Jongeren strategie/ Youth Strategy

Reactie

Vraag1

The strategy is focusing on educated children. But the huge problem of instability which hinders the educated and well trained to start their job or business are the high number of non scholarized children and youth. The lifeskills training offered by the governmental manuel for "competence de vie courant" in Mali fits very well with the training needs of youth between 15 and 35 years with low or no formalised education. Malian Red Cross used it in its Resilience project in Mopti. the same manuel was used by Central African Republic Red Cross and meet most of the needs. In Mali, a Cash+ project for pisciculture, poultry farming and gardening was added. In CAR, vocational training were added to the life skills training for older youth, as vocational trainings were the need as well as in South Sudan. In South Sudan and CAR, the youth projects are running the capitals. Whereas in Mali it was in the rural area.
In South Sudan, vocational trainings for renewable energy like solar panel handling would be important for the energy transition. For unlettered youth the finance and technical trainings have to be adapted to their competences, but they follow well and manage their life afterwards. The frustrated unlettered youth is a source of conflict, as they are the manpower of the conflicts. Given them a future is very important to stabilize the communities.

Vraag2

In CAR single mothers, who have received finance literacy trainings and life skills trainings in a first step, managed well the cash and created their own regular income. The money was transfert by phones with a specific from Orange money. This approach can easily be scaled-up. Income generating activities for women protects them from prostitution and SGBV in general even with in the family.
Training of taxi moto drivers in first aid and life skills as well as road safety is easy to scale-up and showed reduction in road accidents and reduced conflicts from this particular group. Taxi moto drivers became driving peace agents. Former fighters are in between the taxi moto drivers. The peace training helps to integrate former fighters to the communities. Also high educated youth in case of unemployment are working as taxi-moto drivers. Proposing or training for an alternative job to them, will valorise the education already received.
In Mali's rural areas food production is more important, so either focusing on food production or on money for food processing to reduce waste for a circular economy.

Vraag3

After one year working with youth and informal leaders within the youth, interest to participate on decision making showed up. The training modules, how to behave or how to organise oneself to participate in decisions of the communities, attracted attention.
Low trained youth does not have the means to have a computer, but a phone do most of them have. those who manage to have a decent financial situation can effort to by internet credit and can participate via an app. For those who have only a non-smart phone a consultant process would be needed. WFP has this for cash satisfaction surveys, which are obligatory now. But internet prices are reducing and phones prices, too. So the consultance of youth via an App is well possible, may be already from next year on.

Vraag4

Family planning and SGBV prevention should be always part of a youth promotion strategy.
Communication skills and conflict negotiation competences are often missing, as the traditional education fails more and more, and the modern education does not take care on these skills.
Central African Republic should be part of the strategy intervention zone. The problem is similar to South Sudan then to DRC or Cameroun.

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