Generating Employment in Communities - Youth Entrepreneurship ...

Generating 

Employment in 

Communities 

A guidebook for Trainers 

Perspectives from 

HYDERABAD YES REGIONAL FORUM 2003 

Directorate of Youth Services 

Government of Andhra Pradesh 

www.yesweb.org 

YES Campaign 

Education Development Center, Inc. 

Boston, USA

www.yesweb.org

MESSAGE 

Dear Participant 

I take this opportunity in supporting the release of this guidebook which will help you get 

started on the ground with tangible projects focussed on the five sectors that you will find 

inside. 

Here you will find success stories of ongoing and completed projects and initiatives from all 

over the world that can be used as models for replication at the local level in our state 

You will be able to use this guidebook to learn new examples and build on your existing 

capacity and for design and implementation of concrete projects at the grassroots that will 

make a difference in your communities. 

I commend the work that you have done so far in your respective districts and communities. 

I wish you success in your journey towards achieving sustainable livelihoods using this 

guidebook as your tool. 

Best wishes 

P. Ramulu 

Minister of Sports and Youth Services 


www.yesweb.org

www.yesweb.org

MESSAGE 


I take this opportunity in supporting the release of this guidebook which will help you get 

started on the ground with tangible projects focussed on the five sectors that you will find 

inside. 

Here you will find success stories of ongoing and completed projects and initiatives from all 

over the world that can be used as models for replication at the local level in our state. 

You will be able to use this guidebook to learn new examples and build on your existing 

capacity and for design and implementation of concrete projects at the grassroots that will 

make a difference in your communities. 

I commend the work that you have done so far in your respective districts and communities. 

I wish you success in your journey towards achieving sustainable livelihoods using this 

guidebook as your tool. 

Best wishes 

Smt Chandana Khan, IAS 

Principal Secretary, Y A T & C Department 


www.yesweb.org

www.yesweb.org

Foreword 


It gives me immense pleasure in extending a warm welcome to you 

through this guidebook on the YES Campaign and the Hyderabad 

Forum. 

This guidebook introduces you the goals and objectives of the YES 

Campaign; the people behind this global movement; and the landmark 

Alexandria Declaration- our guiding document. The guidebook also shares the dialogue and 

outcomes of the recent Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003. The Forum witnessed the launching 

of the International YES Academy by the Hon. Chief Minister Sri Nara Chandrababu Naidu. This 

Academy is being designed to serve as an international hub for youth employment, in a few months 

several projects will be initiated in partnership with various UN agencies that will touch and shape the 

lives of young people. 

The guidebook also discusses many self-employment opportunities in the emerging sectors of 

Renewable Energy, On-farm and Off-farm enterprises, Water and Sanitation, ICT and HIV/AIDS. 

YES Networks – an innovative approach of youth unemployment – is probably the most youthfocussed 

initiative of recent times, is also discussed in length. 

I am sure that this workshop will go a long way in building the awareness and resolve to innovate and 

resourcefully face the challenge of youth unemployment. 

We appreciate your presence and are grateful to you for taking on the role of champions for youth 

employment in your state. This landmark workshop and the outcomes that you will generate in the 

coming months will surely be a role model for other Indian States and countries to follow. This is the 

first time a program like this is being organized by the YES Campaign and we are confident that with 

your active support we will succeed. I look forward to working closely with you on this and other 

projects. 

Yours truly 

Poonam Ahluwalia 

Executive Director 

YES Campaign 

www.yesweb.org

www.yesweb.org

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction to Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign 1 

2. Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 - An overview 6 

3. Emerging Sectors For Employment Generation-Highlights 

From Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 10 

4. YES Academy -An International hub for Employment Generation 

The major outcome of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 27 

5. Fulfilling the objectives of the YES Campaign through YES Networks 31 

6. Setting up YES Networks- An innovative approach to Youth Empowerment 

and Employment 35 

7. Youth Livelihood Service Programme - A Tool for Empowering Youth for 

Promoting Employment and Social Entrepreneurship 45 

Appendix : Glossary and Abbreviations 

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Chapter 1 

Introduction to Youth Employment Summit Campaign 

This chapter introduces you to the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign and briefs about the 

uniqueness of the Campaign. It also enlists our high profile global Campaign Committee, who constantly, 

guide us to work harder and strive to achieve our mission-empowering youth to create sustainable 

livelihoods. 

1.1 What is Youth Employment Summit? 

In September 2002, Egypt hosted the first global Youth Employment Summit (YES). The Summit was 

chaired by Former US president Bill Clinton and First lady of Egypt, Mrs. Susanne Mubarak. Over 1800 

delegates from 120 countries, including 45 ministers, met during the five day Summit to develop a concerted 

response to the problems faced by unemployed youth. 

Together, they launched the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign (2002-2012) under the banner 

of the 6Es: Employability, Employment Creation, Equity, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, 

and Empowerment. Boston based, not-for-profit organisation, Education Development Center (EDC) 

Inc.organized the Summit after a four-year preparatory phase of 40 consultations worldwide. 

1.2 What is YES Campaign? 

YES is a global campaign to promote youth-led development which recognises that no one organisation 

can do it alone and take another look at current development challenges as opportunities for youth 

employment, engagement and empowerment. 

The YES Campaign focuses on building awareness among the governments, NGOs, the private sector 

and the donors regarding the gravity of the crisis of youth employment and to spur them to action. 

Although many exceptional efforts are underway all over the world to deal with poverty eradication, 

until now no coordinated global effort has focused on the needs of the world’s unemployed youth. 

1.3 What is the mission of YES? 

The mission of the global YES Campaign is to work towards fulfilling target number eight of the United 

Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eradicate poverty by the year 2015. Target number 

eight intends to enable young people to be involved in productive and decent work. The goals of the YES 

Campaign are to build the capacity of young people to be leaders & to build an entrepreneurial culture to 

promote youth employment. 

1.4 What is unique to the YES Campaign? 

At the global level, the YES Campaign is a powerful platform reminding the world’s leaders and institutions 

of the need to work proactively to generate enough employment opportunities to address the problem of 

youth employment. It is a unique campaign because no other initiative offers the following combination 

of commitments 

● Working with the youth as true partners in development and not treating them as beneficiaries; a 

commitment born out by the participation of young people as active drivers of the YES Campaign 

in their countries. 1 

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●Encouraging young people to lead efforts for youth employment in their countries by organizing 

multi-stakeholder YES country Networks. The YES team has been successful in helping 

launch these networks in 60 countries. 

●Building the commitment of world leaders and institutions to confront the challenge of youth 

unemployment. YES develops strategic partnerships, hosts capacity building workshop, makes 

presentation and encourages new emerging sectors for employment to achieve this goal. 

●Translating leadership commitment into investment in innovative employment generation 

strategies in sectors such as renewable energy and water and sanitation. 

●Maintaining the web based Global Knowledge Resource, a universal free technology platform 

disseminating labour market knowledge and effective practices for individuals, networks and 

partners. The YES Campaign employs a range of traditional and new media technologies 

(print publications, conferences, e-groups, CD ROMs and videos) to achieve this goal. 

●Providing youth with opportunities to build leadership, management and entrepreneurial skills 

in the context of sustainable development. 

1.5. What are the six Es? 

Employability, 

Employment Creation 

Equity 

Entrepreneurship 

Environmental Sustainability and 

Empowerment 

These six Es are the “pillars” of the Alexandria Declaration and guide the signatories to work towards 

the mission of youth employment with these in mind. 

1.6 What is the Alexandria Declaration? 

The delegates of the Alexandria Summit 2002 reaffirmed their commitment to a decade long global 

campaign for the creation of jobs worldwide. This was done through a declaration, referred as the 

Alexandria Declaration. The Alexandria Declaration is reproduced here: 

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Alexandria Declaration 

We the participants in the first Youth Employment Summit (YES 2002), meeting at the Bibliotheca 

Alexandrine in Alexandria Egypt, hereby reaffirm our profound commitment to a decade-long 

global campaign for the creation of hundreds of millions of additional opportunities for 

sustainable livelihoods for youth all over the world. A paradigm shift on Employment is needed. 

Quality is as important as the quantity of jobs created. The poor, living on less than a dollar a 

day, cannot be locked into a life of deprivation. We must move from unskilled to skilled 

occupations, from low paying to high paying jobs, from subsidized public employment to 

sustainable productive livelihoods. 

We recognize that these goals can only be met if all actors agree to address a number of 

important issues: peace, fair trade, market access, technology transfer, capital flows and poverty 

eradication. This will require redoubled efforts from the entire international community and 

donors must meet their commitments and give special attention to projects and programmes for 

youth employment. Convergence and greater synergies between different initiatives and 

programmes dealing with youth employment will benefit youth. 

www.yesweb.org

While national governments have a special responsibility for according overriding priority to 

youth employment and for creating the necessary policy framework, we recognize that all segments 

of society must collaborate to empower youth to become the artisans of their own future. 

To that end, we engage ourselves to support vigorous action in each of the following areas: 

Employability: To ensure access for all youth to appropriate education and training followed by 

adequate support during the transition to work, regardless of their location or background. We 

cannot confront the challenges of tomorrow with yesterday’s skills. Educational institutions must 

show unprecedented imagination and vision, using new tools for new times. They must impart 

marketable skills, promote self-esteem and shape a worldview that embraces the new, opens up 

to the other and rises to the challenge of the untried. 

Employment Creation: To adopt those policies that will encourage job-led economic growth, 

reduce the bias towards capital, foster the institutional structures that can provide the advantages 

of scale at both the production and marketing phases of micro-enterprises supported by microcredit. 

The corporate sector has a major responsibility in supporting micro-enterprises and selfemployed 

youth through mechanisms of franchising, outsourcing and buy-back arrangements. 

Equity: To provide equal opportunities for all to realise their full potential. Education, health 

and nutrition are fundamental rights for all. Special attention must be given to the needs of the 

disabled, the rural, and the marginalized groups in society and above all, to young women, 

whether in education or when entering the labour force for the first time and who, in many parts 

of the world still suffer from discriminatory barriers. No society has truly advanced by depriving 

itself of the talents and abilities of half of its population. 

Entrepreneurship: To engender the special creativity of youthful entrepreneurs, who see social 

and economic opportunities where others only see problems? Entrepreneurs, whether they are 

working in the villages or in the capital markets, are the visionaries who generate livelihoods 

for themselves and for others. We need to encourage, nurture and support their quest for the 

new and the untried. 

Environmental Sustainability: To seek sustainable employment opportunities based on attention 

to water, land, energy, the atmosphere, and biodiversity and eco-system management. It would 

be short-sighted to destroy our environment in the quest for transient employment opportunities. 

Empowerment: To harness the uncommon opportunities of the ICT revolution to include the 

excluded and reach the unreached in terms of knowledge and skill empowerment. The whole 

constellation of institutional arrangements from credit to resource-use, from marketing to 

connectivity and content, must be structured in a way that empower youth in their quest for 

sustainable livelihoods. 

We recognize that solutions to problems must be home-grown and responsive to the particular 

socio-cultural and economic context. But we can all learn from the experiences of others and 

derive strength from our common purpose. Thus national campaigns through the YES Country 

Networks must be embedded into a global campaign that will help share knowledge and experience. 

The Global Knowledge Resource of the campaign should help make the best practices of the few 

into the common practices of the many. 

The cost of inaction on the issues of youth employment is too dreadful to contemplate. We must 

act now to start the process of creating this better future. We shall act now and in the future. 

The goals are inspiring, but the tasks are enormous. To those who ask, can it be done? We say 

with youth organisations and networks spearheading this global campaign... YES! 

“It can be done. It must be done. It will be done!” 


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1.7 What is the structure of YES? 

