We Are the

Future
A program for youth and children
-Municipally led initiative-

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 Global
Partners
The United Nations Human Settlements
Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the United
Nations agency for human settlements. It
is mandated by the UN General Assembly
to promote socially and environmentally
sustainable towns and cities with the goal
of providing adequate shelter for all.

The Glocal Forum is a Swiss and Italian

non-profit organization, created in 2001 to
empower local communities by linking
them to one another and to global
resources, in order to achieve social
improvement, democratic growth, peace
and a balance between global
opportunities and local realities.

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We Are the Future Partner
Examples
Hub for Innovative
partnerships

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 We Are the Future
Cities

Current WAF Centers:

Addis Ababa – Ethiopia; Freetown – Sierra Leone;
Kigali – Rwanda; Nablus – Palestinian Authority
South Africa- Cape Town

Centers currently in the planning phase 4

 What is We Are the Future?

Initiated in 2004 by the Glocal Forum and the Quincy Jones Foundation, the We
Are the Future (WAF) program is dedicated to the development, protection and
fulfillment of our world’s most important resource: its children.

Together with individuals, cities, private companies, local and international

organizations, WAF works for the benefit of children and young adults living in
deprived areas.

Our Vision… Is to create a community atmosphere where children and youth

can flourish and grow without constraints. We believe that these
children and youth are our hope for peace in the future - provide
them with the tools to visualize a better future, and the world will
reap the benefits.

We are creating municipally-endorsed WAF Child Centers to

provide specialized programs in the areas of Health, Information
technology, Sport, Arts and Nutrition.
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 Program Details
The WAF program aims to empower youth, believing in their fundamental role as agents
of change and as builders of today's society. Each Municipality participating in the program
therefore selects groups of youth who will receive WAF training in one of the following
areas:

Health Sport Nutrition Arts Information and Communication

Technology ( ICT)

Multi-sectorial program for children

By using their new skills to teach local preschool-aged children, the youth contribute to,
and participate actively in, the development of their community, while the children
benefit from a comprehensive early childhood development program.

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 Goals

Help local authorities to develop

programs for youth and children

Establishment of a municipally
owned WAF Center for youth,
children and the community

Training youth aged 16-25 to de-

velop and run programs for children

Children as ultimate beneficiaries

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 Role of the
Municipality
Select the beneficiaries (children and youth);
Donate a building and running costs for the WAF
Center MAYOR

Appoint a municipal WAF Coordinator and hire a WAF

WAF Manager; Coordinator

Set up a separate bank account for WAF WAF

Manager

Submit monthly reports and

quarterly financial reports
Nutrition Trainer Sports Trainer ICT Trainer Arts Trainer Health Trainer
to the Glocal Forum
Nutrition Youth Sports Youth ICT Youth Arts Youth Health Youth
Coordinate WAF with other
programs running in the city
CHILDREN

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 Activities
SPORTS…
Promote - through physical activity and sports games - teamwork, leadership, basic life
skills, relational capacities, psychosocial stimulation, awareness and knowledge about
fitness. Provide recreational activities for children in a safe environment.

…ARTS
Increase learning capabilities, foster their creative
development and encourage children’s spirit of
initiative. Offer recreational activities in a safe area.

…ICT
Introduction to informatics, literacy, logic and hand-eye coordination with
specialized computer soft- and hard-ware for children, coupled with long
distance learning and exchanges.

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 Activities
…HEALTH
Awareness and knowledge of basic health issues and behaviors, such as
environmental health, social health and health services.

…NUTRITION
Awareness and knowledge of nutrition topics, introduction to basic micro-
agriculture and maintaining home gardens, nutritional services.

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 Program Status: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• The WAF center is located in a poor area in the center of the city next to the Kebebe Tshai
Orphanage.

• Despite changes of municipal staff, including the Mayor, since the WAF program was
launched, the program has continued and is continuing to move ahead.

• The WAF program has reached a large number of youth and children all of whom are from
orphanages or disadvantaged families in the poorest areas of town.

• The Municipality has demonstrated outstanding commitment

to the program, taking full ownership over all program issues.

