Implementation
12. Employment Fund, Nepal (DFID/SDC)
“It is clear that any proposed solutions to the youth employment challenge which do not take on board the expectations, frustrations and aspirations of young people in relation to the labour market will struggle to meet the needs of youth.” Youth Employment Network 2007
Funded by DFID and SDC, Helvetas Nepal’s employment fund provides skill training to economically poor and socially discriminated out-of-school youth. Private service providers help identify the market potential as well as train participants. The payment to the service providers is based on the type of category trained and linked to outcomes: the service provider does not get any payment for those trainees who do not achieve employment.
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries
Operational Area: Implementation
13. Mainstreaming SRHR in Education (USAID, Senegal)
“HIV and AIDS mainstreaming should result in the epidemic becoming part and parcel of the routine functions and functioning of a sector ...as an integral part of the planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring activities”. UNAIDS 2008
Multi-sectoral approaches that engage government agencies, communities, and youth are vital for sustainable change. The Population Council and Frontiers together have worked across different policy areas, utilising a strong research base and government partnerships to catalyse change in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) policy and practice. Regional research pilots informed the creation of a nationwide programme between 1999 and 2007. The majority of funding was provided by USAID.
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries, Partners
Themes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Operational Area: Implementation
14. SRHR Peer Education (NAC, Uganda)
In order to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, young people need confidence, awareness of gender issues and access to services and motivation, not just the raw facts.
Young Empowered and Healthy (YEAH) is a nationally recognised sexual health campaign for and by young people in Uganda, launched in 2004 under the auspices of the Uganda AIDS Commission. YEAH uses radio and other media to reach youth and produces an award winning national weekly serial drama, ‘Rock Point 256.’ YEAH is implemented by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) with technical assistance from Health Communication Partnership (HCP). Funding and support for YEAH has been drawn from USAID, PEPFAR (a special US presidential fund for SRH intervention measures), through John Hopkins Bloomberg University. Other funding is from Save the Children Uganda, UNICEF and the Uganda National AIDS Commission.
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries, Partners
Themes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Operational Area: Implementation
15. Educating New Voters, (Finnish Embassy, Nepal)
Voter and civic education is especially important in post-conflict countries, where political situations may be volatile, substantial legal and procedural changes have taken place, and elections may have an unprecedented impact on the country’s future.
The Embassy of Finland in Kathmandu funded a Nepali NGO (Alliance for Peace) to create awareness about the country’s 2008 constituent assembly elections. Young people were less involved in party politics and were not recognised as belonging to any particular party. Thus, young people’s involvement in voter awareness helped the campaign to maintain a neutral position. Educating young people had a ripple effect as they communicated within their families, peer and friend groups. The initiative ran for one year from April 2007 to March 2008.
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries, Partners
Operational Area: Implementation
16. Participatory Budgeting (GTZ, Argentina)
“Where local young people are involved in budgetary decisions there is the potential to develop creative solutions to issues that can result in cost savings and better value for money. Local young people are often very conscious of spending/allocating public money and can therefore be very careful about how they spend it.” Government official, Municipality of Rosario
Participatory youth governance can give youth a greater sense of civic pride and responsibility. The Municipality of Rosario undertakes an annual participatory youth budget, engaging youth from across its six districts in democratic processes to select representatives and decide upon budget allocations for youth services. An initial pilot in 2004 was funded by German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and the necessary funds are now drawn from the municipal budget. Young people are able to have a say in the design of youth services in their city and in the allocation of resources to support their execution over the course of a six-month annual cycle.
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries, Partners
Operational Area: Implementation
17. Launching a Youth-Led Partner (USAID, Jamaica)
Youth-led organisations are in a unique position to develop and implement initiatives that address issues from a youth perspective and offer solutions that respond to the diverse realities of young people. USAID funded a programme through Jamaican partners to promote healthy lifestyles amongst Jamaican youth, addressing sexual health and violence prevention through youth-led peer education and outreach.
Founded as part of the USAID-funded JASTYLE Project, the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) has grown into an independent NGO working closely with the national government, civil society, national and international NGOs and the school system to address issues of democracy and youth participation. It focuses on: adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence prevention and arts and culture in Jamaica. Working from the local level up, JYAN has developed links to key decision-makers in national and multilateral policy and funding bodies.
Operational Area: Implementation
