The Youth Development Fund (YDF) is a Bhutanese non-governmental organisation established by Royal Decree of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1999. Its president is Queen Mother Tshering Pem Wangchuck, and its programmes focus on youth empowerment, drug rehabilitation, and life skills.
The Youth Development Fund (YDF; sometimes branded "Bhutan Youth Development Fund" or BYDF) is a Bhutanese non-governmental organisation focused on the welfare and development of young people, with offices in Thimphu. It was established under a Royal Decree of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1999 and is presided over by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck.[1]
The fund was created against a backdrop of rising official concern in the late 1990s about youth unemployment, school drop-outs, urban drift to Thimphu and Phuentsholing, and the emerging visibility of substance use among young people. It works through a network of programme partners including the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, the Ministry of Health, schools, monastic institutions, and international donors.[2]
Programmes
YDF's stated thematic areas are climate action, health and well-being, education, skills development, and youth empowerment. It supports a portfolio of activities including leadership training, life-skills education, vocational and basic-skills training, advocacy and research, special-education services, and substance-use rehabilitation.[3]
One of the fund's flagship interventions is the Youth Development and Rehabilitation Centre in Tshalumaphey, which provides residential treatment for young people with substance-use disorders. YDF also runs youth centres and resource centres in major towns and provides project-based small grants to youth-led organisations and clubs across the dzongkhags.
Governance
The fund is governed by a board chaired by the Queen Mother as President, supported by an Executive Director and a small secretariat. An International Advisory Council provides advisory input on programme strategy and fundraising and includes Bhutanese and international members drawn from civil society, business, and the development sector.[4]
YDF is a member of the International Federation of International Athletic Associations (IFIA) and the Asia-Pacific Youth Network coordinated through the International Labour Organization (ILO).[5]
Funding
YDF is funded by a mix of royal endowments, individual and corporate donations within Bhutan, and grants from international donors and partners. As a registered civil-society organisation under the Civil Society Organisations Act of Bhutan 2007, it operates under the regulatory oversight of the Civil Society Organisations Authority.
See Also
- Queen Mother Tshering Pem Wangchuck
- Youth Development and Rehabilitation Centre
- Jigme Singye Wangchuck
References
See also
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