Jesuit Youth Center
TANZANIA | DODOMA
The Youth Centre was founded by the Jesuits in 1978 as one of the means of contributing to the integral formation of the youth. The Centre, located half a kilometre from the Blessed Maria Theresa Ledochowska Parish, is non-religious affiliated, non-profit making and caters for the unique needs of the youth within Dodoma municipality. The Centre serves as an educational and recreational venue reaching out to more than 3,000 youths in the municipality.
The objective of the Youth Centre is to bring together the youth from the neighbourhood and help them create and foster mutual relationship, discover and develop their natural talents through sports and cultural heritage, develop their intellectual capacities, help them inculcate and foster the value of peace amongst themselves, and help them face daily challenges with maturity. It also provides an opportunity for the youth to engage in positive activities that allows them better use of their free time.
Activities/Projects Implemented
• Expansion of the gym: the centre had a small gym that could only serve a few members at a
time. To allow for more youth to access the gym, the centre initiated an expansion program
that has since led to an increase in the number of beneficiaries, especially women who want to keep
fit.
• Car wash: this was initiated as a small income-generating activity for the youth as a fee is charged
to wash vehicles. The income is used to maintain the car wash equipment and facility. It has also
created job opportunities as the youth working at the car wash are paid for their services.
• Acquisition of more furniture: to cater to the increasing number of beneficiaries, the centre acquired more chairs for use in the hall. The chairs are also hired out to the local community as a way
of making a small income, and the proceeds used for maintenance of the hall.
Challenges
• Limited Space: one of the major challenges the centre faces is the increasing demand for its services which has led to the expansion and initiation of new programs. This has however created a need for the expansion of the facilities.
