#YALIServes works to build upon the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Throughout his life, Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly to strengthen his community, his country, and Africa as a whole.
In honor of Nelson Mandela’s birthday each year, #YALIServes encourages all members of the YALI Network to volunteer. While the 2019 #YALIServes service period has ended, you can still volunteer or organize an event in your community.
Acts of volunteerism will benefit not only you, but the community around you. By giving goods, services, and time at no cost to those around you, you are strengthening your community and empowering yourself as a leader.
By joining #YALIServes, you are joining together with leaders across all of Africa to inspire, volunteer, and lead events in your communities. Whether it’s by planting a tree or painting a school, you can make a difference in your community today. No act is too small.
By learning about volunteerism and its impacts below, you can step up today and start giving back to your community.
Learn About Volunteering
Take the courses below to learn more about the importance of volunteering and how to start planning an event. After you finish the courses, watch the video vignettes to learn about the benefits of volunteering for you and your community.
Course: Community Organizing For Action
Learn how to inspire and engage volunteers to be proactive in their communities and organize grassroots campaigns.
Course: Servant Leadership - The Deciding Difference
Become versed in the origins and principles of servant leadership, including a comparative review of other key leadership styles, the benefits and criticisms of servant leadership, and how to become a servant leader yourself.
Video Vignettes: The Joy of Volunteering
In this five-part video series, Mimshach Obioha, a 2016 Washington Fellow, and Celestina Obiekea, a YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa–Accra Participant, talk about what volunteering is and how being a volunteer benefits you and your community.
Need inspiration?
Watch “YALI Voices: The Joy of Volunteering” video series to learn why volunteering in your community is beneficial.
Once you have completed the #YALIServes courses, use the toolkit below to get started planning your event. Download and share these graphics on social media using #YALIServes. You can also download and print the #YALIServes t-shirt design for shirts to use for your event. Share the #YALIServes quote graphic on your social media pages! Click this preview image to download. Share the #YALIServes quote graphic on your social media pages! Click this preview image to download.
Share the #YALIServes graphic on your social media pages! Click this preview image to download. Click this link to download the printable file: https://staticyali.state.gov/uploads/2019/05/DownloadServesShirt.pdf
Are You Ready To Start Organizing?
Share Your Service
2019 #YALIServes Events
Use the map below to see all of the #YALIServes events from 2019. You can use the events to help inspire your own #YALIServes events.
All group members may create and attend events at their sole discretion, expense and risk. Providing personal contact information is at the sole discretion and risk of each individual. The U.S. Government cannot be held accountable for anything related to these events or their promotion.
Read More About #YALIServes on the YALI Network Blog
Read stories from past #YALIServes participants, find tips, and learn more about the importance of volunteering on the YALI Network Blog.