ABEDNEGO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (AYDF)

Background Introduction and Conception of the Foundation:
Abednego Maiyaki was born to Dr. And Mrs Maiyaki on the 15th of January, 1986 in Denton, Texas, USA. He started Nursery School in 1988 at the Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, and later transferred to Morning Star Nursery and Primary School, Ilupeju in 1990. After his junior primary education, he transferred to Afro Primary School, Ilupeju in 1994 where he graduated in 1998.

From 1998 to 2005, he attended the Air Force Comprehensive Secondary School, Ibadan. Upon graduation, he gained admission to study Political Science at the University of Abuja same year but later withdrew in 2006. He again gained admission to study same Political Science at Babcock University, Ogun State where he was until his death on May 1st, 2009.

Sometime in February 2009, Abednego took ill and was diagnosed to be suffering from acute malaria with complications that enlarged both his heart and liver. He was subsequently admitted at the Eko Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos where he was treated and discharged (between February 12 and March 11, 2009). After the discharge, he went back to school and on April 23, 2009, fell ill again and was taken to Abuja the following day. On April 27, 2009 he was admitted at the State House Medical Centre Abuja and transferred to the National Hospital Abuja on the 30th of April, 2009 when his health became very critical. The Lord called Abednego to his eternal rest the following day, May 1st, 2009 at about 10:00am with his father and maternal uncle, Toma Tukura by his bed side.

While on admission at Eko Hospital, Abednego made peace with his Saviour, mother and father. He promised he was going to embark on Youth Evangelism particularly to reach his age group, but did not live to fulfil his dream. It is in the fulfilment of his pledge that his parents decided to establish the Abednego Youth Development Foundation (AYDF) and to immortalise his name, desires and vision for the youth.

OUR VISION

We envision a holistically transformed youth, deliberately living out God’s purpose in communities and multiplying themselves in Nigeria and beyond.

OUR MISSION

AYDF exists to create space and facilitate processes where young people own, and actively participate in the transformation of their spiritual, economic and social lives, thus becoming change agents in the service of God and mankind.

OUR VALUES

Though a Christian-based organization, the foundation reaches out through its services to everyone within target communities across social-cultural and religious divide as an integral mission to humanity. To achieve this, we commit ourselves to the additional values of Selfless Service; Integrity; Inter-dependency; Mutual respect; Faith in God and stewardship of God’s given resources in ways that glorify Him.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Foundation aims at contributing to the holistic transformation of young people, in line with the desires and vision of Abednego in ways that affect the spiritual, social and economic well-being of the society with the youth as an entry point. The foundation upholds that the declaration and demonstration of the gospel are inter-twined and inseparable processes for holistic transformation of the individual, community, nation and humanity.
The Board of Trustees at its inaugural meeting on May 30th, 2009 decided to start on the following programmes for the take-off of the organisation. These are:
1. YOUTH EVANGELISM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Outreach programmes designed to reach the hearts of youths in secondary schools, tertiary institutions and communities will be pursued to see them submit to God’s will for their lives. This will be combined with equipping them for character and capacity development that would make changes in their lives to become more productive to themselves and society. Success stories will be replicated from one community to another with the youth becoming the instruments of transformation.

2. Rural Community Healthcare Delivery Services
• With active participation of communities, the foundation will establish, equip and run Rural Clinics and empower appropriate capacity for sustainable operations. For greater results, preventive as well as curative aspects of medical health, wellness and fitness will be emphasized.

• In the context of prevalent challenges, attention will be given to the provision of voluntary counselling on the dangers of HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcohol abuse, malaria, hepatitis, sickle cell anaemia and other similar ailments. This will be done in collaboration with any other existing structures (public or private) in ways that produce gains from such synergy for the benefit of target populations.

3. Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition
Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition Programmes will be pursued to equip targeted populations to establish, efficiently manage and multiply own micro to small-scale businesses in order to create employment and reduce poverty within communities. This, though with an economic goal in view, will be facilitated through application of biblical business principles to provide services/products as unto the Lord from a base of service and integrity.

ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

The Foundation will serve to give a voice to the voiceless against injustice, exclusions, oppressions, repressions and other forms of inhumanity that nurture poverty and disempowerment. In this context, we will provide enlightenment programmes for beneficiaries to know, agitate and protect their rights and privileges as well as seek to meet their civic roles and responsibilities. We believe that this will make our gains in the fight against poverty and ignorance more sustainable as they do not exist in isolation.

FIRST PHASE IMPLEMENTATION AND PILOT BENEFICIARY COMMUNITY

On the inception of the Foundation, Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, was selected as a pilot beneficiary community. This selection was based on the area being home to a poor peasant rural community with high unemployment, poverty, moral decadence, city-migration and an aging population. It is also the community from where the late Abednego Maiyaki, the Visionary, came and hence the need to start from his immediate constituency and expand outwards as success stories are recorded. The programmes are therefore designed to address these problems and challenges as faced by the community with the youth as entry points and change agents.