SYC, YEfL & Biyoom

In 2010, a group of young people from Saboba, Ghana, who were involved in various local youth initiatives, decided to join forces and coordinate their efforts. This collaboration led to the creation of the Saboba Youth Centre (SYC), bringing together several clubs, such as the Peace & Sanitation Youth Club, the Quiz Debaters & Drama Club, and the Anti-AIDS Club.

The early years were challenging. In the villages of northern Ghana, it is uncommon for young people to gather, and such meetings are often viewed with suspicion. As a result, the first meetings had to be held outdoors under the shade of trees, as no one was willing to provide a venue. However, the new youth center received support from Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL), an NGO based in Tamale, the largest city in northern Ghana.

SYC Members,
September 2024

General Meeting of the Biyoom e.V. 2021

YEfL (and Biyoom) Members, September 2024

Thanks to YEfL’s assistance, Amadu, one of the SYC’s founding members, attended a four-month training program in Silkeborg, Denmark, in 2015. There, he formed a friendship with Lauritz, who promised to try and support the SYC. In 2017, Lauritz visited Saboba for the first time, bringing along some donations. Impressed by the SYC's successes and the warm welcome of the local people, he decided to find a way to support the SYC in the long term.

This led to the founding of the nonprofit organization Biyoom e.V. in early 2019. Since then, we have been collecting donations in Germany and channeling them through YEfL to the SYC. We ensure that the SYC maintains maximum autonomy, as they are best placed to identify the most pressing local challenges and determine effective solutions.

Since the establishment of our association, we have visited Saboba three more times and are delighted to see the SYC’s projects and our friendships with the local community continue to grow.