ECHO Youth Development

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ECHO Youth Development is a nonprofit youth organization in the Northern suburbs of Pretoria in the Gauteng Province, South Africa.

It developed in the late 1990’s from an outreach to youth in need by the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk Villieria a Dutch Reformed Church denomination. The movement was registered as a nonprofit organization in 2001 and is today considered as one of the leading emerging churches amongst post modern youth in South Africa.^{[citation needed]}

1 Small beginnings
2 Holistic approach
3 Motto
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Small beginnings

ECHO Youth Development started with only two paid employees and a few volunteers in a little office in Pretoria. Jaco Strydom, a local youth pastor, and Rhona Greeff, one of the volunteers, was doing most of the early work. They focused on establishing counseling facilities at schools, weekly youth groups and youth camps.

[edit] Holistic approach

Today the organization has programs to help young people in need: mentally, spiritually and physically. Between 2004 and 2007 ECHO Youth Development created houses of hope for boys and girls in need. In 2005 they established the Bounce Drug program and in 2008 the ECHO Youth Arts Theater opened with free guitar, drama and art classes and regular youth shows. More than three hundred teenagers from needy backgrounds attend the weekly Church service called a “Youth Bash”.