• Donations were received from the City of Washington DC,

Oracle, IANA-Unitessile, the British Council and others
described below.
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 Addis Ababa: Information & Communication
Technology

• After the past success of the program involving more than 70 children,
18 youth and 100 more children are now benefiting from our ICT
activities in Addis Ababa.

• The ICT program utilizes special software for this young age-group
covering language, computer basics, colors, shapes, multimedia
interactions, sounds, time, inter-personal communication, motor skill
development, hand-eye coordination, emotional intelligence, visual and
spatial perception, creative thinking and vocabulary.

• Plans are underway to open the computer center during the afternoon
hours for the entire community to benefit.

• Additionally a distance exchange program is being organized with

several schools in the UK through Global Gateway.

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 Addis Ababa : Nutrition, Sport, Arts, Health
• The nutrition program, which is done in collaboration with FAO thanks
to donations from Starbucks, is training youth leaders in urban
gardening, marketing and entrepreneurial skills, nutrition, health, hygiene
and food safety issues.

• It has recently commenced: a hectare of land has been prepared for fruit
and vegetables production (for both consumption and market sales) and
20 youth have begun receiving training. 

• Agensport, the Sports Agency of the Lazio Region, has committed to

build sports infrastructure at the WAF Center of Addis Ababa. 

• Fundraising efforts for arts and health are underway with international
organization including Aiutare I Bambini, the World Bank through the
Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), and World Bank HIV/AIDS
program (HAPCO).

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 Program Status: Freetown, Sierra
Leone
• The WAF Center, located on the outskirts of the city, includes a mini-
soccer field built by FIFA and 800sqm land for the nutrition program;

• The local Municipality has recently finished rehabilitating the Center and
is now building a new structure in the compound, demonstrating serious
commitment to the program

• Millicom Sierra Leone has made in-kind and financial donations to the
WAF Center.

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 Freetown – Arts, Nutrition, Health
Arts
• 25 youth received training from the International Theater Institute, Arts
Educationalists and Njala University and are currently passing their knowledge
on to 200 children at community preschools.

Nutrition
• The program, which is done in collaboration with FAO thanks to donations
from Starbucks, aims to train youth leaders in urban gardening, marketing and
entrepreneurial skills, nutrition, health, hygiene and food safety issues. It has
recently commenced and the project manager has already been selected.
• The program will build on the pilot nutrition and agriculture activities already
carried out by the Glocal Forum and the Municipality of Freetown involving 25
youth and 250 children.

Health
• The Rita Levi Montalcini Foundation is supporting the health education
program. A health education curriculum for preschool children has now been
completed by a local doctor who is currently training 25 youth.
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 Freetown: ICT, Sport, Capacity Building
ICT
• Preparations are underway on a WAF computer center thanks to a donation by
Millicom International. Microsoft donated software and funds, Comfyware
donated special keyboards and software for pre-school children. The World Bank
donated 4 computers for the WAF Center management.

Sport
• Millicom Sierra Leone has also committed to support the Sport Sector of the WAF
Program. The Sierra Leone National Sports Council has developed a sports training
program proposal.

Capacity Building
• GF received a grant from the World Bank Netherlands Partnership Program to
provide capacity building training to municipal staff and youth involved in We Are
the Future in cooperation with UN-HABITAT. 
• The training coveres Organizational Management, Entrepreneurial, Project Planning,
Governance, Financial Management, Fundraising, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Project Proposal Development, Activity Planning, Accountancy, Human Resource
Development, Team Building and Leadership, etc.
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 Program Status: Kigali, Rwanda
• The WAF center is located in the center of town,
near the slums, and in the Maison des Jeunes
compound where many children and youth gather.
It includes a mini-soccer field built by FIFA, a
computer center and land for the nutrition project.

• Since the WAF program was launched, the

program has been evolving continuously, in spite
of various changes in the Mayor’s and community
offices.

• Donations were received from the City of Rome, the City of Pescara, the Province of
Pescara, the World Bank, IANA-Unitessile, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation,
Microsoft, Comfyware and Walt Disney Italy and others described in the following
slides.

