Somali Bantu Youth Association

Somali Bantu Youth Association is an organization that began in 2008 as the brain child of Rilwan Osman, who is currently the director. They began with a youth meeting and set their priorities to offer the following activities:
· Recreation (soccer league)
· Cultural events and dance practice
· Violence reduction programs
· Academic support programs
Since then, they have registered with the State of Maine and have 501c3 status. They have a board of 10 members with well-defined titles and roles, including a youth motivator. They have received grants from the Maine Community Foundation, State of Maine’s Office of Minority health, and Empower Lewiston. This has allowed them to purchase uniforms and organize a soccer league, hold dance performances, and have programs that bring speakers (Center for Prevention of Hate Violence, Lewiston Police) to meet with youth. They also offer tutoring to youth at the B street center on Saturday and Sunday afternoons as well as to assist adults with preparation for the citizenship exam. They believe that the tutoring has been very helpful to their youth, as this year saw the first Somali Bantu high school graduates.