Young people are most at risk for delinquent behaviours during the after-school hours of 1:00 to 7:00 pm. This is compounded in neighbourhoods where poverty, bullying and under-performing schools are the norm. The good news is that these underserved children experience the greatest gains in academic performance and social and life skills development when they participate in after-school programs that are fully implemented and they attend regularly.

The overriding aim of the ‘Ligala’ Youth Link ( LYL) is to meet the expressed social needs of young people for a neutral safe after school informal social gathering place in the Town Center by creating a dynamic, innovative, cost-effective, self-sustainable, and multi-cultural Youth Venue, which is efficiently and skillfully managed by and for young people. LYL will Attract young people from all parts of Gisenyi town and across the board in Goma-RDC to a high quality social venue - neutrally but prominently located.

The project objectives are to provide a safe, comfortable and informal social gathering place for young people where they can hang out after school;

Operate on a social enterprise basis, offering employment and training opportunities to vulnerable young people as assistant caterers, facility operatives, cleaners and administrators;

Incorporate a canteen, an internet café, a film, live music and games and offer young people the opportunities to pursue their own interests in IT, music, film making, dance etc;

Affordable access to the resources of the Internet and other online services and educating young people on what the Internet has to offer;

The formation of an environment that will bring young people with diverse interests and backgrounds together in a common forum;

Provide a gateway to increasing young people’s use of the neighboring basket court and Lake Kivu beach.

Work with the local community in developing services that meet the needs of youth and address issues affecting them.

Develop partnerships with voluntary and community groups, statutory agencies, and local schools.

The Ligala Youth Link will also provide a service to the wider community by offering young people a safe and welcoming alternative to hanging out on the streets, which enterprise and community approaches are supported.