Southern African Association of youth clubs is a non- profit, membership organisation formed primarily to serve young people and youth clubs, as well as to offer its services to the broader Southern African communities, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland etc. SAAYC is a registered non-profit youth organisation, governed by an independent board that is managed and coordinated by a t
eam of youth practitioners, led by the Executive Director. Since its inception in 1937, the Southern Africa Association of Youth Clubs (SAAYC) has been involved with transforming young people in South Africa. It has grown into a bigger institution, which has gone through a number of transformations and change of government policies, from apartheid to the currently democratic government, aimed at empowering all Southern African young people to gain their independence, realize their self-worth, develop a positive image about themselves and restore their dignity. Like any other organization, SAAYC continued to transform and challenge itself to meeting the needs of the growing youth population. SAAYC provides training and programme support services to youth leaders, youth clubs, individuals, professionals, youth workers and youth organisations and structures from our head office and through our resource centres. Our services include development of, and training in leadership skills; gender training; policy and advocacy for youth work; computer training; youth camps and holiday programs for young women and men. Over 70 years, SAAYC has changed its mandate, vision and mission to reflect the demographic of its young people and youth clubs it services. The organisation is currently providing the much needed and valued support and services primarily to South African young people and about 250 youth clubs across the country benefit from its various programmes through the youth centres and youth club-houses in Soweto, Etwatwa, Orange Farm (Gauteng), and in the Free State. The organisation offers a variety of programmes to young people and other youth formations in the country by means of several youth centres based in communities. In addition to a range of education, training and personal growth programmes, it offers youth camps and holiday programmes, job creation initiatives, specialist HIV and AIDS education and training initiatives, and gender and racism discussion groups for young men and women.