A strong structure and process has been established to ensure that the campaign is constantly driven by 

the needs of the country networks. This process is not just in theory; in reality stakeholders, especially 

youth, are continuously engaged in determining campaign priorities. This process and structure is described 

more specifically below. 

Leading up to the Alexandria Summit, the YES Campaign organised and participated in over 40 

consultations on youth employment, all with the intention of collecting varied inputs into the design of the 

YES Campaign. These consultations helped to highlight the themes for the Summit and led directly to the 

development of the YES Framework for Action. These consultations also highlighted common barriers 

to youth employment that young people face, especially in developing countries. This input assisted the 

YES Campaign in defining the structure of the web based Global Knowledge Resource to share effective 

practices in over-coming these various barriers.The YES Campaign’s voluntary advisory group, the 

Campaign Committee, is instrumental in guiding the YES Campaign on key strategic decisions. Campaign 

Committee is kept regularly updated via electronic newsletters, participation in particular initiatives and 

regular contact. The Campaign Committee members are: 

Carlos Magariños, Director General 

UNIDO, Co-Chair YES 

Esteban González, President 

Fundación E, Co-Chair YES 

Hafsat Abiola, Director 

Kudirat Initiative for Democracy 

Nahas Angula, Minister 

Employment Creation, Namibia 

Jennifer Corriero, Director 

TakingITGlobal 

José-María Figueres, Managing Director 

World Economic Forum 

Sithembiso Nyoni, Founder 

ORAP, Zimbabwe 

Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, 

UNFPA 

Ismail Serageldin, Director-General, 

Library of Alexandria 

Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman 

MSS Research Foundation 

Janet Whitla, President and CEO 

Education Development Center, Inc 

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1.8 Who are the other collaborating agencies of YES? 

The other agencies supporting the YES Campaign in various capacities are: 

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Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (AIF) 

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) 

Commonwealth Secretariat 

Corporate Social Responsibility Forum 

Deutsche Bank 

Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

Global Environment Facility (GEF) 

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

International Labour Organisation (ILO) 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 

Organization of American States (OAS) 

Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) 

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC/DEZA) 

The Synergos Institute 

TakingITGlobal (TIG) 

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) 

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 


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Chapter 2 

The Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 - An over view 

This chapter briefs about the highly successful Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 that brought 

together over 1200 delegates from 48 countries. The Forum, co-hosted by the Government of Andhra 

Pradesh was a remarkable event that brought together distinguished speakers from all sections of the 

civil society. 

2.1 Introduction 

For five days – December 14 – 18, 2003 delegates from 48 countries descended to the bedecked city 

of Hyderabad - capital of Andhra Pradesh, India, to participate in the first ever YES 

Regional Forum. The “Hyderabad YES Forum 2003” was the first regional event of the YES Decade 

Campaign of Action launched at the YES Campaign in Alexandria last year. 

The five days were glorious filled with learning about “what works” and “promising strategies” in the 

five selected sectors of renewable energy, on-farm and off farm, water and sanitation, 

information and communication technologies and HIV/AIDS. The distinguished speakers offered time 

for dialogue and conversation. Delegates met old friends and forged new relationships, new networks 

were formed and there was time to visit the innovation marketplace and learn new things. 

It was a time to reflect on how far the Campaign had progressed since 2002 when it was launched with 

great fanfare in Alexandria, and a time to redouble commitments to fulfilling the goals of the campaign. 

Plans were made for 2004, and the delegates bid adieu promising to meet next at the Mexico Summit – 

October 4 – 8, 2004 at Boca del Rio, Veracruz. Esteban Gonzalez the youth co chair of the YES 

Campaign announced the Mexico YES 2004 plans at a gala Forum session and rocked the delegates 

with Mexican music and visions of Veracruz. 

The Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 showcased the effective youth employment 

strategies across the globe and forge partnerships for creating economically and environmentally 

viable livelihood opportunities for young people. It brought together world leaders in 

development, statesmen, business leaders and youth on the same platform to share and exchange 

experiences thus creating a unique forum for learning and networking. 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum Organizing Committee Members 

N. Chandra Babu Naidu, Co-chair 

Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh 

Vikram Verma, Co-chair 

Minister of Youth Affairs, India 

P. Ramulu, Vice-chair 

Minister Youth Services, Andhra Pradesh 

Madhur Bajaj 

Vice Chairman, Bajaj Auto Ltd. 

Naresh Chandra 

Former Indian Ambassador to USA 

Tarun Das 

Director General, CII 

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Ashok Khosla 

President, Development Alternatives 

V. Muraleedharan, 

Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan 

Rajender Kumar Pachauri 

Director General, TERI 

Swami Paramardhanandaji 

President, Ramakrishna Mutt 

P. Rajendran 

Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Ltd. 

B. Ramalinga Raju 

Chairman, Satyam Computers 

Professor M.S. Swaminathan 

Chairman, MSSRF 

2.2 Achievements of Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 

The Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 was significant in many ways to the YES Campaign. The 

tremendous response it got from the leading UN bodies, corporates, youth delegates, 

government and media is a testimony of our concern of the problem. The Forum highlighted the issue 

of youth unemployment in the Asian region especially in the South Asia, probably for the first time on 

such a huge scale. 

The biggest achievement of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 was the launching of the 

International YES Academy on the valedictory day of the Forum by the Chief Minister of Andhra 

Pradesh. The YES Academy launched in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, MSSRF 

and EDC Inc. is a unique instance of not just strong public-private partnership but also is a manifestation 

of the changing attitude of the governments worldwide. (For more details about the YES Academy, 

please refer to the chapter no. 4) 

Another major accomplishment of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 was the signing of a 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the representatives from YES Networks in the SAARC 

countries (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). 

The MOU outlines the following areas of focus for cooperation: 

● Development of collaborative projects related to Employability, Employment Creation, 

Equity, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability and Empowerment of the youth. 

● 

● 

● 

Information and materials exchange, exchange visits, jointly hosted events, international 

business networking, mutual promotion and fund raising for projects. 

To place youth employment on the regional agenda and encourage key stakeholders to work 

collaboratively on youth employment programs, projects and policies. 

To focus attention on training youth for livelihood opportunities in Information and 

Communication Technology, Rural Development, Water and Sanitation, Renewable Energy, 

HIV/AIDS and Enhancing opportunities for young women. 


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2.3 The Hyderabad Blueprint 

Yet another major accomplishment of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum was the adoption of the 

powerful Hyderabad Blueprint by the participating Ministers of the various countries. The Hyderabad 

Blueprint, an extension of the first Alexandria Declaration, is reproduced below: 

Hyderabad Blueprint 

Last year, representatives from over 140 countries, mostly young people, met in Alexandria, 

Egypt, and launched a world-wide movement, the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign, 

dedicated to a decade-long global effort for the creation of hundreds of millions of additional 

opportunities for sustainable livelihoods for youth all over the world. 

In what was to become known as the “Alexandria Declaration” they called for a paradigm shift 

on Employment, giving quality and skills as much attention as sheer numbers. They said: “We 

must move from unskilled to skilled occupations, from low paying to high paying jobs, from 

subsidized public employment to sustainable productive livelihoods.” 

The Campaign adopted the “6Es”, as its overarching theme: Employment, Employability, Equity, 

Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability and Empowerment. The Campaign has been 

supporting processes that seek the networking of youth throughout the world, and the sharing 

of information to empower youth to take charge of their own destinies. YES is promoting 

coalitions of the caring to support the youth initiatives, for self-employment and employment 

generation. 

Building on the Alexandria Declaration, and on the enormous efforts deployed by the YES 

Country Networks, the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum met to channel the knowledge gained 

by the YES Country Networks, and focused on six important areas of concern: renewable energy; 

rural development (on and off farm); water and sanitation; ICT (bridging the digital divide); 

HIV/AIDS; and enhancing opportunities for young women. 

Over 1000 delegates from 48 countries comprising mainly of young people, representatives 

from UN agencies, international organizations, the private sector and NGOs met to exchange 

views and review experiences in small groups, detailed workshops and large plenaries. 

The Hyderabad Blueprint emerging from these sessions is one that calls for all the actors to 

work hand in hand to achieve meaningful results in each of these areas. To make the best 

practices of the few the standard practices of many. However, we recognize that there can be no 

single recipe that will work for vastly differing country and local situations. Thus we hope that 

the delegates will follow the methodologies and explore the ideas broached at the forum to act 

decisively on these issues in their home surroundings. In so doing, they will draw on the 

continuing record of success stories being monitored and reported by the YES Process. 

The achievements of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum include the formal coming into being 

of the first regional Memorandum of Understanding among the seven YES Country Networks of 

South Asia, linking their efforts to bring about more effective results. 

In Hyderabad itself, the Government of Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with the M.S. 

Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the Education Development Center (EDC), 

has decided to ensure action on these issues by creating a YES Academy, which would act to 

launch projects with key agencies, and incubate income-generating enterprises in the areas of 

renewable energies, ICT, water and sanitation and rural development (on farm and off farm), 

including addressing the issue of rural infrastructure. The projects will address particularly the 

needs of disadvantaged and tribal communities. 

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Let the Hyderabad Blueprint stand for joining actions to words. To move from local to national 

to regional collaborations, as the seven YES Country Net works of South Asia have done. We 

recognize the responsibility of all actors and agencies to work together to ensure that an 

enabling environment exists to nurture the ideas of youth. Let us ensure that economic growth 

is working for the welfare of people, and that the established private sector brings its talent 

and energy to work with the young. 

Through the incubator function of the YES Academy, we will also promote the empowerment of 

young people throughout India and inspire others around the world. Empowerment starts with 

the awareness that one has the responsibility to make a difference, and grows with participation, 

voice and choice. It is promoted by increased skills and access to resources .Youth empowerment 

must be a central priority for our actions. Youth empowerment and employment issues must be 

carefully addressed in the design of economic reforms. 

Actions for youth empowerment will serve not just individuals but entire communities. In these 

actions we are motivated by our belief in the importance of functional communities, driven by 

ethical and moral values that promote the social good. The costs of inaction on the issues of 

youth employment are too dreadful to contemplate. The enormous waste implied is 

unconscionable. Two great sins in our time are: unfulfilled potential and avoidable suffering. 

At the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum we have moved from visions to actions, and commit 

ourselves to do more and to give Youth Employment the high priority that it deserves. 

There are those who look at the world as it is and ask “Why?” We look at the world as it could 

be and ask “Why not?” 

Adopted on the 18th of December 2003 

By 

The representatives of the Governments attending the 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 


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Chapter 3 

Emerging Sectors for Employment Generation: Highlights from Hyderabad 

YES Regional Forum 2003 

This chapter discusses about the new sectors for employment generation. It gives highlights from the 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum. Brief notes are presented on all five sectors based on sectoral 

opportunities in employment in keeping with the five key areas of the YES Campaign. 

3.1 Youth Employment Opportunities in the Renewable Energy Sector 

Hyderabad YES Forum Workshop Summary 

Mr. AM Gokhale, Secretary, Ministry for Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES), suggested 

that projects in non-conventional sources of energy would provide 

opportunities to the youth in employment generation to help in maintaining the 

balance in the eco-system 

Also present at the session were Smt.Chandana Khan,IAS, Principal Secretary, Youth 

Advancement, Tourism and Culture(YAT & C), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mrs.Sithembiso 

Nyoni, Minister of State for Development of Informal Sector and Small Enterprises, Zimbabwe, 

Dr. S P Srivastava, Social Scientist and Advisor, Sulabh International Social Service Organization, 

Mr. Madhur Bajaj, Vice Chairman, Bajaj Auto Limited and Mr. Chandramohan, Executive Editor, 

The Financial Express. 

