Recently we had the chance to be in space with one of our cohort organization members African Young Dreamer’s Empowerment Program International (AYDEPI). Supported through King County Communities of Opportunity they have been a driving force in supporting African youth and young adults in the Federal Way Community. Dedicated to enriching, enhancing, and empowering the lives of African and African American youth aged 12-25, their mission is to create sustainable solutions that build resilience and foster growth within vulnerable communities.
The organization was founded by mother and daughter Beatrice Kiraguri and Fiona Okech in 2019 as a response to experiencing multiple deaths, gang violence, and needs for support in the African community that was not being received and catered towards African youth immigrants for 2nd generation children. The program focuses on providing mentorship in conjunction with other youth and young adults that is guided by Beatrice for support. Beatrice has years of experience with nonprofit management that she brought with her from Kenya working with the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS. She was recognized in Federal Way as a “Hometown Hero” for her impact in the community. AYDEPI focuses on youth engagement and empowerment as a teach-in model for those entering the program. With their youth teach-in model they provide leadership engagement, mentorship programs, community engagement, and cultural immersion as a way to address drug and alcohol abuse within the community. Fiona talked about her own experience battling with the needs for mental health care and her reflection on AYDEPI as the program director. “There are so many things of people who think like me that a lot of young people face that they say I don’t want to seek help because I don’t wanna feel judged. I’m here now because I know that I want somebody because I can tell myself that it’s okay, it’s fine and I can get resources without feeling like a burden. I needed someone like that and I was lucky. If there is a young person that is going through something or something similar I can give them the support they need.”
AYDEPI has been part of the 2026 Communities Rise cohort and has been engaged in their overall capacity building goals. Fiona Okech had noted that in the capacity building program AYDEPI has been able to create goals for the organization that they had not been able to focus on before or had the proper guidance. Beatrice and Fiona have been participating in the cohort’s monthly peer learning clinics and have been learning about how to do strategic planning, board development, and fundraising. Fiona had noted that “Even though we are not as new it wasn’t as accessible. With CR we have been able to internalize it and help us grow tremendously, if we hadn’t done it before. We have been really appreciative of the cohort community as well. We were able to foster partnerships and connections with the other organizations participating in the cohort.” Through their coaching and ongoing participation they have created crucial workplan goals to enhance the sustainability of their organization and teach the youth how to support the nonprofit. CR’s capacity building coach Alex Dorros along with the support of the Communities Rise Fundraising Clinic was able to support members of their youth advisory board on elevator speeches and event planning for fundraisers.
AYDEPI recently concluded their Beauty of African Roots Festival, a vibrant, youth-driven celebration held on August 2nd at Highline College. With over 600 attendees, the festival powerfully demonstrated the impact of youth leadership and cultural relevance in community building. The event featured youth-led presentations and music focused on anti-drug and anti-violence themes, poetry representing the homelands of various African countries, a parade of flags, and a spirited dance competition showcasing the talents of youth from Somalia, South Sudan, Angola, Congo, and Kenya. While Kenya took home the trophy this year, the competition was stiff. The authentic energy and creativity of the youth—especially those on the youth advisory board—defined the festival. Through their leadership, the event was deeply rooted in community, cultural pride, and youth empowerment.
AYDEPI creates intentional spaces for young people to connect with and celebrate their heritage. Their youth-focused programming, including this festival and ongoing annual initiatives, ensures that young people can embrace their culture, language, food, and clothing in a welcoming, judgment-free environment. By centering youth voices and cultural relevance, AYDEPI’s impact continues to grow—reaching more schools across the Federal Way District and inspiring the next generation of culturally grounded, community-oriented leaders through mentorship and peer-led programs.
For the rest of the year AYDEPI is looking forward to working towards their capacity building goals for the cohort program and hosting their Gala in December to celebrate the youth in their accomplishments. You can learn more about them at aydep.org.