UYA Canada History

UYA Canada has offered over 62 workshops with over 50 participants since 2017. Beneficiaries participated in skills training and business development workshops with UYA Canada’s key business leaders and team.

UYA Canada provides Employment, Volunteer Placements & Educational Training.

UYA was established in 2013 as a non-profit organization with a core mission for commitment towards youths & new immigrants empowerment in order to achieve sustainable employment, volunteer placements & entrepreneurship start-ups.

Educational Training and Past Workshops

Youths and new immigrants have been acquiring knowledge and skills from higher institutions through education to improve and sustain their well-being.

Their education must be positively channeled to earn their livelihood and form a meaningful life. Several times, the quest becomes very challenging and elusive. Our organization as part of our mission statement attempts to fill a bit of this global void that has been created for these youths and individuals.

UYA Canada was formed to become an integral part of the world community that would create economic sustainability by empowering youths & new immigrants, via employment, volunteer placements, and entrepreneurship start-ups educational training skills acquisition – in line with UN SDGs 4 & 8.

How UYA Canada began

By Brian Campbell

Ben Okwudili founded Unemployed Youth Africa Inc. (UYA) in 2013, because he had discovered that there were a large number of very talented, very well educated people, who were unable to convert their knowledge into a practical career. As an entrepreneur with a background in engineering and industrial chemistry, Ben felt it was time to give back. His method of giving back was to create UYA, a team of professional scientists, business consultants, chartered
accountants and community mentors, with the mission of empowering  community members, especially youths and women, towards sustainable careers and livelihoods.

The purpose of UYA is to teach people how to earn a sustainable living, either through employment, or through entrepreneurship. The program connects young people with seasoned professionals in a way that bridges gaps between scientific expertise and business acumen.

The UYA program offers community training in product development, marketing, financial management, comprehensive business plan creation, and grant writing support. Participants are trained in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. They connect the startups with
mentors, successful industry experts, and potential investors, who can provide valuable guidance and opportunities.

UYA teaches their participants essential soft skills, techniques and strategies, which enable them to either launch their own business or to pursue enhanced career goals. They also emphasize sustainable practices which are  environmentally and socially responsible. This community based organization has created a lot of successful entrepreneur startups, which are contributing to the economic growth within the community, by creating new jobs and generating revenue for families.

Since UYA is a small organization, and emphasizes quality training, it limits attendance at any one time to a maximum of ten participants. They currently have a program running, and their next session will begin in April. The latest group consisted of six participants, who they helped to launch their businesses. To achieve the best results and the highest level of quality training, they do one on one mentorship.

UYA Canada philanthropic initiatives include the following:

– Twenty (20) participants benefited from our Entrepreneurship Start-Up program conducted in 2022, 11 (eleven) new businesses were launched and started.
– Six (6) individuals were impacted by our training program of 2023 and their business were launched and started.
– Training equipment was purchased and provided for Climax Vocational Institute in Nigeria.
– Blocks Moulding factory was established for unemployed individuals in Northern Sierra-Leone.
– Aluminum Fabrication Business was set up for university unemployed graduates in Nigeria.

We would ever remain grateful and appreciative to our ongoing sponsors, who believe in our cause and in what we do. To you all, we say a big Thank You! Pleased to meet our objectives, we humbly ask for your financial support as you come along side us in this journey of creating change in the lives of youths & individuals worldwide.