The inputs provided by the panelists hinted towards the biomass sector as a potential area into 

which both skilled and unskilled labour could be assimilated. To this 

Dr. Srivastava cited his organization as a visible example of “employment creation in the field of 

hygiene.” 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 Background Paper Summary 

The United Nations Agenda for Youth focuses on empowering youth for development and peace. The 

key problems facing youth challenge not only today’s societies, but future generations as well - be it 

lack of gainful employment opportunities, inequities in social, economic and political 

conditions or continuing deterioration of global environment. The situation of youth worldwide 

remains precarious. In both developing and developed countries, the needs and aspirations of youth 

remain largely unmet. 

Youth employment is a key issue that needs to be addressed on priority both in developing and developed 

nations. There are a billion young adults – between the ages of 15 and 24 – in the world today, and 85 

percent of them live in developing countries where there are fewer 

opportunities for productive work. A recent report of International Labour Organization (ILO) revealed 

that the unemployment rate in 1997 for OECD nations for youth ages 15 to 25 was 13.4 percent, more 

than twice as high as the comparable figure for adults (5.9 percent). In developing 

countries, existing data suggest that the gap between youth and adult employment rates is even far 

wider. 

Youth unemployment and environmental degradation are two highly pressing challenges of our time. 

While the youth unemployment agenda is scattered across many sectoral and thematic areas, many of 

the key environmental degradation issues are linked to energy generation and utilization in both developed 

and developing countries. Further, the lack of reliable energy services also acts as a serious constraint 

to development in rural areas of many developing countries. 

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Among many viable options, a key approach to address both of the above challenges is the promotion 

of renewable energy technologies. This approach links the potential of environmentally benign renewable 

energy technologies with enhancing job opportunities for youth through 

provision of reliable energy services in remote and inaccessible areas. It enables youth to use their 

capacities towards benefiting society, and sets forth a proactive process leading to 

sustainable energy services for income generation and productive use activities. 

The strategy to link development and employment opportunities with environment was officially set 

forth at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and the Earth 

Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It was further elaborated at the World Summit on Sustainable 

Development (WSSD) 2002, which acknowledged that the promotion of environmentally friendly 

technologies including renewable energy technologies would require, among others, awareness building, 

education and financing. These key focus areas have to be dealt with in order to make use of the 

hidden potential of renewable energy technologies for enhancing employment opportunities, which 

currently remains largely untapped. 

This discussion paper compiles data and examines some of the key issues concerning youth employment 

opportunities in renewable energy sector, and sets the stage for further consultations and evolving 

strategies for maximizing the potential of renewable energy technologies in 

promoting youth employment and productive use as well as income generation activities, 

especially in the rural areas of developing countries. 

Ideas: What can you do in your community! 

You can start a community owned renewable energy project. 

Community owned renewable energy schemes are well established in India and can mean 

benefits for the community through financial returns, an increase in local employment and a degree of 

ownership and control in the project. 

What is a community - based project? 

A community renewable energy project is one in which a community has a significant interest, i.e. in 

the form of ownership or receipt of benefits be they financial, social or environmental. 

A community can be a single farm, a village, town or larger area of population. 

How can a community become involved? 

It is important that the community becomes involved in all stages of the project because it can mean a 

considerable amount of time commitment and it is important that the scheme is supported by everyone. 

Community projects require some initial work to raise awareness and secure commitment 

therefore the first step is to set up a core group. This team will be derived from and represent the local 

community. It is important that there is confidence in the core team by the community. 

A developer can be employed to lead or assist the project. 

What is the process? 

When setting up a scheme the following issues will need to be addressed. 

● 

Project ideas and site search 

It will be necessary to search for a site, assess and consult the local community and explore 

what is the most suitable type of renewable energy for the area. The landscape, weather etc 

will all dictate which is the best technology to use. 

● 

Measuring and testing Assessments will be carried out as to whether the site is suitable. This 

will also include consultation with planning authorities and consideration of any impediments to 

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● 

Feasibility studies and planning applications. 

If the scheme looks viable, a detailed assessment will take place, the planning process will start, 

legal and financial issues addressed and environmental audits will take place. 

How will the money be raised? 

Because large RE schemes can be capital intensive, there are a number of ways the community can 

raise the necessary funds. 

● 

● 

grants from the Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) 

share ownership - the community can buy shares in the scheme 

● banks and other investors 

Involving experienced professional services will not only bring in the required technical skills for site 

assessments, development and construction, it will raise confidence with any investors. 

Things to keep in mind 

Renewable energy means decentralized power generation right up to the village level. A few steps are 

suggested for you to go back to your districts and villages and understand what is that people will be 

looking for. Ask these questions to yourself. How do you make your message or the message of the 

technical people relevant to them? What do the people want? What do they need? You have to understand 

that what you think at capital or district level or what you perceive to be the needs of people, may not be 

really what they want. 

There is technology ready to derive gas from even leaf litter wherever enough biomass exist. There is a 

technique where leaves are kept in a well engineered container and you will get the gas which you can 

use in the kitchen for cooking. 

Renewable energy programs that you can participate with UNIDO 

UNIDO is already facilitating/supporting involvement of youth as entrepreneurs, social mobilizers, service 

providers and maintenance operator in renewable energy sector are as follows: 

● Provision of reliable energy services based on renewable energy technologies can give a boost to 

economic development in rural areas. If you supply water through solar pumps for irrigation it will 

reduce dependence on rains and can augment crop production and stimulate growing of cash crops by 

the farmers including vegetables and floriculture. Supporting fishing activities during the night through 

solar lanterns and renewable energy based ICTs are good examples of productive use linked with 

renewable technologies where you would have enhanced access to income 

generation opportunities, especially in rural areas. 

● As entrepreneurs, you can take on the role of energy providers through renewable energy 

systems. However, to enable you to become successful energy entrepreneurs, UNIDO will build your 

capacity and support micro-financing, training in energy technologies, operation and 

maintenance and networking activities. 

● Regular supply of electricity in rural areas through mini grids based on renewable technologies 

can stimulate productive activities such as agro-based industries for making fruit pulp and juices, pickles 

and packaging of frozen vegetables etc. UNIDO will facilitate you to undertake training in technical 

maintenance of renewable technologies and systems to be installed as a part of mini grids, which will be 

operated by ESCOs (energy service companies). This would also enable you to support agro-based 

industries wherever reliable supply of energy becomes available at the grass root level. 

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Technology diffusion and capacity building for market access and social mobilization are 

important activities under many UNIDO’s GEF funded renewable energy projects in a number of 

countries including China, India, Cuba and Zambia. Development of market linkages, standards and 

technology transfer are integral parts of incremental costs activities being implemented/ 

proposed under these projects where again you are expected to play a key role in entrepreneurship 

development, mobilizing communities and resources, and establishing market linkages at the state/local 

level. 

● UNIDO can provide a unique opportunity to you to get involved in awareness campaigns and 

information dissemination, provide feedback on the lessons learned in renewable energy 

initiatives and thus contribute to the national policy planning process. 

Technical assistance from TERI 

The Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) can engaged your organization on Research and 

Development which is one sector where people can get engage. Capacity building is another aspect 

that TERI can help you to focus on and preparing new students and teachers for teaching aspect. The 

Renewable Energy facility that TERI helped to build out side of Delhi demonstrates the use of passive 

technologies and renewable energy for bringing down the energy load of any building. This is an 

opportunity for specialized and change at the look of the architecture of the country. 

Success Story 

UNIDO is working closely with YES Zambia for developing a Renewable Energy Youth 

Entrepreneurship Development Programme. They have a very strong national team and are 

going to train 500 youth in the next four to six months time. They further train 50 master trainers. 

Technical skills on how to install operate and maintain renewable energy equipments are given 

to youth. This is very important to build their capacity. 

3.2 Youth Employment Opportunities in the Rural Development Sector 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 Workshop Summary 

Ideas and opinions were born every second as the delegates, speakers and participants alike 

were left thinking at the session on On-Farm and Off-Farm technologies. With the emphasis on 

achieving rural development through Off-Farm technologies, every speaker came up with different 

ideas on how to improve farming techniques. 

Suggesting the 6 I’s, Dr. Malcom Hazelman spoke about Infrastructure, Incentives, 

Investments, Innovation, Industry and Institutions being the important factors in farm 

technologies. 

Mr. Mohan Kanda, IAS,Chief Secretary to Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the state policies 

and insisted that every individual should be aware of the growth engines that are designed for 

success. “He suggested that quality testing is very important and more important was quality 

setting. 

Ms.Cynthia Enriquez, National Youth Commission, Philippines, suggested that micro 

industries rather the small-scale industries should start recruiting from rural areas to grow into 

a large-scale firm. They should act in accordance with acceptance socially, biologically and 

financially. 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 Background Paper Summary: 

The forces that shape influence youth today will be the forces that dominate our world tomorrow.Youth 

look not only for a livelihood, but for dignity and for purpose and meaning in their lives. They are as 

easily seduced by evil doctrines, as they are by positive and constructive ideologies so youth can be a 

country’s weakness or its strength. 


13

The paper tries to provide some answers. It aims to look at some of the root causes of rural 

underdevelopment and to outline some of the approaches that have been successful in the 

promotion of youth employment. It concludes that skills and jobs are not enough. Initiatives for rural 

youth employment must include elements of empowerment for youth and mechanisms to promote a 

sense of achievement and self-worth among young people. 


Lobby for agricultural reforms in your state 

Your state Andhra Pradesh is going for a lot of positive reforms but in terms of agriculture, where a 

large majority of rural population depend livelihood on employment. There is a great opportunity to 

continue to improve in this area. Transformation however in agriculture has some 

pre-conditions. There is a requirement to remove to show constraints and there is need for more markets. 

Access market of course, prices and also there is need for using appropriate technology for higher 

productivity. As a result of all this, you have increased livelihoods. 

Revitalizing Agriculture with aid and technical support 

In terms of revitalizing the agriculture, you can refer to the rural reforms I’s. There is need for Incentives, 

Investment, Improve Infrastructure, including ICT, more Innovation, Industry and 

Institutions to address the rural needs in agriculture. 

As you improve on the rural setting and agriculture and its development, you need to take stock that the 

environment does not continued to be degraded. You can identify environmental 

programmes that can provide opportunities and skills for young people in energy and water. 

Educate the youth and women in rural areas 

There is a gap in the rural areas which is education of women. This has to be the key component of the 

development because the longer the young women and girls are educated, they too will have the 

opportunities for bettering their environment and bettering their families and bringing their families out of 

poverty, etc. 

You need to give skills training for youth employment linked to the labour demand both at national and 

local in the line with escalations of the youth themselves what they are interested in and they can do. 

There is a need for appropriate technology including microfinance. There is also a need for 

investment in capacity building for youth and youth service organizations. 

Try and work with FAO and UNESCO under the partnership of the global umbrella called 

“education for all”. They are working with partners to address curriculum both at basic level and lower 

level and other levels formal and informal. 

You can create youth employment through better education. The two areas that have to be improved 

that is: lack of investment in rural areas and lack of effective institutions, including education ones. You 

need to develop relevant curriculum based on needs and your training needs to be focused on new 

technologies as well as old technologies and those technologies that are relevant to the situation. 

14 

Adoption of new technology 

You need not ensure that new technologies are not perceived by youth as been risks because if they are 

risky they will adopt these technologies whatever they may be. You need to take out training in relation 

to the needs of the youth and have them stay in training. You need technology policies and institutions 

that are employment intensive not necessarily capital intensive but employment intensive that give many 

more people possibilities for getting jobs rather than reducing the number by technology that you move 

the labour. 

