RESTLESS DEVELOPMENT UGANDA ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE 2011/12

Transcription

1 RESTLESS DEVELOPMENT UGANDA ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE 2011/12

2 WE ARE RESTLESS DEVELOPMENT UGANDA We are the leading experts on youth-led development in Uganda. Our vision is young people leading development and living healthy, productive lives supported by all those around them. Our mission is placing young people at the forefront of change and development. To achieve our vision and mission, we collaborate with young people, community members, local government and development partners from community through to national level.

3 THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN UGANDA Young people are those most affected by the persistent development problems facing Uganda. And yet, their potential for addressing these issues is frequently overlooked. We need young people s participation more than ever. Their energy and idealism can help make up for lost ground and achieve our development goals in full and on time. Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General Young people are the largest, most energetic group of people in Uganda. Young people can and must be part of guiding and implementing development solutions, and it is this belief that is at the heart of everything we do. YOUTHFUL UGANDA 78% of Uganda s population is under the age of 30, making it the 2nd youngest population in the world 6.7 children per women explains why Uganda ranks as having the 2nd highest population growth rate in the world 110% dependency ratio which contributes to Uganda s low labour force participation and high poverty levels DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FACING UGANDA S YOUTH 94% live in poverty 80% are under/unemployed, relying predominantly on agriculture 25% of females are pregnant before the age of % are living with HIV and AIDS % of Uganda s 2011/12 budget is allocated to creating jobs for young people

4 WHAT WE DID IN THROUGH YOUTH-LED INTERVENTIONS 207 volunteers recruited, trained, and empowered to take action as Volunteer Peer Educators across 39 rural communities in the Busoga and Karamoja regions of Uganda 26,850 in and out-of-school youth reached directly through peer education activities on leadership, peace-building, livelihoods, and sexual reproductive health 1,050 community adults, opinion leaders, and development partners reporting increased understanding of the importance of youth-led development and service provision 54% increase in young people identifying their role in Uganda s decision-making processes 25% increase in young people engaged in market-driven enterprises 47% increase in young people adopting safe sexual behaviours 1.8 billion Uganda shillings expensed on youth-led interventions, a value of 75,000 shillings per community member reached

5 1 2 3 CIVIC PARTICIPATION Young people are recognised and supported as significant contributors to development processes; resulting in policies and practices that are beneficial to young Ugandans and the whole population. LIVELIHOODS & EMPLOYMENT Young people are taking up productive livelihoods and employment opportunities that contribute to their household income and the economy of their community and country. SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & RIGHTS Young people are engaging in safe sexual & reproductive health practices that lead to informed decisions and healthy lives. WHAT S NEXT? SUMMARY OF 2011/12 OCTOBER Community Sensitisation NOVEMBER National Youth Working Group Meeting (first of the year) DECEMBER Launch of Livelihoods & Citizenship in Karamoja research JANUARY 2012 Youth Empowerment Programme volunteer placements, dance4life campaign, and International Citizens Service begin MARCH Regional Youth Consultation APRIL Training of teachers & health centre staff on youth-friendly service provision MAY Alumni Network Annual Meeting JUNE Training of community livelihoods facilitators and establishment of income-generating projects through LearnNet AUGUST 2012 Youth Empowerment Programme volunteer placements end SEPTEMBER Advocates for Action training Note: Dates are subject to change so please contact us for confirmation or further detail.

6 Partnerships with other youth-led and youth-focused civil society organisations, schools, and health centres, learning from them, coordinating effectively, and contributing to their capacity development. Structured long-term interventions in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, livelihoods and employment, and civic participation for young people in rural Uganda, led by young Ugandan volunteers who are trained and supported by our organisation to deliver community based projects. Publication of research, tools, and resources to share youth-led development models in partnership with government, civil society, donors, and other agencies to improve practice in Uganda. Support our former volunteers to take the next step in their careers through career advice, internships, and other activities. Globally, 83% of our alumni are in higher education with 78% in development work. Uganda has a large network of former volunteers actively engaged and benefiting from the experiences offered. Policy development, implementation and monitoring to ensure policies and services exist that benefit young people, with government, donors, civil society, and the private sector to ensure coordinating bodies are established and operational

7 Inspiring young people to take up volunteering and directly deliver programmes in SRHR, livelihoods and civic participation Young people are leading work which contributes to national and global development targets Supporting former volunteers to move on in their careers creating a generation of leaders today Young people are entering positions of leadership and continue to make a contribution to development after volunteering with us We believe that by enabling young people to take up leadership positions in development, we can show the world that young people can make invaluable contributions to achieving development targets and utilise this as a platform to ensure that government, donors, and civil society create space for young people to lead. This is how we do it, the change we create and how we fit into the big picture in Uganda. Partnering youth-led and youth focused organisations to improve quality of programmes and services in the sector Engaging young people to shape policy and practice by building their capacity to lead and participate in decision-making processes Disseminating tools and resources on youth-led development with partners and stakeholders Youth organisations and the youth sector have expanding capacities to fulfil their mandates for the benefit of young people and society Young people have recognised roles and are contributing to policy developments connected to global and national development targets Decision-makers and service providers are adopting and expanding good practices in youthled development models Young people s leadership has improved the lives of disadvantaged people in Uganda

8 David (25 year old male) was struggling to secure employment in his community after completing his studies. He was approached by Restless Development to become a Volunteer Peer Educator (VPE) and quickly agreed. Supported by Restless Development, David developed the knowledge, skills and confidence to engage and empower his peers. As a VPE he raised awareness amongst youth about the importance of healthy living, shared livelihoods information and skills with community members, and worked with local government to enable them to better engage youth. Through this work David became recognised as a leader in his community. David was elected Youth Councillor for Malongo Sub-County, Mayuge District. He notes: Before I had no interest in leadership. I developed public speaking skills whilst volunteering and it brought me closer to the community. In my work now, the community believes in me, they give me their views and I act on them. Online: infouganda@restlessdevelopment.org In Jinja (Head Office): Plot 6 Acacia Road; PO Box 1208 Tel: +256 (0) Programme Manager Advocacy & Capacity Building - Ms. Mariam Naula Programme Quality & Learning Manager - Ms. Natalie Newell In Moroto: Moroto District Headquarters Tel: +256 (0) Programme Coordinator - Ms. Juliet Nakazibwe Restless Development is registered with both the Company Registrars of Uganda and the NGO Board under the registration number S.5914/1827. It is affiliated to the International NGO, Restless Development International based in London, UK.