YES Leader: Mr. Yao Maxime Konan
Email: konan@yesweb.org, kymaxime@gmail.com
Website : YES-CI

Vision : To develop the vision of the youth for entrepreneurship and employment creation and ensure their participation in social economic development, culture and sports.

Background : Cote D’Ivoire has been in conflict since 2002, and has over 1 million young people waiting to have their first employment experience. There are jobs programs for young soldiers coming from conflict, which are managed by structures like - AGEFOP, AGEPE, FNS etc

About the Network : The network has 226 network members consisting of youth and other civil society members. The network is involved in advocating the business spirit amongst the youth, as well as their participation in the social economic development, cultural and sports. They are developing projects that lead to employment creation and their work is guided by the following actions: education, employability, job creation, equity, entrepreneurship and protection of environment. They promote more schools to teach entrepreneurship and encourage youth to prepare their business plans and help them with the financings and the access to markets.

Current Major Initiatives:

• The Network presently has Forum National de la Jeunesse is an initiative that will make the voices of the youth heard and will help to build leadership skills - for the reduction of poverty, end to armed conflict, new technologies for all, and fighting against HIV/AIDS.
• “ Nous Jeunes et Initiatives” is a youth talk show on national TV where young people are able to inform and sensitize other youth on current issues.
• Insalubrities Zero is a recycling initiative that will collect and reuse plastic in towns.
• Jeunau Telecentre in partnership with Microsoft and the government will provide access to new technologies at a small cost (access to the internet and mobile services)
• In addition to collecting and recycling plastics in towns, the network is exploring the areas of Green tourism and solar energy as jobs producers.

Key Accomplishments :

• Village Cyber café with 200 Computers
• Employment Search Information Center fo r the young job seekers to have access to information communications.
• Major partnerships formed with -Microsoft, Government ,YEN, Côte d’Ivoire National TV.