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Mobilize the youth through community-based organizations 

You need to mobilize the youth through community-based organizations.Try to find out answers to 

these questions. In youth organization, why some organizations are successful? What makes them 

successful? And try to work with those organizations to improve them. In Asia, there are rich clubs 

often related to the agriculture and rural development. The focus is that the rural youth should join 

some organizations that they can be a part of and gained the benefits and at the same time, get skills, 

etc. 

Involvement of youth in agriculture extension services 

Youth can also gain employment and money making opportunities. Get the CD from 

Dr. Swaminathan which states 300 opportunities of jobs. Agriculture often has various 

components once of which extension. The agriculture extension services that are still available in 

existing countries are undergoing transformation. You need extension services to target youth to make 

youth an important component of the work. Some of the good things of extension services it can 

facilitate with you for bringing micro credit and setting up demonstrations, having 

employment opportunities for youth, etc. 

Promote more entrepreneurship programmes 

You need to promote more entrepreneurship programmes even at the local level (rural areas). So 

therefore you need to have supportive environment through linkages of businesses and linkages with 

NGOs and others to encourage the youth and their work. There are many changes that need to be 

done within the governments and other systems to enabling the environment for the youth. 

Success Stories 

Nirmithi Kendra or Building Centre Movement which started as a youth movement in Kerala 

(Southern India) and has now emerged an effective moxin the country even outside. 

What does a building centre or Nirmithi Kendra do? The Nirmithi Kendra disseminates 

technology in low-cost housing. It trains the youngsters – the men and women, and housing is 

a considered to be an exclusive purview of the male. But the Nirmithi movement to the 6,000 

Nirmithi housing outlets in India including Andhra Pradesh, they have demonstrated that it is 

possible for young women to enter the housing sector and play up on par with the male 

counterparts. 

Building centre provides that it manufactures building material using low cost technology and 

sells at fair prices to the needy people. Now, it has become an international global movement. 

In 1996, in a conference like this in Istanbul as part of the UN Habitat, the non-government 

organizations (NGOs) of youngsters, they joined together and decided to form a global fraternity 

of institutions and individuals dedicated to the cause of cost-effective and environment friendly 

and sustainable human settlements. Today, the global nirmithi net, the GNN (Global Nirmithi 

Net) demonstrates the world when youngsters wake up the react the situation when the youth 

power is unleashed and when youth power is harnessed there is no limit. 

Sky is the limit as for was youngsters are concerned. Today, the global movement has taken the 

technology from lab and land. It has made it possible that the housing can be done without 

tears. It has demonstrated that the exploiting contracting system can be met with if the youngsters 

join together and result the technology transfer. It has demonstrated in very an ambitiously that 

affordable houses, beautiful houses and lovable and livable houses and durable houses can be 

constructed using low-cost technology at 30% cost-production compared to the market rate. 


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3.3 Youth Employment Opportunities in the Water and Sanitation Sector 


“There was a time when coal was the black gold, then came the yellow gold and now we have the 

blue gold, that is water,” said Mrs.Savita Gokhale, Head, Earth Care Foundation, talking about 

the importance of water conservation and water harvesting. 

Dr. S Nath, Chairman, Sulabh International of Health and Hygiene, cited his organization as an 

example for promoting employment and entrepreneurship amongst youth. “80% of the manpower 

employed in Sulabh comprises of the youth,” he said. 

Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair, Global Water Partnership said, “Population and innovation 

are the two important factors responsible for the prevalent Water and Sanitation problem.” She 

said it was important to use water resources more efficiently for it to last for the future generations. 

Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director General Library of Alexandria pointed out that 

1.1 billion people were living without fresh water and 2.1 billion did not have access to proper 

sanitation facilities. This was leading to health problems like increasing susceptibility to diseases 

and the increasing infant mortality rate in many parts of the world. 

The session also included presentations by YES country Network Coordinators, from India, 

Pakistan, Iran and the Philippines. Explaining the achievements of the YES 

Country Networks in the four countries, the coordinators agreed that sustainability of a project 

was the most important factor. 

Mr.Praveen Kumar, YES India Coordinator, said that 65 percent of the capital is 

invested in the formal sector while it employs only 7 percent of the population. On the 

contrary the informal sector, which employs 90 percent of the population has little 

investment. 

Ms. Monir Kolghi from Iran said that youth employment is a necessity in her country as it is 

enlisted amongst those countries with an abundance of human resource, while Mr.Pervaiz Tufail, 

YES Pakistan, said that gender disparities in education and other opportunities are the major 

areas of concern regarding their efforts to employ youth. Ms.Catherine Kamping from the 

Philippines spoke of sustainability in youth employment and of the problem of under employment. 


Youth, defined by the United Nations as the age range of 15 to 24 years, form a significant proportion of 

the population in India. Youth bear a disproportionate burden of unemployment, with young women, 

school drop-outs, being particularly vulnerable. In India, especially in the rural areas, young people do 

not have access to safe drinking water, nutrition, sanitation and adequate health services. Youth 

empowerment is predicated on the belief that young people are themselves the best resource for promoting 

their development. Empowering young people means creating and supporting conditions under which 

young people can contribute to the economic, social and cultural advancement of their societies and gain 

self fulfillment. Within the HRD context, enabling conditions for youth empowerment include education, 

knowledge, information and skills, access to health and other social services, and employment opportunities. 

The increasingly complex challenges faced by youth require skills in decision-making and 

problem-solving. 

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There is need for the promotion of eco-jobs under various sectors, which predominantly covers water 

and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture and bio diversity. Water is the essential element in rural 

livelihoods because of the food security and income options including productivity 

(in terms of ensuring good health) it generates in rain fed and irrigated crop production, industry, domestic 

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processing, aquaculture, livestock, recreation, navigation and transport and electricity supply. Safe 

water and sanitation also shape health through potable water supply, safe food preparation, hygiene, 

better nutrition and relaxation. 

In India, according to official figures from various central government ministries, approximately 

90 percent of rural habitations have been fully covered with drinking water facilities; and 

20 percent of rural habitations have been covered by sanitation facilities (Annual Report, Ministry of 

Rural Development 2002-03). Similarly, in the case of urban habitations, more than 90 percent of the 

urban population has been covered with water supply and around 55 percent by sewerage and sanitation 

facilities. Accelerated water supply and sanitation programmes in each sector have been under 

implementation for the last few years to ensure coverage of rural as well as urban habitations with 

access to safe drinking water and required sewerage and sanitation facilities. 

The objectives of these programmes are to ensure sustainability of drinking water systems and sources; 

to tackle the problem of water quality in the affected habitations; to cover habitations with proper 

sanitation; and to institutionalize the reform initiative in the water supply sector. 

Various schemes have come up such as the programme of Urban Water Supply launched in March, 

1994, Swajaldhara launched last year in December, 2002, Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana - rural 

drinking water; the Central Rural Sanitation programme that got restructured in year 1999 and the 

concept of ‘total sanitation Campaign’, a demand driven and people centered approach has been 

introduced. Similarly, since 1989-90 low cost sanitation schemes for urban sewerage and sanitation 

facilities have been under implementation. 


Train the youth in life skills 

The life skills approach encompasses three aspects: knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A). These 

three components are combined to provide young people with not only information but also methods of 

processing the information, and using it in everyday life. This involves translating knowledge and 

attitudes into actions. The term “life skills” is becoming used increasingly in the context of youth issues, 

and it is important to ensure a common understanding of its meaning. Life skills comprise interpersonal, 

attitudinal and psychosocial aspects, and include such skills as communication, decision-making, creative 

thinking, negotiation, stress management, values analysis, and confidence-building. 

Develop income generating opportunities 

Develop income generating opportunities for out-of-school youth by educating and training so that 

large numbers of rural youth will be able to make an economically rewarding and satisfying life for 

themselves and their families. Create projects to provide clean, safe and inexpensive drinking water 

supply, while creating employment and building capacity among local residents. 

Develop guides and manuals 

Develop some guides and manuals on selected subject ‘water and sanitation sector’, which will help in 

bringing about a significant change in their knowledge, skills, attitude and behavior which may also 

include non formal educational programming at the village level. 

Develop rain water-harvesting projects 

Develop rain water-harvesting methods for communities to secure supplies and manage their own 

systems. Also, it will provide solution in areas with water quality problems especially in arsenic prone 

areas. Rainwater harvesting will create an opening for new entrepreneurs and generate more 

employment opportunities especially in urban areas. The design of rainwater harvesting structures can 

be built by public-private partnership. The concept of “Barefoot Architects” needs to be applied here 

right from the stage of project conceptualization. Household rainwater harvesting techniques which 17 

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can be simplified and targeted to women in urban and rural. They can be involved in all stages of 

planning, implementation and maintenance. 

Build toilets with the help of Sulabh International 

Sulabh International is constructing sanitary toilets at cheaper and affordable in villages all over India. 

They have about a lakh of household toilets (1, 00,000) created and constructed by and even converted. 

They range from 500 to 5000 rupees. With the help of government and Sulabh International, many of 

them are constructing toilets. There are all kinds of jobs. Soft sector jobs like educators, motivators, 

dissemination of information and there are hard sector jobs like constructing and maintaining toilets and 

engaging in non-energy sector that is biogas. 


‘Nakuru’ water kiosk project, Kenya 

Nakuru built the capacity of residents community-based organization (CBO) to 

construct and manage a series of water kiosks in a low-income, under serviced areas which not 

only will provide clean water at reasonable rates but at the same time will generate well paying, 

long-term employment positions. Kiosks will be operated by the local CBO. 

NAROKA, a CBO with a team of 8 key players, paid membership of 30, with an extra 20 that were 

too poor to pay but which offered labour. 

Lack of water in the area had led to significant problems namely: 

● 

Problems in collecting the correct revenues from the existing connections as main 

pipes were tapped illegal, water meters were vandalized and did not read true, 

officers were bribed. 

● Due to the absence of local supply, water had to be carried in jerry cans for 2-3 

Kms on foot or bicycle. 

● 

Contaminated water and high charges has to be paid to the water vendors. 

As a pilot study, 5 kiosks were constructed where the residents have to walk not more than a 

kilometer for water. Each was built of stone, connected to the municipal water main, able to be 

locked at night and enough to house a tap and the attendant. 

The project was expected to generate seven well-paid, permanent jobs that NAROKA intended to 

give to young people who participated in the work. The price of water to residents was expected 

to be half what residents had been paying. The final price was to be decided by water company, 

municipal council and NAROKA when the project was completed, ensuring that the water company 

maintained certain profit margins. 

Integrated water resource management, Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh 

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Jhabua some severe droughts and famines which in 1985 prompted the Central government to 

shift its thinking from short term public relief to long term drought proof policies and programmes. 

Jhabua was selected as a pilot district to introduce a new strategy of integrated water resource 

management under the National Drinking Water Mission. The programme was driven by intersectoral 

action and a wide ranging partnership of district and sub district administration, national 

scientific organisations and locally elected representatives, school teachers and health workers. 

Employment opportunities were provided for 150,000 people, two third of which were related to 

water management, digging trenches and pits for afforestation. The programme focussed on 

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ensuring sustainability of water supply and had a related objective to eradicate guinea worm 

disease. 

The project doubled irrigation area, raised income levels and reduced seasonal rural urban 

migration. Linking health, productivity, water and the environment resulted in the total eradication 

of guinea worm disease in the district. Strategies included enlisting women in their capacity as 

water carriers, social mobilization, forming district, sub district and village action committees, 

and use of popular local media such as street theatre; training to co-ordinate inter-sectoral 

action and managing eradication campaigns. 

The water management efforts were run by the state with local people also providing wage 

labour. The key lesson was the need to involve people directly in the environmental reconstruction 

and improvement of their own land and water resources. This is a good example of community 

based management of water resources. 

