Community & Youth Development Initiatives (CYDI), is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded on the principle that true development is self-development. CYDI was established on 1st July 2001 in response to the result of the 1999 National HIV/syphilis Sero-prevalence Sentinel Survey, which showed that HIV prevalence among young people (20-24 yrs.) ranged from 4.2%-9.7% and to help government and other stakeholders to address the health and developmental challenges faced by young people (10-24 years) in Imo State. Although, it was registered, with the Corporate Affairs Commission (RC: 16,547) on 23rd of March 2004, CYDI started providing reproductive health and developmental services to young people (10-24 years) in Imo State from 2001. In the last 20 years (2001-2023), CYDI has implemented 60+ projects in 8 key sectors, namely, Agriculture-1; Economic Empowerment- 1; Education-1; Gender Based Violence (Female Genital Mutilation-12); Governance-1; Infrastructural Development-12; Peace Building-1 and Health (HIV&AIDS-22, Malaria-2, Tuberculosis-1, Reproductive Health-1, Family Life and HIV Education-1). The beneficiaries have been young people, their guardians and other community members in the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State. We have addressed these problems by increasing the people’s capacity to manage their own health and development. This strategy is based on CYDI conviction that self-development is true development. In July 2015, CYDI RE-STRUCTURED its programme in line with the National Policy on the Health and Development of Adolescents and Young People in Nigeria (2007). CYDI now focuses on 5 major areas of need for young people (10-24 yrs.) in Imo State. These are, namely, 1) Sexual and Reproductive Health; 2) Substance Abuse; 3) Nutrition; 4) Career/Employment and 5) Social adjustment/Parental responsibility. CYDI now provides age-appropriate health and development services to its clients in Imo State through the Oby Resource Centre (ORC), Community and Youth Outreach 

Due to our work, young people in our intervention communities now have access to appropriate information and services that enable them to make healthier choices. Despite our moderate success, CYDI and partners are working to ensure that all young people in Imo State have access to reproductive health and developmental information and services. CYDI’s work is supported by individuals, government, and donor agencies. Some key funders in the past 15 years are, namely, 1) Global Dialogues Trust; 2) Imo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (IMOSACA); 3) European Union/Micro Project Program in Six States; 4)Centre for Development and Population Activities; 5) Society for Family Health; 6)United States Agency for International Development; 7) Health Alive Foundation/Global Funds for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; 8) Catholic Relief Services; 9) Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND Foundation); 10) Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); 11) The Girl Generation (TGG); and 12) United State Agency for International Development (USAID) 13) The International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES)