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A Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Economic Strengthening for Youth

Radha Rajkotia, Youth & Livelihoods Technical Advisor Child & Youth Protection and Development Unit International Rescue Committee. A Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Economic Strengthening for Youth. IRC Liberia - Nimba & Lofa October 4, 2006

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A Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Economic Strengthening for Youth

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  1. Radha Rajkotia, Youth & Livelihoods Technical AdvisorChild & Youth Protection and Development UnitInternational Rescue Committee A Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Economic Strengthening for Youth IRC Liberia - Nimba & Lofa October 4, 2006 Lili Stern, Technical Advisor for Youth & Livelihoods IRC New York - CYPD

  2. Starting from the beginning… • What is a ‘livelihood’? • ‘A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living’ • What is a ‘sustainable livelihood’? • ‘A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets…’ (Chambers and Conway, 1992)

  3. What is the sustainable livelihoods framework?

  4. Limited practical assistance for application Non-sectoral approach does not match reality Downplayed importance of focused technical/ financial support services, increased emphasis on ‘soft’ issues e.g. capacity-building, social organization, participation Very useful as conceptual or heuristic tool Helps to see links between different factors affecting livelihoods Helps build cross-sectoral and potentially, cross-institutional dialogue What have we learned about the SL framework?

  5. So, what about youth in conflict/ post-conflict settings? • Scale • Sub-Saharan African youth population has quadrupled since 1950 (World Bank, 2006) • In 2005, 62% of Africa’s population fell below 25 (World Bank, 2009) • 60% of total Sub-Saharan unemployed population are youth (ILO, 2006) • 4.5 million unemployed youth in Côte d’Ivoire (UNIDO, 2007) • 48,000 child soldiers in Sierra Leone, including approximately 12,000 girls (McKay & Mazurana, 2004) • 88% youth unemployment in Liberia (ILO, 2006) • 7,000-9,000 children and youth involved in commercial sexual exploitation in Uganda (ILO-IPEC, 2004) • Half of FATA’s 3.5 million population is female, but female literacy rate stands at 3% (DfID, 2003)

  6. Complex puzzles of youth needs/assets Knowledge Trauma counseling Jobs Social networks Access to justice Healthcare Financial services Rights education Access to natural/ physical resources Advice Skills Access to markets Family/ community reintegration Confidence Crisis to Development

  7. How youth needs/ assets are frequently prioritized Skills Knowledge Financial services Trauma counseling Jobs Access to justice Healthcare Social networks Access to markets Confidence Advice Family/ community reintegration Access to natural/ physical resources Rights education Crisis to Development

  8. Youth Experiences of trauma Need for change in behaviors Fractured community relationships – particularly inter-generational relationships Contexts Fragile peace- government and donor urgency Weak markets not able to absorb youth Poor capacity/ infrastructure Why so? In crisis/ immediate post-conflict…

  9. BUT, this does change with time • Does not mean that we have to be tunnel-visioned or short-sighted in our approach • Need to explore interventions that are innovative and responsive to both needs and contexts • Youth VSLA Groups (Burundi) • Micro-franchising (Sierra Leone) • Complementary education and employment programs e.g. youth agriculture extension (CAR) • Mainstreamed entrepreneurship education (CdI, Sierra Leone, Liberia)

  10. Need robust evaluations of youth livelihood programming – using same holistic approach as that is applied to design • Northern Uganda – DoL funded ORACLE project (2003-2007) - Youth interviewed one year after leaving project • 93% not involved in child labor • 72% say life is better • 77% say that they have more choices • 67% have better community relations • 56% making more money • Burundi – VSLA and GBV impact evaluation

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