Water Aid India (WAI), Tamil Nadu 

Water Aid India (WAI) launched a sanitation programme in Tamil Nadu in 1996 covering 1750 

villages in 15 districts. WAI and its partner local NGOs and community based organizations 

acted as catalytic agents to create a people’s movement around sanitation and hygiene promotion. 

The community was involved in the programme from the start. People participated through 

improving the toilet’s superstructure, using locally available material such as gunnysacks, palm, 

thatches, reeds, cycle tyres etc. Water Aid introduced a lower, variable rate subsidy calculated 

according to the means of the household or individual. Village members were involved in wealth 

ranking for purposes of ascertaining who needs to get the maximum level of subsidy and credit, 

and which household could afford the capital costs with reduced subsidies or without need for 

one or both of these financial options. Village self-help micro-credit groups were mobilized to 

assist in the promotion of health and life style messages etc. Local youth and women were given 

opportunities for employment as masons and block makers either independently or attached to 

production centres and Rural Sanitation Marts. WAI sanitation programme had not just lowered 

subsidy but also introduced a variable level according to a household or individual’s economic 

situation. Also, rural sanitary marts, small-scale production centres and training of masons have 

been taken up under the sanitation programmes. The Rural Sanitation Marts, non-profit, 

independent retail operations were developed and promoted by UNICEF in India. SEVAI, one of 

the WAI’s NGO partners was assisted to develop a Rural Technology Centre to be a centre of 

excellence for training, design and production of sanitation materials. Gradually, these marts 

and production centres will be transferred to community based institutions, where upon it is 

expected that they will contribute to employment generation, skill development and income 

generation for the community and surrounding villages. 

Women’s Participation in Watershed Management - SEWA 

In 1995, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a trade union of 215,000 poor selfemployed 

women, launched a ten-year water campaign to revive water sources in drought-prone 

districts of Gujarat, India. Women comprised seven out of eleven members of watershed committees 

set up at village meetings, and the chairperson was also a woman. As part of the program, the 

committees performed soil and moisture conservation work, creating a green belt and grass 

cover for better retention of water. They also created an irrigation facility to guarantee drinking 

water. These projects decreased soil salinity, resulting in more fertile land and a more sustainable 

source of income for women, while generating employment opportunities for about 240 women. 


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Corporate Social Responsibility and WatSan - towards an increasing role for the future 

Aditya Birla Group 

The Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development is 

responsible for all CSR activities of the Birla group. The group works in areas of water and 

sanitation, employment generation, women empowerment, health care, spreading literacy, and 

sustainable livelihoods. Participatory appraoch and social mobilization have been an integral 

to all the activites of the group The group has been working with people around its various 

plants around the country and has undertaken works aimed at better watsan facilities, training 

of village youths. The group adopted 332 villages in Renukoot and Renusagar in Uttar Pradesh 

and in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh 

IFFCO Phulpur unit 

IFFCO Phulpur has been constantly carrying out training progammes for unemployed youth for 

the past few years and also implemented integrated rural development program for surrounding 

villages. 

Oil India limited (OIL) 

OIL has been promoting Self help groups in villages. Over 5000 people have ben given indirect 

employment through SHG’s. Areas of work for the SHG’s are chosen and comprehensive training 

on the subject is provided by OIL. 

3.4 Youth Employment Opportunities in the Information Communication 

and Technology Sector 


Hon. MA Kuttappan, Hon. Minister of Youth affairs, Kerala, said that to bridge the digital 

divide, it is important to ensure 100% literacy. He said that not only primary education, but 

secondary and higher secondary education should also be given importance. 

Mr. P Rajendran, COO of NIIT Ltd, said that his company had 2000 branches with a total 

strength of over 20,000 people in his effort to boost the computer technology and eliminate the 

digital divide. 

Ms. Jennifer Corriero spoke of how her organization, TakingITGlobal, uses Information 

Technology to bring together the youth in different parts of the world where they share their 

ideas and thoughts. She also spoke of internship schemes organized by her company forposthigh 

school students so they could be trained on the job in computer skills. 

“Youth empowerment is not restricted only to providing opportunities and economic advancement, 

but also includes bringing about social changes and overall personality development”. The 

Knowledge sharing Session of YES Malaysia put forth ideas and initiated discussion on ‘Youth 

and ICT for Development: The Malaysian Experience’. En. Suroya Suleiman, Deputy DG of 

Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, talking about the initiatives taken in Malaysia in the 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, said “We have a tripod system of 

functioning, wherein the government, the non government agencies and the private sector work 

towards youth empowerment through ICT. We also provide the youth with a chance to voice their 

opinions and offer suggestions.” 

20 

Ms. Kang Wai Chin, ICT Project Consultant, MIMOS Berhad, emphasizing of the importance of 

ICT in self-employment, explained, “Knowledge in ICT enables the youth to set up small business 

units in networking, computer assembling etc.”Concluding the session, she said, “Our motto is 

not just to better the youth but help them be the best.” 

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Entrepreneurship has considerable appeal to many people because it is associated with wealth generation 

or at a minimum job creation. Nor is its appeal restricted to only achieving economic ends - social 

entrepreneurship seeks to foster social capital by selling goods and services through the market, thereby 

mixing the achievement of social ends with economic means. 

Entrepreneurship can refer to a range of activities from self-employment to the setting up of micro 

businesses that employ a small number of people to high-growth new ventures. Therefore, 

identifying what entrepreneurial activity is and how it is best fostered has been a major challenge for 

public policy makers in both high income and developing countries. 

The focus of this paper is on self-employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through the use of 

information and communication technologies (ICT). ICTs offer particular advantages to people starting 

a business in low and middle incomes countries. One is that ICTs offer potentially low cost forms of 

communication with high-income markets or large domestic markets in middle-income countries. Another 

is greater range of opportunities the application of new communication-based technologies can offer 

for servicing the needs of the poor. 

The world’s poor remain a market largely untapped by the international corporations. This is often due 

to a lack of appreciation by international corporations and local enterprises of how to take 

advantage of available distribution networks. One outstanding illustration of this is the high demand for 

mobile phone services in developing countries if packaged in a way that is affordable and easily accessible. 


Using ICT as and educational tool 

You can deploy ICTs to support informal sector of the economy amongst minority youth especially the 

women living in a ghetto. ICTs can be deployed amongst the youth especially the minority women, most 

vulnerable to social and religious pressures. ICT provide an expression and voice amidst religious 

traditions and cultural barriers. Formal educational background is not a barrier for the youth and women 

to access ICTs suitable for their need. ICTs supplement the education gap. ICTs in fact enable informal 

education process for the high school drop-outs generating curiosity and empowerment. 

Using ICT as a health information tool 

ICTs are especially helpful in providing health information. Innovative solutions and new applications of 

technology truly empower the poor with tools to change their circumstances. There are no other costeffective, 

replicable and scalable models for the skills development process. ICTs facilitate marketing 

and business linkages. 

Connect with Digital Partners 

Digital Partners support, mentor, and educate young entrepreneurs to develop innovative sustainable, 

market-based solutions that use Information Technology to directly benefit the poor. They distribute 

used computers in different villages in India. 


Orphan IT and Global Learning Opportunities on the Web (GLOW ) ICT Centres 

www.OrphanIT.com is a not-for-profit online social business venture that employs young people 

including orphans and other poor young adults in developing nations to provide IT services for 

online businesses in high-income countries. OrphanIT is a marketing firm that offers clients in 

high income countries web development services using the skills of young adults trained at 


21

computer learning centres in low and middle income countries. Its aim is to generate new businessto-business 

(B2B) markets linking developing and developed countries. 

Orphan IT acts as a broker or intermediary to offer simple IT work via its Jobs Gateway portal 

to graduates of its designated learning centres. The online Jobs Board will offer work to students, 

graduates, teachers and coordinators in ICT Computer Telecentres (see Figure 1 below). The 

work can cover programming and coding, bulk scanning and data entry, transcriptions, log 

analysis & relationship marketing press releases, e-commerce & payment gateways, site research, 

copywriting and the preparation of databases. 

The type of work commissioned could range from the simple and straight forward tasks using the 

latest release (1.1) of the free Open Office suite (www.openoffice.org ). An example of these 

sorts of tasks could be the preparation of a graphics-rich and animated PowerPoint presentation 

based on a simple set on instructions as to what was wanted. Other tasks might include the use 

of the Open Office spreadsheet function ‘DataPilot’ to analyse survey data such as a marketing 

survey. 

22 

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Two training facilities in Manila in the Philippines and in Chennai in India are linked to 

OrphanIT. The first pilot GLOW centre was opened in March 2001 in Manila. Young people 

are paid an average of US$5 per hour to produce web pages. More than 2000 hours of paid 

commercial work has been commissioned. There is a waiting list of over 20 clients wanting to 

hire our OrphanIT.com graduates. Orphan IT’s target over the next two years is ‘to channel 

US$1,000,000 of new business to 10 ICT computer centers from 100 customers, creating over 

500 jobs 

The project has received an award in the Global Junior Challenge and mentioned as a good 

example of a successful remote services businesses in an article entitled ‘Serving the world’s 

poor profitably’ by CK Prahalad in the Harvard Business Review: 

Integrating ICT in Development Programmes, Thailand 

Since 1998 a number of key ICT-related laws have been put in place, and an ICT Master Plan 

has been adopted. A Ministry of Information and Communication Technology was created in 

October 2002 to lead Thailand’s ICT development. This includes not only hardware, 

infrastructure, software and content development, but, just as importantly, “people-ware” 

development. 

Strong emphasis is being placed on including all in the benefits of ICTs by providing help for 

the sick and disabled, using ICTs to disseminate cultural information, developing and making 

available assistive technology, and even providing ICT opportunities for prison inmates. ICTs 

are also helping to widen access to quality education and global content through initiatives 

such as SchoolNet Thailand. Through these efforts, combined with political will and leadership 

and participation of all sectors of society, Thailand is making progress towards its goal of 

being a knowledge-based learning society. 

ICT Policy for National Development, Mozambique 

Ms. Lidia Brito, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mozambique, described 

how even a very poor country like Mozambique sees the need to address ICTs as a tool in 

poverty eradication, through an integrated approach. She described the concern of many 

people in government that there was insufficient synergy between the government’s national 

development plans and the growing ICT initiatives in the country. 

A high-level National Commission that began its work in 1998 and culminated in the approval 

of an implementation strategy in 2002, devised through broad consultation a comprehensive 

approach to using ICTs as a key tool in the war against poverty in Mozambique by building a 

knowledge society. This includes: guaranteeing all citizens access to the benefits of global 

knowledge; improving governance and public administration; making Mozambique a relevant 

and competitive partner in the global information society; and making Mozambique a producer, 

not just a consumer, of information and communication technologies and knowledge. 

Implementation of the strategy - with an integrated approach covering human resources, 

infrastructure, business, governance, legal framework and content - will take from 2001 to 

2005. It requires an integrated approach, encompassing human resources, infrastructure, 

business, government, legal and regulatory frameworks, and content/applications, with 

particular emphasis on synergy among these elements. Achieving the goals of the strategy will 

require: co-operation among all stakeholders; an implementation program that covers the whole 

country; effectively mobilising resources - both human and financial - to ensure timely and 

successful implementation; and engaging international partners including business partners. 


23

3.5 Youth Employment Opportunities in the HIV and AIDS Sector 


“AIDS is no longer a health issue, but a development issue,” said Mrs.K.Damayanti, IAS, Project 

Director, AP AIDS Control Board, speaking at a workshop on HIV/AIDS. 

