ENGLISH POSTS

Y Care International CEO, Adam Leach, reports from Togo where he met young people at risk or in conflict with the law, who have started their own businesses with YMCA support.

‘Inspired’ is a word that is often used loosely but that’s exactly what has happened for me at Y Care International since my journey began. This took on special significance when I visited Togo recently to see work of the YMCA with young entrepreneurs, prisoners and adolescents in detention, and vulnerable communities in the slums of Lomé.

Lomé, Wednesday 24 April 2013, four civil society organisations organised a press conference on the monitoring of the recommendations of the UN committee against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CAT) during its 49th session in November 2012. The four organisations are Collectif des Associations Contre l’Impunité au Togo (CACIT), Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture (ACAT-Togo), Amnesty International-Togo and YMCA Togo.

On 14 November 2012, the Togo YMCA officially launched a new project to address Sexually Transmitted Infections in partnership with 20 different churches and 2 mosques.

For the occasion, the ministry of health was represented by Mr Kademba and UNFPA was represented by Mrs Afeli. Through this project, which has the technical and financial assistance of UNFPA, the Togo YMCA intends to provide advice and support in matters of sexual and reproductive health to almost 4500 youth and young married couples within the churches.

Source: All Africa

Cape Town — Most Africans say their governments are failing in the fight against corruption, and many believe the situation has deteriorated in the last decade, according to the continent's most comprehensive survey of public opinion.

The survey also says nearly one in three Africans say they have paid a bribe in the past year, and almost one in five have paid it to a government official to get an official document or permit. The survey shows that corruption hits those living in poverty the hardest, and police forces are the government institutions most often accused of taking bribes.

On 22 September 2013, a concert in favour of the health and wellbeing of prisoners took place at the “Palais de Congres” in Lome. The Togo YMCA, through the Act2Live project, actively participated in the concert which was dedicated to the Togolese detainees. On the day, project advocacy groups gave a speech to the Togolese authorities to call for the improvement of health conditions of the detainees.