Young people are the fulcrum on which these societies will progress or devolve.
By training youth leaders in areas such as leadership and civic engagement, and in the use of tools such as mobile cinema, participatory theater, social media, and film production, PDev II empowered young men and women to be positive examples in their communities and to inspire their peers. At the same time, supporting sustainable livelihoods and increasing access to education created positive life choices for those most at risk.
Three Approaches to Empower Youth:
1. Supporting Youth leaders
PDev II-trained youth leaders engaged their peers to elevate the positive role youth can play in communities. Youth organized activities included mobile cinema showings and participatory theater performances that encouraged interactive and inclusive discussions on topics ranging from the importance of focusing in school and working hard, to herder and pastoralist conflicts and how to peacefully mitigate them.
Nearly 3,500 individuals trained in leadership, participatory theater or multi-media. Read More→
2,100+ youth-led community events including:
950+ mobile cinema projections. Read More→
1,200+ participatory theater performances. Read More→
Nearly 110,000 youth participated in community events attended by 245,000+ community members. Read More→
30 short and medium format films were created by youth. Read More→
2. Vocational Training
Lasting from several weeks to several months, vocational trainings helped at-risk youth build a useful set of skills in fields ranging from tailoring to auto mechanics. In addition, young entrepreneurs were trained to start their own small businesses. Upon completion of the training, youth received a start-up kit to aid them in the pursuit of their craft or business. To build local capacity for further training, PDev II also supported pre-existing vocational training centers.
2,600+ youth received vocational training and livelihood assistance. Read More→
$460,000+ provided to support vocational training at 10 training centers. Read More→
3. Increased Access to Education
By providing learning materials, textbooks and school furniture, and constructing several classrooms, PDev II increased the capacity of secondary schools to accommodate more youth and made staying in school more attractive for youth that attend. Many schools in the program region, particularly in rural areas, lack furniture and supplies, with multiple students sharing one textbook, and several sharing a desk and bench meant for only one. In addition, literacy training sought to reduce the social and economic exclusion of a select group of at-risk adults.
150+ formal and non-formal schools supported through provision of $1.1+ million in supplies, equipment and infrastructure benefitting 105,000+ students in at-risk areas. Read More→
Nearly 30 classrooms constructed in 10 communities. Read More→
2,030+ adults became functionally literate. Read More→
Success Stories
Youth Empowerment in Action
“It’s our role as youth to create a synergy between the different structures so we can create a dynamic emerging country. I am an actor of change in my country.”