Also present at the session were Mr. Michael John Rosati, Senior Scientist and Director, South- 

East Asia Initiatives, EDC, Dr. Emilia Timpo, Team Leader, UN AIDS, South-Asia, Dr. Bernard 

D`Sami, Migrant Forum, Chennai, and Dr. Kamal Taori, Planning Commission, India. 

Disapproving of the narrow and compartmentalized approach adopted, Taori said that the issue 

of AIDS should henceforth be looked at in a more holistic manner. 

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Timpo said, that the youth could themselves act as 

instruments in eradicating HIV/AIDS by organizing programmes against drug abuse and HIV/ 

AIDS, influencing the media, influencing access to information and such other means. 

“All over the world one person is affected by AIDS every six seconds”, said Ms.Yamuna Pathak, 

the YES Coordinator for Hyderabad. 

”AIDS raids our life” was the essence of her presentation. The death toll of 3.1 million in the 

year 2002 came as an eye opener for the gathering. She also presented facts and figures specific 

to the state of Andhra Pradesh stating that 10% of the infection caused by the Human Immune 

Virus in India occurs in Andhra Pradesh. 

Following the presentation was a discussion session in which a senior audience member suggested 

on the removal of the social stigma related to the critical issue of AIDS. “Join hands to wipe 

AIDS” was Ms Pathak’s plea to the gathering. 

Hyderabad YES Regionl Forum 2003 Background Paper Summary 

Young people looking for meaningful, secure, income-generating work make up a sizable proportion of 

the population in developing countries. These young men and women, defined by UNICEF as ages 15 to 

24 years, are at the centre of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Close to half of the new infections are 

occurring in young people ages 15 to 24. 

Poverty and limited access to healthcare and education can create situations that make young people 

more vulnerable to HIV infection. 

In South and Southeast Asia, as in other parts of the world, rates of HIV/AIDS are high among young 

people. According to UNAIDS, over 2 million of the 4.6 million to 8.2 million people living with HIV/ 

AIDS in South and South East Asia are young people. 

The need for a drastically broader response to HIV/AIDS must be linked with ways to increase the 

involvement of young people in work-related opportunities for prevention and care activities. 

The Hyderabad YES Regional Forum aims to identify effective youth employment strategies for use in 

South and Southeast Asia in five areas, one of which is HIV/AIDS. 

24 

The comprehensive continuum of services addressing HIV/AIDS must include prevention, voluntary 

counselling and testing (VCT), medical treatment using antiretroviral therapies, ongoing care of 

people with HIV/AIDS, bereavement counselling and care of survivors. Both government agencies and 

non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need additional human resources to carry out 

prevention, treatment, and care programs. In the context of developing countries where economic security 

is the primary goal for much of the population, youth involvement and long-term commitment to HIV/ 

www.yesweb.org

AIDS work cannot be only voluntary. The essential components of enabling young people to become 

involved are to identify and develop opportunities in HIV/AIDS work, create greater awareness of 

those opportunities, and provide skills training and mentoring, including through paid work. In addition, 

all work settings ideally should have HIV/AIDS policies and programs to protect all workers. 

Youth can help ensure that prevention messages are meaningful to young people, stigma-free, 

relevant to their daily lives and communicated through effective channels, and that all care takes into 

consideration the needs of young people and is “youth friendly.” Youth can be included in all phases of 

research, programme design, implementation, outreach, monitoring, and evaluation. 

Other important areas of youth involvement are in developing and implementing community needs 

assessments for determining priorities and community-based services to address the priorities; 

carrying out advocacy efforts, such as educating and mobilizing youth to work for changes in services 

and policies and influencing the media; and serving on decision-making bodies that work on HIV/AIDS 

policy. Finally, involving young people in programmes against drug abuse and HIV/AIDS as well as 

assuring access to safe water, sanitation, and food is vital in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 

YES Networks can be actively involved in creating youth involvement in HIV/AIDS activities. Some 

of the networks are currently carrying out vocational training and peer education. In 

partnership with HHD, YES, the Ministry of Youth Services, the Ministry of Education and the Andhra 

Pradesh AIDS Control Organization, the YES Academy is launching two projects in Andhra Pradesh 

that involve youth in HIV/AIDS work: on training a group of youth leaders to work on HIV/AIDS 

issues and services and developing an HIV/health curriculum and component for the community service 

program of college students. 

Participants at the Hyderabad Regional Forum and follow-on projects of the YES Academy and YES 

Networks will explore these key questions: 

● 

● 

● 

How can HIV/AIDS be addressed along the continuum from prevention through care in 

work-related circumstances? 

What are the potential work-related opportunities and roles for young people along this continuum? 

What should the Hyderabad Regional Forum, YES Academy, and YES Networks do to involve 

youth in HIV/AIDS work and create workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programs? 


Engaging youth in prevention projects 

You can involve youth to help ensure that prevention messages are meaningful to young people, stigmafree, 

relevant to their daily lives and communicated through effective channels, and that all care takes 

into consideration the needs of young people and is “youth friendly.” You can include youth in all phases 

of research, programme design, implementation, outreach, monitoring, and 

evaluation. 

Involving youth in needs assessments 

You can get the youth involved in developing and implementing community needs assessments for 

determining priorities and community-based services to address the priorities. You can get then to 

carry out advocacy efforts, such as educating and mobilizing youth to work for changes in services and 

policies and influencing the media; and serving on decision-making bodies that work on HIV/AIDS 

policy. 

Involve youth in drug abuse prevention 

You can involve young people in programmes against drug abuse and HIV/AIDS as well as 

assuring access to safe water, sanitation, and food which is vital in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 


25

Involvement of the YES local networks 

YES local networks can be actively involved in creating youth involvement in HIV/AIDS activities. 

Some of the networks are currently carrying out vocational training and peer education. In partnership 

with HHD, YES, the Ministry of Youth Services, the Ministry of Education and the Andhra Pradesh 

AIDS Control Organization, the YES Academy is launching two projects in Andhra Pradesh (AP), 

India that involve youth in HIV/AIDS work on a training a group of youth leaders to work on HIV/ 

AIDS issues and services and developing an HIV/health curriculum and component for the community 

service program of college students. 


There are several YES Networks in different countries that have projects related to HIV/AIDS. 

Below are brief descriptions of three of these projects: 

YES! is a community health initiative managed by the AMAL Human Development Network, a 

registered nonprofit organization and part of YES Pakistan. YES! is a community-based, life 

skills, HIV/AIDS, and peer education awareness project that is being run in Quetta City, Pakistan 

from 2003 to 2005. The target population for YES! is out-of-school male and female youth between 

ages 10 and 17. The majority of the labour force working in these shops, workshops, and in the 

carpet weaving industry are young children. Many of them are paid Rs 5-10 (less than US $1) 

per day for their apprenticeships and labour. Most of them are migrant children who are vulnerable 

to physical and sexual abuse. 

Under the YES! Project, AMAL provides a series of results-oriented activities like HIV/AIDS 

awareness and sensitization, rights-based training, life skills training, non-formal education/ 

vocational training, assertiveness and self-protection training, peer education, training of trainers, 

monthly social and cultural activities, and development of community organizations. 

YES Honduras has launched an $80,000 project funded by USAID. YES Network 

member organization Centre for Health and Family Assistance (CEPROSAF) was awarded the 

grant on behalf of YES/Honduras to work with people infected with HIV/AIDS, the majority 

being people under age 35. The project focuses on building the capacity of people living with or 

affected by HIV/AIDS. The focus is on youth creating productive and sustainable livelihoods, in 

line with the goals of the YES Campaign. Activities include vocational and technical training in a 

wide variety of skills. The 15-month project will also include local authorities, churches, health 

workers, communities, and families of people living with HIV/AIDS. 

Several occupational workshops will be held in which participants will learn how to make cards 

out of recycled paper and other products such as scented candles. Profits from the sales of these 

products will benefit youth living with HIV/AIDS and their families. USAID is providing 70 percent 

of these funds and CEPROSAF the remaining 30 percent. 

YES Kenya works with AIDS support organizations, young people living with AIDS, and others 

affected by AIDS to link them with other organizations serving people who live with HIV/AIDS as 

well as with financial institutions. The goal is to assist the young people in accessing credit so 

that they can start their own businesses and to have the institutions build the young people’s 

capacity in managing their finances and businesses. The YES Kenya approach is to have HIVpositive 

young people speak to other young people. Jobs are also being created for artists. 

Theatre, puppetry, and poetry are being used to disseminate information on HIV/AIDS. 

26 

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Chapter: 4 

YES Academy – The major outcome of the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 

2003 

This chapter discusses the international YES Academy and briefly outlines the projects being launched 

under it. 

4.1 YES Academy – The Launch 

On the last day of the Forum the Hon’ble Chief Minster Sri Nara Chandrababu Naidu Announced the 

launching of the International YES Academy designed to be the hub for youth employment generation.. 

The formation of the YES Academy displays a powerful coalition of political will, technology and youth 

engagement expressed though its lead partners - the Government of Andhra Pradesh, MS Swaminathan 

Research Foundation and the YES Campaign. 

4.2 YES Academy - a hub for Youth Employment will in aim to 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Build a database of good practices promoting youth employment 

Launch small integrated rural-development project with youth at the centre. 

Convene practitioners to learn to about ‘what works’ and ‘promising strategies’ 

Work with experts to produce research papers, studies and toolkits 

Offer training in youth leadership and enterprises development 

Identify new sectors where semi-skilled rural young people can be self-employed 

Conduct ‘Gap analysis’ and develop strategies for addressing local youth employment issues 

Provide access to financial resources for the young budding entrepreneurs 

Provide incubation services for new and innovative youth enterprise and employment 

generation projects 

Build the capacity of YES Country Networks to develop and Implement projects 

Prepare ‘business development’ packages in the five emerging sectors, as identified by YES, to 

promote entrepreneurship 

Identify and groom resource persons in the four sectors mentioned above deployed for further 

training of youth in various countries in the region 

Provide business development services to existing programmes to strengthen efforts to 

promote self-employment and entrepreneurship. 

The YES Academy will also offer a unique range of products and services to all stakeholders in the 

youth employment ecology in partnership with expert institutions. This is to be achieved from 

different stake holders as mentioned below 

Government : Share policies that have worked to create an enabling environment for youth 

employment. Support government efforts by building youth-led multi stakeholder coalitions to fulfil 

national development goals. 

Private Sector : Offer branded projects in sectors and geographic area of interest. Develop mentoring 

programmes and offer tailored training and development services. 

Youth : Offer opportunity for participation in the development efforts of their community. 

Leadership and entrepreneurship training, project management, structured mentoring and 

technical assistance in implementing social entrepreneurship projects. 


27

International Institution : Opportunity to work with youth leaders and develop collaborative to fulfil 

the MDGs. 

YES Country Networks : Offers technical support to develop and implement projects and 

conduct leadership and entrepreneurship training programmes. 

NGOs: Work with NGOs to assess and evaluate their programmes and offer technical assistance 

to strengthen their work. Offers advice and training curriculum to promote youth 

employment. 

4.3 YES Academy – What will it accomplish? 

The YES Academy will work towards 

A. CAPACITY BUILDING 

The YES Academy will serve to fulfil the following needs identified at the YES Regional Forum 

● Building the capacity of the 60 YES Country Networks to successfully carry out their mandate; 

● Building the capacity of policy makers and other government institutions to identify the gaps in 

research and policy and to learn from what has worked in other countries; 

● 

● 

● 

International Outreach and Communications to ensure that the issue of youth employment is 

being highlighted at other Forums and that the YES Networks are supported in organizing their 

consultations and events. 

