| Areas of Expertise: Livelihoods Development & Microenterprise
About Youth Livelihoods Development
At its most basic, a livelihood “comprises the capabilities, assets, and activities required for a means of living.”1 Livelihood development programs help improve the short-term well-being of youth while helping them accumulate key sustainable livelihood capital and livelihood capabilities. These programs build upon the existing knowledge and experience of participating youth, who are often quite resourceful and creative. Flexible “learning while earning” programming allows young people to complete school, earn an equivalency certificate, or develop specific technical skills and cultivate cross-cutting work readiness skills, while continuing in part-time or full-time work.
Typical youth livelihoods programs provide youth with opportunities to master basic employability and life skills, and vocational and core literacy and numeracy skills. Livelihoods development programming aims to enhance the readiness of young people to engage in livelihood activities, such as:
- employment in the formal and informal sectors;
- contributions (paid and unpaid) to household-based livelihood activities in agriculture, fishing, or small-scale manufacturing; and
- self-employment-oriented microenterprise activities in work such as petty trading, the production of food or trade goods, and the delivery of informal services.
Youth livelihood programs can include investments in formal and nonformal basic education offerings, in vocational and technical skills training opportunities, and in programs that focus on employability and the development of key cross-cutting work and life skills.
About Youth Microenterprise
Microenterprise development is a specific type of livelihood intervention. In the developing world, microenterprises have emerged as a way for poor people to begin earning money through small-business development or other entrepreneurial activities. Young people should certainly be no exception. Through access to microfinance and microenterprise development products, youth have the chance to improve their livelihoods capabilities. This type of livelihood programming includes:
- access to microfinance products such as savings, credit, and micro-insurance;
- business development services;
- technical skills training;
- linkages with mentors or business skills coaches; and
- improvements to quality, cost, supply chains, or market access. This helps youth enhance the value/effectiveness of their livelihoods products and activities.
Our Approach
EQUIP3 has published a Youth Livelihoods Development Program Guide which offers a practical set of suggestions and reference materials to improve youth livelihood development practices.
Projects
EQUIP3’s Haitian Out-of-School Youth Livelihood Initiative (IDEJEN) works with out-of-school youth to support the develop¬ment of both their human assets (through literacy and basic education programming) and social assets (through peer support groups and recreation programs). IDEJEN has also worked with youth to extensively study and “map” economic opportunities in their communities.
EQUIP3’s Cross-Sectoral Youth Project (CSY) recognizes the important links between livelihood, health, and democracy and governance programming. The CSY India project has set new standards for intentional cross-sectoral collaboration at the levels of project design, delivery, and evaluation.
EQUIP3’s Education for All (EFA) Project in Jamaica illustrates the cross-cutting impacts of investments in livelihood development with young men on the achievement of health, education, economic growth, and democracy and governance objectives.
EQUIP3’s Ruwwad Project, which serves youth in the West Bank and Gaza, understands the key role youth play in contributing to household economic security; it is working to strengthen economic opportunities for both young men and young women in rural and urban areas.
EQUIP3’s Literacy and Community Empowerment Project (LCEP) in Afghanistan has shown the importance of engaging families and community leaders in planning youth livelihood development programs, which include literacy programs, vocational training initiatives, and community economic development projects.
EQUIP3’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) Project in the Philippines supports a range of flexible, nonformal education offerings for out-of-school children and youth, designed not to interfere unduly with ongoing household livelihood activities, while broadening the range of livelihood options open to youth in the future.
EQUIP3’s Education for All (EFA) Uganda Project has highlighted the importance of developing young people’s assets in a holistic and comprehensive fashion. EFA Uganda used a sports-for-development approach to engage youth in post-conflict communities. This approach strengthened ties to schooling and laid the groundwork for successful livelihood pathways in the future.
EQUIP3's Garissa (G-Youth) Project in Kenya is designed to respond to Garissan youth’s needs and assets. The G-Youth Project aims to empower youth to make sound career and life decisions as they transition from high-school to the next phase of their lives. Specifically, the project will offer youth a series of inter-connected interventions to: build skills, facilitate appropriate career choices, provide employment and/or income generating information, bridge technical and university education opportunities and provide fun and safe spaces.
Further Reading
Youth Livelihoods Development Program Guide
This guide provides a practical set of suggestions and reference materials to improve youth livelihood development practices and to expand programming in this increasingly important area.
Youth Livelihoods Briefing Note
This brief document provides a thorough analysis of Youth Livelihoods Development.
Youth, Microfinance, and Conflict Research Initiative
This initiative produced case studies from Uganda and the West Bank that explore the concept of implementing micro-finance programming for youth populations in post-conflict countries.
Desk Study: Urban Youth Employment in HIV/AIDS Municipalities and Urban Youth Employment in HIV/AIDS Municipalities: Executive Summary.
This study discusses the link between youth livelihoods and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.
microLINKS is a knowledge-sharing site designed to improve the impact of USAID microenterprise programs and activities.
For more on the concept of Sustainable Livelihoods, Livelihood Capitals, and Livelihood Capabilities see the work of DFID, UNDP, and the World Bank at www.livelihoods.org.
1.Department for International Development. Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets. http://www.livelihoods.org/info/info_guidancesheets.html
|
