Youth, defined in Uganda as anyone between the ages of 18 and 35, are often left out of important decision-making and community activities that mute their power in governance. Additionally, youth have some of the highest unemployment rates in Uganda. We believe that youth are our future leaders and that they are a key component to a more peaceful and just society. GWED-G aims to encourage youth to actively participate in human rights activities, train them with skills to analyze their challenges, and support them to explore opportunities for a better future.
All too frequently, youth have been affected by war and are living in the shadows of a violent past. Many youth often feel hopeless — they are unemployed, they were not able to finish their educations, and they feel like they don’t matter. GWED-G is working to change that by giving youth and children the chance to cope with their pasts, realize their unique talents, and build a better future for themselves and their families. Whether through music, drama, poetry, crafts, or anything else, GWED-G wants to empower youth to see themselves beyond their current situation and work towards a new dream.
Objectives of the Current Youth Project:
- To improve knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of human rights and peaceful conflict transformation among youth.
- To empower youth leaders to promote human rights and become agents of change in their communities.
- To provide skills and opportunities for income generating activities (IGAs) to improve the socio-economic status of youth.
- To increase the capacity of partners to better support the youth in achieving the stated objectives.
Since the program began, we have worked with stakeholders, local authorities, and youth leaders to form 3 youth groups totaling 75 youth in Awach sub-county. This program works closely with partner organizations to train staff on human rights, review monitoring, documentation, and reporting (MDR) of human rights violations and abuses, and youth training of trainers.
Additionally, we appreciate the importance of radio and media in the communication of human rights abuses. We organize radio talk shows, place spot messages, and distribute T-shirts, banners, and leaflets to youth and community members.
So far, the project has lead to increased self-employment and economic well being, and generally improved standard of living among participating youth. Youth in the program have established sand quarries, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), and group/fish farming. Notably, the community members are actively demanding that the authorities provide them with accountability in their work and achievements tangible to the community. In the future, we plan on undertaking capacity building trainings for the youth on how to document, report, and demand for their rights.
When national inflation rates are already over 20% and unemployment of even educated youth is over 30%, mental empowerment can only be realized through economic empowerment.