community and provide access to youth to the global knowledge pool

through digital libraries, coaching, and mentorship programs.

ABOUT US

The Yoftahe Development Association (YDA) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2021, an idea for creating an NGO emerged as a result of a casual conversation between friends who shared similar goals and have always wanted to give back to the community that gave them all they had. The first project for YDA was to renovate /build a new public library in Debremarkose, in Northern Ethiopia. Yoftahe Development Association is named after Kegn Geta Yoftahe Negussie, a prolific Amharic writer who composed the first Ethiopian national anthem used from 1930 to 1974. Kegn Geta Yoftahe Negussie also played a significant role in establishing the National Patriotic Theater and is known for preaching unity among Ethiopians. As YDA, we strive to emulate Kegne Geta Yoftahe's love for the nation, intellectual curiosity, and public service to benefit all Ethiopians.

In the course of working on the public library project, it became evident that there was a need to address youth unemployment, addiction, environmental degradation, and poor health and nutrition in the community. As a result of our assessment, we discovered that most schools do not have libraries, or those that do, are dilapidated, in addition, it is clear that there are minimal laboratories from elementary to high school. As a result of the limited opportunities for functional and practical trade skills within the country, we are attempting to develop innovative strategies for addressing livelihood challenges as well as health and nutrition concerns. Thus, the YDA has expanded its purpose to include addressing comprehensive needs that address education, livelihoods, nutrition, and health disparities. Its vision is to address the root causes of youth unemployment and positively impact the standard of living in Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. We strongly believe that as we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.

CONTACT US

Phone : (240) 701 3150 | (571) 359 8512 | (571) 274 1487

EMAIL: yoftaheusa@gmail.com

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Yoftahe Development Association | ዮፍታሄ የልማት ማኅበር

ለተሻሻለ ነገ እንተጋለን - Toward a Better Future !
 

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© 2022 Yoftahe Development Association (YDA). We are a 501(c)(3) organization. Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations.

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