Global Knowledge Resource – building the database of effective practices and commissioning 

new research and reporting the success stories from the YES Campaign 

International Media Out Reach and communications 

YES Academy Partners 

Common Wealth 

28 

UNDP 

www.yesweb.org

B. GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE BUILDING 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Project Management of innovative pilot projects in AP and other states in India initially and then 

to the other parts of the world; 

Research and Development and providing technical assistance. Assessing the current capacities 

of institutions providing education and training to youth; 

Preparing the Yellow pages for youth employment in AP and building a database of all institutions 

working for youth employment and development 

Providing training in eco-entrepreneurship, rural business management, launching YES Clubs for 

building the entrepreneurial spirit and community service 

C. OUT REACH AND ENGAGEMENT 

The YES Academy will strive to make the YES Campaign by making its goals established in national 

and international priorities. 

● 

● 

● 

Through events and publicity materials the Academy will advocate for commitment and engagement 

in promoting youth employment in the upcoming global event “YES Mexico Summit 2004”. 

Conferences world wide- High lighting the issue of youth employment at various events and 

conferences. 

Publications-Preparation and dissemination of information through the YES Networks. 

4.4 Projects/Programmes under the YES Academy 

In the pilot phase the YES Academy is slated to do the following projects with various partners to 

create and promote youth employment. 

Project 1 

Project Name: “CMEY Micro enterprise: Preparing young leaders of Andhra Pradesh to promote 

healthy businesses, workers and communities by tackling HIV/AIDS” 

Partners: A Project of the YES Academy: A partnership project of the Ministry of Youth in 

Andhra Pradesh, Education Development Center’s Health and Human Development Programs 

and the YES Campaign. 

Goal: To train a core group of leaders who will gain the knowledge and acquire practical tools for 

tackling HIV/AIDS 

Donor: Sponsored by Health and Human Development, EDC Inc 

Project 2 

Project Name: “Lifelong learning and skills development for sustainable livelihoods and 

environments” 

Partners: AN UNESCO-UNEVOC project in association with the YES Campaign. 

Goal: To meet the needs of the most disadvantaged population groups, especially youth, women 

and girls as well as the marginalized in rural areas, by being demand-driven, and engaging in mean 

ingful dialogue with stakeholders. 

Donor: UNESCO and UNEVOC 

Duration: 12 Months 


29

Project 3 

Project Name: “Service Learning – A step closer to social-entrepreneurship among youth” 

Partners: School of Community Economic Development, Southern New Hampshire University, 

Education Development Center, and the YES Academy. 

Goal: To fashion a partnership between social investors and young service-learners to ensure 

effective social and economic development in poor and at-risk communities. 

Donor: Sponsored by the Center for School, Family and Community at the Education 

Development Center, Inc 


Project 4 

Project Name: “Building an Entrepreneurial Culture – A curriculum for secondary schools” 

Partners: A project of UNIDO and the YES Campaign for Andhra Pradesh. 

Goal: Over the course of five years, the Entrepreneurship Curriculum will train 200 teachers and 

reach over 40,000 students in 40 secondary schools. 

Donor: United Nations Industrial Development Organization 


Project 5 

Project Name: “Enhancing Employment Opportunities based on renewable energy technologies 

for youth in India” 

Partners: UNIDO – Working with the YES Network, the project will specifically focus on the 

training of rural youth in the State of Andhra Pradesh 

Goal: To harness the potential of renewable energy technologies through youth entrepreneurship 

development and contribute to the Government’s objective of providing electricity and reliable 

energy services to rural areas, and improving the standard of living through income generation 

activities. 

Donor: United Nations Industrial Development Organization 


30 

www.yesweb.org

Chapter 5 

Fulfilling the objectives of the YES Campaign through YES 

Networks 

This chapter discusses about creating YES Local Networks as a youth movement for multi stakeholder 

partnership for promoting youth empowerment under the banner of YES Country 

Networks. It will explore what mechanisms need to be created at the local level to implement the 

programs and projects of YES academy and make these projects successful. It will also discuss about 

the links you would have from your local networks to the state, to the national and to the global YES 

Campaign. 

5.1 Reasons for Forming a YES Local Network 

What is a YES local network? 

Achieving the goal of generating 500 million sustainable livelihoods for youth will require a concerted 

effort from all sectors of society and will involve a large number of people, especially youth. A key 

component of the YES Campaign at the local level will be the YES Local Networks that will be 

launched in all the districts of Andhra Pradesh. 

YES Local Networks are youth run initiatives based in a particular geographich area that fosters the 

collaboration of multiple stakeholders to take committed action to address youth unemployment at the 

local level. Stakeholders involved in the network may represent both local and state interests, and 

include members of civil society, governments, intergovernmental agencies, youth organizations, the 

private sector, financial institutions and donor agencies, education and training institutions, and the mass 

media. 

YES Local Networks will provide an opportunity for youth to be active partners and participants in the 

YES Campaign at the local and grassroots level. 

Why form a YES Local Network? 

The preliminary step of forming a YES local Network involves conceptualizing the network’s purpose 

and structure. To accomplish this, the question “Why form a YES local network?” must be addressed. 

In considering this question, it is the objectives of YES local Networks to: 

● Bring together youth led and youth serving organizations to work collaboratively towards achieving 

the summit goals at the local level. 

● Create partnerships between youth organizations and others members of society such as 

governments, private sector companies, NGOs etc. 

● Brief youth in each district about the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum and ensure that there are 

effective channels to implement the outcomes of the Forum. These networks will serve as a 

vehicle for youth to be a part of the post-forum process. 

It is helpful to start by thinking about your personal reasons and commitment to improving 

employment opportunities for youth in your local community. 

How to discover your personal reasons for launching a YES Local Network? 

In the space below, record your top three reasons for launching a YES District Network. For 

example: “Growing up in a village, I have witnessed first-hand the frustration and desperation 

generated by youth unemployment; I want to initiate positive change in my community.” 


31

1. 

2. 

3. 

(Continue on a separate sheet of paper if you have additional reasons to list) 

Keep your list of reasons for forming a YES Local Network in a place where it is easily visible as you 

work. The list can be an effective tool in helping you to stay motivated, focused and determined in 

launching your network. 

My motivation comes from a passionate belief that political empowerment and self-determination 

for young people is tied to their ability to engage in productive and sustainable livelihoods. 

Cameron Neil, Australia. 

How to research the youth employment situation of your district? 

Before any problem can be addressed, it must be clearly identified and defined. The next step in the 

process of developing your district network involves clearly defining the youth employment problem 

faced by your particular community. This step requires you to research the youth employment situation 

in your district, and develop a problem statement. In defining the problem, it is helpful to start by 

brainstorming on the framing questions relevant to youth employment. Below are some examples of 

framing questions for consideration: 

What questions do you consider when researching the youth employment situation of your 

district? 

● What is the youth unemployment rate for your district? 

● How has this rate changed over the last twenty years? 

● What is the projected population growth rate for youth in your region, and how might this population 

rate impact youth employment? 

● What are the issues particular to my local that contribute to youth unemployment? 

e.g. lack of skills training and educational opportunities, lack of support for youth entrepreneurship 

● How can youth be trained and mentored to play a central role in developing productive work for 

youth? 

● How does gender factor into the youth employment equation and what are the particular needs 

of young women in your district? 

● What other cultural influences impact youth employment in your district. Are certain groups of 

youth affected more significantly than others? 

● What kinds of resources are needed to address youth unemployment? 

List four framing questions that you plan to research below: 

1. 

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2. 

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3. 

4. 

What if there is a lack of youth employment information for your community? 

You might find that there is a glaring lack of research and information on youth employment for your 

district. If this is the case, record what information about youth employment is missing for your district, 

and use this as the basis of your problems statement. 

In light of a lack of quantitative information (statistical and numerical data) on youth employment, you 

may also want to incorporate a qualitative assessment of the youth employment issue for your community 

into your problem statement. 

How do you locate information on youth employment of your comunity? 

● Internet 

● Local government agencies 

● International development agencies eg. ILO, UN etc 

Surveys are useful for gathering a breadth of information regarding “How many?” or “How much?” 

Qualitative research is the best method for discovering underlying motivations, feelings, values, attitudes, 

and perceptions. Though findings cannot be projected in a statistical sense, qualitative research has the 

unique ability to provide insight into the underlying issues most pertinent to the population under study. 

Generally, qualitative research involves conducting a series of interviews with stakeholders who are 

most affected by youth unemployment. In this case, the primary stakeholder group is youth themselves. 

You may want to survey a focus group of 8-10 youth for their views on youth employment, and 

compile their responses into a succinct report. For more information on conducting qualitative research, 

refer to the following web site http://www.qrca.org/faq.htm. Information on this topic may also be 

found at your local library. 

How do you write a problem statement for your community? 

Once you have researched answers to your framing questions, the next step is to compose your 

problem statement. The problem statement should be no longer than 1-2 pages. You may wish to 

include any statistical charts or information as an appendix. Below is a suggested format for drafting 

your problem statement. This format can be adjusted to suit the answers to the particular framing 

questions you have researched for your community. 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Youth employment statistics and projections 

Particular youth employment concerns/issues for your community 

Areas where information and data on youth employment is missing 

Why action is important for your community and what are the possible social and economic 

implications if youth unemployment is not addressed? 

Who is needed to promote effective action on this issue? 

Your problem statement can be distributed later at your local consultation, and serve as the basis for 

further discussion on the youth employment situation of your district. After the local consultation, you 

may wish to refine the problem statement further. 


33

5.2 Linking your Local YES Network to the Global YES Campaign 

How were national networks started and how are they linked locally? 

Prior to the launch of the YES Campaign in Egypt in 2002, young people in over 60 countries organized 

themselves and held national conferences on youth employment. These events attracted people from all 

sectors. YES Country Networks emerged from these national consultative processes and they are 

leading the way in setting national agendas on youth employment issues. In each country the national 

coordinators makes sure that youth from each province and state have their voices and concerned taken 

into consideration at the national consultations. The local coordinators from coming from different states 

then take back experiences and ideas to their communities that come from their consultation with youth 

people from other parts of their country. 

What capacity do the YES national networks have? 

At many levels minds are now focused on developing effective strategies to meet the challenge of youth 

employment. YES Networks lead that process at a national level in many countries. However, to be 

effective YES Networks need investment. Investment should primarily be from domestic sources in 

each country but international agencies also have a capacity-building role to play. The capacity of youthled 

networks to catalyze national debates on youth livelihood issues will grow in strength with strategically 

placed assistance. There are many proud accomplishments of the YES Country Networks, and the 

YES Campaign has called upon on all institutional partners to recognize what has been accomplished to 

date and to increase investment in YES Country Networks. 

What happens at the global level? 

At a global level the YES Campaign’s vision is to build a Global Alliance for Youth Employment. The 

purpose of such an Alliance is to build a community of practice where large and small organizations 

can work together on youth employment issues. The YES Campaign is dedicated to offering mechanisms, 

services and tools to members of the Global Alliance that advance the work of YES Networks at 

national level and of governments and institutions at international level. 

What have the YES National Networks done? 

The YES National Networks are forming the structures that will fulfill the goals of the Youth Employment 

Summit (YES) Campaign. Their mandate is to bring the Alexandria Summit “Framework for Action” to 

life in their countries! The YES Framework provides a road map to creating productive and sustainable 

livelihoods for youth. Over the coming months and years, our mission is to ensure that in every country 

YES Networks are able to garner the necessary support to make youth employment a priority on local, 

national and global agendas. You at the local level are directly link to the national and global YES 

Campaign and you will begin to see the impact of the YES Networks and realize the possibility that they 

present. Supporting the efforts of the YES Local Networks at the grassroots through your institution is 

one of the biggest contributions that can be made to the YES Decade Campaign of Action. 

