Cardinal Youth Association is a legally recognised, community-based organisation empowering youth, women and persons with disabilities through civic education, environmental sustainability, social justice, leadership development and democratic participation.
Cardinal Youth Association (CYA) is a legally recognised, community-based organisation headquartered in Mombasa, Kenya, registered under the Societies Act (Cap 108) by the Office of the Registrar of Societies. CYA is dedicated to transforming communities by empowering youth, women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through targeted, inclusive programmes in civic education, environmental sustainability, social justice, leadership development and democratic participation.
Vision: A just, inclusive and empowered society through civic education, environmental sustainability, and transformative leadership.
Mission: To empower youth, women, and PWDs through advocacy, civic education, environmental stewardship, and leadership development, while promoting peace, equity, and active participation in democratic governance.
We provide inclusive opportunities for skills development, leadership training and mentorship, ensuring marginalised groups have access to the resources and platforms they need to thrive economically, socially and politically.
We foster active citizenship through awareness campaigns, voter education and civic engagement programmes that encourage informed participation in democratic governance and public decision-making.
We champion community-based environmental initiatives, including large-scale tree planting, climate education and sustainable practices to combat climate change and promote ecological resilience.
We promote harmonious coexistence and non-violence by advocating for equitable policies and inclusive governance that uplift underrepresented voices, especially youth, women and PWDs.
Through collaboration with local communities, self-help groups and public institutions, we mobilise collective action for policy advocacy, leadership development and long-term social transformation.
Three programme areas currently anchor CYA's work on the coast, run in collaboration with government, corporate and community partners.
In alignment with the Africa Climate Summit 2023 and in collaboration with Kenya Ports Authority, CYA has launched a large-scale community greening campaign.
CYA plays a vital role in fostering democratic participation through voter education, peaceful election advocacy and civic literacy campaigns across marginalised and underserved communities.
Specialised programmes targeting PWDs and women-led groups to promote digital literacy, entrepreneurship, access to government services, and community leadership roles.
CYA's Strategic Plan (2026–2030) is aligned with the Constitution of Kenya, Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (5, 10, 13, 16 and 17), delivered across four strategic pillars in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Lamu counties.
Vocational and digital skills training, entrepreneurship and business development, blue economy training, and inclusive leadership development for youth, women and persons with disabilities.
Public participation education, constitutional rights campaigns, human rights clinics and legal aid desks, GBV awareness, and civic engagement through schools, community forums and media.
Mangrove and coastal ecosystem restoration, waste management and recycling, climate-smart agriculture, clean energy access, and disaster risk reduction.
Voter education, youth and women political empowerment, peacebuilding and conflict mitigation, election observation, and governance monitoring.
Together, the four pillars represent a combined KES 1.19 billion investment over five years (~KES 237.7 million annually), scalable based on funding availability, partnerships and phased implementation. Source: Cardinal Youth Association Strategic Plan (2026–2030).
Scale up youth, women and PWD-focused programmes across Kenya and East Africa through digital training, leadership incubation, civic literacy and economic empowerment.
Lead Kenya's coastal region in climate resilience by mobilising institutions, communities and grassroots groups to contribute to the national 15B tree goal — creating 10,000+ green jobs.
Build accessible, tech-enabled community hubs that serve as powerhouses for civic education, legal aid, innovation labs, social advocacy and grassroots organising.
Launch a national fellowship and mentorship programme shaping the next generation of accountable, ethical and people-driven leaders across all counties.
Secure strategic investment through CSR, public-private partnerships, philanthropy and donor agencies to scale impact and influence national policy agendas.
Read CYA's official Organizational Profile and Strategic Plan (2026–2030) online — the documents behind the figures, pillars and objectives on this page. Available for on-site reading only.
CYA's institutional policies and Constitution, available to read in full below. These documents are for on-site reading only and are not available as downloads.
Cardinal Youth Association ("CYA", "we", "us") respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect through this website and how we use it.
The only personal information we collect is what you choose to submit through our Contact form on this site — namely your name, email address, and message. We do not use cookies, analytics, or any third-party tracking scripts on this website.
We do not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Our contact form is processed by FormSubmit, a third-party form-delivery service that forwards your submission to our email inbox. No data is stored on our own servers beyond that email. We encourage you to review FormSubmit's own privacy practices if you have concerns about this intermediary step.
As an organisation working with youth, we take extra care with any information involving minors. Where our programmes involve engagement with children or young people, data is handled in line with our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, available in the Policies section of this site.
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any information you have submitted to us by contacting us using the details in the Contact section of this website.
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision.
Questions about this policy can be sent to info@cardinalyouthassociation.org.
These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the Cardinal Youth Association website. By using this site, you agree to these terms.
All text, images, branding, and policy documents on this website are the property of Cardinal Youth Association unless otherwise stated. Policy documents displayed in this section are provided for on-site reading only and are not available for download or redistribution without our written permission.
This site may reference or link to third-party services (such as WhatsApp or our form-delivery provider). We are not responsible for the content, availability, or privacy practices of external sites.
This website and its content are provided "as is." While we aim to keep information accurate and up to date, we make no guarantees regarding completeness or accuracy, and we are not liable for any loss arising from reliance on this site's content.
These terms are governed by the laws of Kenya.
Questions about these terms can be sent to info@cardinalyouthassociation.org.
CYA's flagship greening campaign brought residents, youth volunteers and institutional partners together to restore coastal mangrove cover — part of the 14,000+ trees planted in 2024, with marginalised groups including single parents and women with disabled children engaged in paid planting and maintenance.
Partner on This ProjectOur leadership is guided by the principles of servant leadership, accountability and equity. Governance runs from the Patron through Executive Leadership (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary General, Treasurer and assistants) to the Programme & Projects Coordinator, Finance, ICT and Field Officer functions.
CYA works hand-in-hand with grassroots networks to ensure change is inclusive and community-owned, directly benefiting youth-led initiatives, women's cooperatives and organisations of persons with disabilities, including:
Sustainable impact is built on strong partnerships across government, parastatal, corporate and grassroots actors who share our commitment to inclusion, environmental stewardship and civic empowerment.
