In March 1998, eight organizations working with youth in different Nairobi slums came together to form the Youth Exchange Network (YEN). The groups were motivated to join forces to better serve young people and other residents of these areas. This document describes the development of YEN and its key projects and programs. The document was created for NGO Networks at the request of the USAID Bureau of Africa to offer an example of a young network still establishing its identity and discovering its value.