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 Kigali : Sport, Arts, ICT, Nutrition
Sports
• Youth were trained by the Italian University of Motor Sciences,
the Italian Union of Sports for All and the Share organization and are
currently working with 150 children.
Arts  
• 20 youth were trained by the Italian Cities of Rome and Pescara and are
currently passing their knowledge on to 150 children.
ICT
• Youth were trained in Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Comfyware
software and are currently working with 150 children.
Nutrition
• Preparations are underway for the Nutrition/Agriculture program, which
will be done in collaboration with FAO thanks to donations from
Starbucks. It aims to train youth leaders in urban gardening, marketing
and entrepreneurial skills, nutrition, health, hygiene and food safety
issues.
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 Kigali : Health, Capacity Building
Health
• Funded by the Foundation of the Angelini Group, the WAF Mobile Unit project
is providing health services, growth monitoring and prevention education at the
WAF Center and in two other sites in the City of Kigali.
• Over 900 children and their family members have already benefited from the Unit
since it was launched in late June 2007 and the numbers are expected to increase
significantly over the course of this one-year project. 

Capacity Building
• GF received a grant from the World Bank Netherlands Partnership Program to
provide capacity building training to municipal staff and youth involved in WAF
in cooperation with UN-HABITAT. 
• The training covers Organizational Management, Entrepreneurial, Project
Planning, Governance, Financial Management, Fundraising, Monitoring and
Evaluation, Project Proposal Development, Activity Planning, Accountancy,
Human Resource Development, Team Building and Leadership, etc.

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 Program Status: Nablus, Palestinian
Authority

• The WAF center is located in the center of town and includes a

mini-soccer field donated by FIFA and a computer center;
• 800sqm land next to the WAF center has been allocated by the
municipality for the nutrition program;
• Undeterred by the replacement of Mayor and Municipality
authorities since the program was launched, WAF has
continued and is continuing to move ahead;
• Donations were received from
the City of Barcelona,
Microsoft and Comfyware.

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 Nablus: Nutrition, Sports
Nutrition
• The Nutrition program, which began in September 2006, is supported
by the Region Emilia Romagna and the City of Reggio Emilia. It has
involved so far 15 youth and 480 children. Crops grown in the garden
include lettuce, beans, green onions, zucchini, radish, parsley,
coriander and squash.
• We are currently finalizing the agreement with FAO to enrich the
program.

Sports
• The program began in November 2006 when 15 youth received
training on movement, sports equipment, role playing, physical growth
and fitness.
• Between April and June 2007, 480 children participated in sports
activities led by the youth.

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 Nablus: Arts, ICT
ICT
• The program began in November 2006 when 15 youth received training
on Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential Course on the basics of computing.
Furthermore they were shown how to use Comfyware keyboards and
software specially designed for preschoolers.
• From April to June 2007, 480 children received instruction from the
youth.
• The City of Geneva has donated funds to build on this program by
training youth to teach children about music and technology using
computer software specially designed for pre-school children.

Arts
• The Arts program began in November 2006 with training for 15 youth
on drama, music, painting, drawing, collage and role playing.
• From April to June 2007, 480 children participated in arts activities led
by the youth.

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 South Africa: Cape Town

• The proncipality of Monaco and UNDP have initiated the program together
with the Glocal Forum.
• Center is located at Gugulethu area
• The municipality is in the process of reconstructing the NY49 site for the
use of the center. The Ikwezi center was allocated for the interm peroiod for
training of youth to begin.
• Other local partners are the university of Kawazulu-Natal, JMC inspiring
Brands and My Life foundation. Additional potential partnerships are under
discussion.

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 Expected Results
Over 350 youth aged 16-25 trained in one of five sectors (arts, sports, ICT, health and
nutrition):

• Involve local and international civil society organizations to provide training;

• Selection of 5 youth project coordinators to manage each sector area;
• No more than 5% drop out rate;
• Development of a curricula and local certificates for each training sector;
• Improvement of youth skills as assessed by trainer evaluation.

Participation of 800-1000 pre-school children in an integrated program covering the different

sectors:

• Development of locally recognized curricula for children;

• Baseline study carried out on the status of children;
• Improvement of children skills as assessed by youth evaluation;
• Parents and caregivers satisfaction with the program;
• Sustainability/replication strategy put in place.
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