2024: A Year of Transformation for Peace by Youth, Marking Achievements in Youth Empowerment, Gender Equality, and Environmental Stewardship
The year 2024 marked a significant milestone for Peace by Youth (PY) as it solidified its role as a leading force in youth empowerment and sustainable development advocacy in Pakistan. This year also saw PY’s inclusion in key NGO directories, such as Pak NGOs, significantly enhancing its outreach and impact.
Strategic Alignment and Initiatives
Guided by its six-year strategic plan (2024-2030), PY embraced innovation, collaboration, and empowerment as its core principles. The organization launched several initiatives reflecting its commitment to youth empowerment, gender equality, and environmental stewardship.
Youth Empowerment and Education
- Skill Development Programs: PY trained 152 youths (aged 16-30) in digital literacy, coding, graphic design, and e-commerce, equipping them to enter the digital economy and secure remote jobs.
- Leadership and Advocacy Workshops: PY conducted 9 workshops with a total of 231 participants in Jacobabad and Quetta, focusing on advocacy for social justice and environmental sustainability. Remarkably, 35% of participants initiated local campaigns addressing community-specific challenges such as waste management and education access.
Gender Equality and Inclusion
- Increased Participation: Female participation in PY’s programs rose by 20%, engaging over 47 women and girls in leadership roles.
- Inclusivity Training: PY held 8 sessions on workplace inclusivity, attended by 220 stakeholders from civil society organizations, ensuring the inclusion of women and marginalized groups in decision-making processes.
Environmental Stewardship
- Environmental Awareness Campaigns: PY reached over 800 youths through 7 campaigns, including tree-planting drives that resulted in 4,000 saplings being planted in collaboration with local communities.
Community Impact
PY’s community-centric approach ensured meaningful engagement with its beneficiaries:
- Child Safeguarding: PY trained 19 staff and volunteers on child safeguarding policies, directly impacting over 200 children through improved protection mechanisms.
- Advocacy Against Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM): The youth-led initiative in Jacobabad identified 175 local champions who formed a coalition to conduct 10 awareness sessions, reaching 1,800 community members and facilitating discussions with district authorities to strengthen enforcement of existing laws.
- Emergency Response Frameworks: During the 2024 floods in Sindh, PY provided emergency relief to 3,000 individuals, including food, hygiene kits, and temporary shelter, under its “Do No Harm” policy.
Recognition and Expansion
In 2024, PY achieved the following milestones:
- Funding Partnerships: Secured funding partnerships with one international organization (VENRO Germany) and two national organizations (CPDI and SPO), enhancing programmatic reach and impact.
- Accountability and Response System (ARS): Launched a robust feedback mechanism using mobile technology, receiving 90 community responses in its first six months and promptly resolving 80% of reported issues.
Challenges and Learnings
While 2024 was a year of significant achievements, PY faced challenges such as navigating socio-political volatility in Pakistan and ensuring operational continuity amid economic constraints. These experiences underscored the importance of adaptive strategies and robust risk management frameworks.
Looking Ahead
Building on the successes of 2024, PY plans to expand its reach by leveraging partnerships, incorporating more technology-driven solutions, and continuing its advocacy for youth-led development and social equity. Through its unwavering dedication to its mission of PEACE—Participation, Empowerment, and the Association of Change Enablers—PY continues to pave the way for a peaceful, prosperous Pakistan.
