Project Overview

IDEJEN was launched in 2003 to provide education and job training for youth ages 15-24 with little to no formal education. IDEJEN provides program participants support in the areas of employability and skills training, basic and vocational education, job placement and small business development. Recently expanded, IDEJEN plans to reach 13,000 youth by 2010. In addition to working directly with youth, IDEJEN provides technical support to different government ministries and is assisting in the development of the National Youth Policy and the Policy on Nonformal Basic Education.

Objectives

• Re-integrate marginalized youth into society through basic education and livelihood training
• Improve the ability of local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to address the programming needs of out-of-school youth
• Strengthen the Government of Haiti’s ability to provide and oversee improved services to out-of-school youth
• Spread HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention messages to out-of-school youth

Activities

Basic Employability Training
IDEJEN provides Basic Employability Training to out-of-school youth. This includes literacy, numeracy, life/employability skills, HIV/AIDS awareness, and vocational training. The training takes a total of twelve months and is implemented by local Community-Based Organizations.

Livelihood Accompaniment
After youth complete the Basic Employability Training, IDEJEN offers them six months of livelihood accompaniment, during which trained staff members provide support and services to youth as they either return to school or seek employment in the formal or informal economy.  

Capacity Building
IDEJEN builds the capacity of local organizations through a number of activities. First, the project builds the capacity of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to run the Youth Training Centers, where the out-of-school youth receive non formal basic education, life skills and technical training over twelve months. The project also supports the Youth Career Centers that run accompaniment activities in the areas of center management, local labor market analysis, youth mentorship strategies, job opportunity development, and youth entrepreneurship techniques. IDEJEN also builds the capacity of CBOs to become increasingly self-sustainable through a variety of trainings in business and marketing plan development, and/or finding diversified sources of funding.

Strengthen the Policy Environment
IDEJEN has established working partnerships with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to support the development of youth-friendly policies. These policies will help provide the necessary framework for strengthening and multiplying education and livelihood services to young people on a large-scale basis.

HIV/AIDS Awareness Training
IDEJEN, with the help of 200 Youth Peer Educators, integrates HIV/AIDS prevention messages into its Basic Employability Training and Livelihood Accompaniment activities. At-risk youth also receive referral information and relevant HIV/AIDS services, including counseling, testing, and treatments.

The IDEJEN Approach

The following are central to IDEJEN’s approach: Youth Mapping Activities and Youth Participation.

Partners

Implementing Organization
Education Development Center, Inc.

Technical Partners
Academy for Educational Development
EcoVentures International
International Council on National Youth Policy
International Youth Foundation
National Youth Employment Coalition
Street Kids International
YouthBuild USA

Local Partners
Government of Haiti:

• Ministère de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de l’Action Civique (MJSAC)
  
• Ministère de l’Education Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle (MENFP), including: Institut National de la Formation Professionnelle (INFP)

Project Documents

IDEJEN model: Provides a detailed description of IDEJEN’s project components and implementation processes, including the delivery and content of its youth-trainings

Documentary on Youth Mapping (video) (Please contact Ann Hershkowitz at ahershkowitz@edc.org for a copy): Illustrates the concept of Youth Mapping, a preliminary, information-gathering tool fundamental to IDEJEN’s strategy

Community Youth Mapping Report: Includes results from IDEJEN’s initial Youth Mapping activities

Facilitation guide in nonformal education for out-of-school youth (French): Delineates the pathways for best reaching out-of-school youth and for creating good learning environments within a nonformal education setting

IDEJEN Interim Assessment Report: Uncovers the findings from a 2005 IDEJEN research initiative to understand the status of out-of-school youth in Haiti and the prospects for livelihood development.

Economic Realities and Opportunities for Out-of-School Youth in Haiti: Presents the findings from 2005/06 IDEJEN youth mapping activities.

Final Assessment of IDEJEN's Pilot Phase: This January 2007 report analyzes the lessons learned in the pilot phase and makes recommendations for future phases of the project.

Youth Stories

Youth Stories: Read about how IDEJEN is making an impact on young people’s lives

Manoucheka's Story: Earning a Second Chance through IDEJEN