Young Africa Works in Uganda

Transforming lives in Uganda

GOAL is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation to help 300,000 young Ugandans, aged 16-35, access dignified and fulfilling employment over the next five years. 30,000 refugees and 15,000 young people living with disabilities are set to benefit from the programme.

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world with more than 75% of people below the age of 30. The country has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa at 13.3%.

With employment opportunities limited, finding work and a pathway out of poverty is a huge challenge.

Young Africa Works in Uganda is focused on finding solutions to the youth employment challenge and reducing poverty in Uganda using a markets system approach.

Abeja Lucky, a 26-year old farmer, is benefitting from Markets for Youth

The Markets System Approach

The approach will provide multiple pathways for rural young people to access work in the agricultural sector. The programme will improve;

• Access to skills training
• Access to finance
• Engagement and enable participants develop a collective voice
• Access to on and off-farm inputs and output markets

Private sector partnership and civil society will play a huge role in the implementation of the programme. The corner stone of the initiative is adaptive management with an emphasis on evidence-based learning, open communication and optimising the use of technology.

Impact in numbers

300,000

Young men and women taking part

15,000

Young people living with disabilities

30,000

Refugees

210,000

Young women

The ‘Markets for Youth’ approach in action

Cavine Ajok dreamed one day of becoming a successful commercial poultry farmer.

From Pader District in northern Uganda, her dream will come true thanks to a Chick Masters Limited (CML) programme which is helping her learn how to rear Kuroiler chickens in a more profitable way.

At start-up Cavine was given 245 one-day-old chicks, along with equipment for brooding including water and feeding troughs. In addition, she was given chicken feed and vaccines. She brooded the chicks for a month, and then sold them off for rearing.

Ajok and her mother Christine prepare to feed their chicks

Unfortunately, Ajok lost 12 of her chicks but hopes to sell the remaining 233 chicks for USD$2 each earning her a total profit of USD$377.

Thanks to skills training Cavine has transformed her approach to poultry rearing, and is looking forward to the future.

Cavine’s mother, Christine, supports her daughter and believes that one day poultry will turn their lives around.