34 

www.yesweb.org

Chapter 6 

Setting up YES Networks –An Innovative Approach to Youth 

Empowerment and Employment 

This chapter will discuss how you can fulfill the objectives of the YES Campaign through your YES 

Local Networks. It will discuss how you can identify potential network members and the process of 

initiating contact with them. Success stories from the YES Networks in other countries are also presented 

so you understand what roles they play in the whole YES Campaign process. 

6.1 Defining the Objectives of your Network 

What are the objectives of your Network? 

Now that you have identified your personal reasons for developing a YES local Network and defined 

the nature of the youth employment problem in your community, the next step is to make a list of the 

specific objectives that your network will aim to meet. 

In general, all Youth for YES Local Networks exist to do to the following: 

Objectives are essentially tasks that your network will strive to accomplish within a specific timeframe. 

Determining objectives for the network early on will help you to better comprehend the shape and 

direction that your network will take. Start the process of determining the objectives of your network by 

reviewing the research and problem statement that you developed. From your research, identify problem 

areas where action on youth employment is most required in your region. Next, brainstorm ways in 

which your network can act to address the problem areas. Select five of your ideas and formulate them 

into clear objectives in the space below. Keep in mind that your objectives should form a realistic and 

obtainable declaration of what you intend to achieve within a year. Examples of objectives for your 

network: 

● Develop a paper on the barriers to employment faced by youth in your community 

● Organize a letter-writing campaign to ministers concerned with employment issues in your 

community 

● Encourage local media to write a news item about your network 

● Design and distribute a newsletter about youth employment matters in your community 

● Develop a project to generate youth employment and obtain financing for this project from the 

business community 

● Raise awareness on the issue of youth employment on a local and state level. 

● Develop a commitment to action amongst various groups to address the youth unemployment 

challenge. 

● Create a platform for such groups to support one another through sharing ideas, experiences, 

resources, expertise and knowledge with regards to “Good Practices in Promoting Youth 

Employment” (what works and what does not work). 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Organize a meeting to bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss the youth employment 

problem in your community and possible solutions 

Form partnerships with two other organizations and get them to include Youth Employment on 

their agenda 

Start a web site that focuses on the youth employment problem faced by your community 

Organize an event to recognize the achievements of local youth entrepreneurs 


35

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Note: These objectives serve as preliminary action statements that will aid in the development of 

your network. During the local consultation process, these objectives will be debated by network 

members and revised into more concrete action steps. 

What activities should the YES Local Networks undertake? 

● Engaging diverse stakeholders in their communities to join the YES Local Networks and to 

promote youth employment through their programs and already existing activities/initiatives 

● Hosting local consultations on youth employment to reach out to a wider audience and incorporate 

new ideas 

● Designing Local Action Plans for Youth Employment 

● Developing concrete youth employment projects and initiatives over the coming three years. 

● Fundraising for YES Local Network activities and projects 

● Hosting workshops and training events to provide capacity building activities for YES Local 

Network members 

● Identifying effective youth employment program and policies to share with the Global Alliance 

● Developing youth employment Local Reports outlining the state of youth employment in each 

community 

● Preparing progress reports on each YES Local Network and activities undertaken since the 

Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 

6.2: Identifying Potential Network Members and Initiating Contact 

How do you identify potential members for your Network? 

Now that you have determined the reasons and objectives for forming your local network, the next 

step involves identifying potential network members and initiating contact. 

36 

Who can become your Network members? 

Network members are those who are associated with an organization in your district that lists youth 

employment among its objectives. There are many different types of organizations that are suitable for 

partnership. They include: 

www.yesweb.org

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Environmental groups; 

Human rights groups; 

Sports clubs; 

Music and Arts groups; 

Youth businesses and young entrepreneurs; 

Student associations; 

Unemployed individuals 

Begin your research by identifying organizations within your community that are concerned with youth 

employment. You can find this information by consulting the following sources: 

● Local library 

● Government institutions 

● Internet 

● Telephone book 

● Community centers 

● Educational institutions 

● People in your community who work with youth 

Once you have compiled a list of organizations, you must gather the necessary data required for 

initiating contact and establishing a partnership. The easiest way to arrange this information is in chart 

form. Below is an example 

Name of organization 

National Youth Council 

Contact information 

Ms. Jenny Lee, 

Youth Project Coordinator, 

National Youth Council, 

123 Penny Lane, 

Boston, MA 02374 

Tel: (617) 612-2341 

Fax: (617) 612-4565 

Email: jenlee@nyc.org 

What do they do? 

● Lobby government agencies to raise political awareness about youth issues 

● Support a network of 100 youth organizations around the country 

How can we partner? 

● We can work with them to include their 100 affiliated organizations into our network 

What are the incentives for the partnership? 

● They can assist us with obtaining funding for youth employment projects for NYC 

● They want to increase their exposure to grassroots youth initiatives 

● It is part of their mandate to assist other youth organizations in advocacy related activities and 

obtaining resources 

Following the above example on a separate piece of paper compile research on ten potential partners 


37

How do you initiate contact with potential partner organizations? 

Once you have researched potential partner organizations, you need to extend an invitation to the 

contacts from each organization to join your YES Local Network. The best way to initiate contact is by 

writing a powerful letter and then following up in person or by phone if possible. 

What guidelines should you follow for initiating contact in person or by phone? 

If you are unable to initiate contact in person or by phone, you may wish to send a letter to a potential 

partner organization inviting them to join your network. The personal and professional networks that 

you belong to already are excellent resources for aiding you in your recruitment of local network 

members. Consult with your family and friends for their suggestions on building the network and to gain 

information about potential contacts concerned with youth employment. If they know someone who 

may be a good contact, encourage them to arrange an initial meeting. 

If you already belong to an organization that is concerned about youth employment, you may want to 

approach your supervisor about having the organization join your network. Before you approach your 

supervisor, it is a good idea to write a list summarizing reasons why the organization should join your 

network, and the mutual benefits of the partnership. If for some reason your supervisor is resistant to 

agreeing to a partnership, you may consult with members of the YES Hyderabad Team for support and 

ideas on how to negotiate with your supervisor. 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Introduce yourself and the organization(s) that you represent (if applicable) 

Briefly define what a YES Local Network is and explain why one is necessary for your district 

Inquire if they would be interested in joining your network 

Ask if they have any questions about your plans to form a local network 

Ask if they have any suggestions they could offer about the development of the network, or if 

they know of any other parties who might be interested in joining 

Arrange to send them any additional information they require about the network, and suggest a 

time when you can follow up with them 

I talked to friends who belong to the same organizations that I do, and together we held our first 

meeting as a small group. I kept on talking about the network everywhere I went. Cheikhou 

Thiome, Senegal 

Organization Contact Name Correspondence Notes 

National Youth Council Ms. Jenny Lee, 

Youth Project Coordinator, 

National Youth Council, 

123 Penny Lane, 

Boston, MA 02374 

Tel: (617) 612-2341 

Fax: (617) 612-4565 

jenlee@nyc.org 

38 

● Phoned Ms. Lee on January 18, 2002 to introduce myself and discuss partnership 

● Mailed her a follow-up letter on January 19, 2002 

● January 25, 2002 Ms. Lee phoned to confirm her participation in the network 

● We are scheduled to meet next Friday for lunch to discuss the partnership further 

How do you keep track of your correspondence? 

As your network grows, you will find it necessary to maintain records on correspondence with your 

partners. It is a good idea to keep a separate file on each organization that contains the details of any 

www.yesweb.org

correspondence you have sent or received from them. As well, it is good practice to keep a database 

that lists the contact information and status of your partnerships. If you have access to a computer, you 

can enter this data onto a spreadsheet. If you do not have access to a computer, you may manually 

record this information on paper in chart form. 

6.3 Success Stories from the YES Networks in other countries 

About YES Australia 

Since 2001 young Australians have made significant contributions to the YES Campaign. It is 

worth noting that in late 2001 Mr. Cameron Neil was instrumental in launching the YES Australia 

Network. From that point on YES Country Networks became a global phenomenon, with many 

countries noticing the Australia example and following suit. 

YES Australia is a vibrant network of young professionals working to offer Australian youth the 

very best in livelihood practices from around the world. In terms of entrepreneurship models and 

information sharing, Australia has produced a range of initiatives worth replicating in other 

countries. Below are detailed only some of the initiatives YES Australia members are involved in. 

· Enterprise Network for Young Australians (ENYA) 

The launch of the Enterprise Network for Young Australians (ENYA), a A$52,000 Australian 

Government initiative, was the centerpiece of the Creating Common Wealth Forum in November, 

2003. The new Network’s business plan states that “it is essential that an organization be created 

to provide support and mentoring so that young people can make their newly formed or ongoing 

business a success.” Check out ENYA at http://www.enya.org.au/ 

· Blueprint, A National Entrepreneurship Workshop Program 

Blueprint is a workshop and case study project about and for enterprising young Australians. It 

is an initiative of the YES-Australia network, led by the International Young Professionals 

Foundation in collaboration with Youth 2 Youth. Blueprint was launched as part of Australian 

Global Youth Service Day 2003 celebrations on Saturday April 12. 

“Australia has thousands of young people with great ideas for new businesses and projects,” 

says Cameron Neil, the 27-year-old CEO of the International Young Professionals Foundation. 

“Blueprint is all about recognizing what young entrepreneurs are already doing and showing 

others the way to do the same.” Blueprint website: http://projects.takingitglobal.org/blueprint 

· Green Enterprise Training Program 

Ms. Jessica Kiely, of Youth 2 Youth, participated in a YES organized green enterprise training 

workshop in Chennai in April 2003. Upon returning home Ms. Kiely worked to author a similar 

program tailored to Australian conditions. For information about this curriculum contact Ms. 

Jessica Kiely, Youth 2 Youth Website: www.youth2youth.com.au 

About YES Afghanistan 

Afghanistan was represented by a strong delegation of three youth and two ministers at the 

launch of the YES Campaign in Alexandria, September 2002. This experience represented a 

‘coming out’ for the delegates concerned, given the decades of political turmoil experienced by 

Afghanistan. Mr. Ajmal Obidy, who organized the delegation, says the Alexandria Summit was a 

breakthrough for himself and his fellow delegates. 


39

“For us to be invited and to be able to coordinate the participation of ministers together with 

young professionals is an accomplishment in itself for Afghanistan. Representing our country 

internationally was a dream until recently. We’re grateful to the organizers for the opportunity. It 

was a thrill to be among the family of nations in Alexandria.” 

The young Afghan delegates are typical of many Afghans who are returning to their country to 

contribute to reconstruction. They are university educated and ready to step into roles of 

responsibility. Ajmal Obidy and his two youth colleagues are all computer science graduates 

working in various organizations in the reconstruction effort. 

Initiatives for YES Afghanistan in 2004 

· National Youth Employment Conference, September 2004 

In partnership with the Ministry of Labor, YES Afghanistan announces plans to host 

Afghanistan’s first-ever national youth employment consultation in September 2004. Omar Mansoor 

explains: “The National YES Consultation in Kabul in 2004 will be a platform for indicating 

effective youth employment strategies across the country and will form joint ventures for creating 

economically and environmentally workable livelihoods for young people. It brings together the 

nation’s leaders in development, statesmen, business leaders and youth on the same stand to 

share and exchange experiences for creating a unique forum for learning and networking. 

National YES Kabul 2004 is preceded and followed by provincial youth employment forums to 

create awareness among all walks of life in the country.” 

· Renewable Energy Programme 

YES Campaign Afghanistan is working in partnership with YES Iran and Ayvazian & 

Associates- a leading wind energy company in Iran, to train young Afghan wind energy experts. 

The program will train Afghan youth in Iran on how to use and install the newest wind energy 

technology, and explore ways to plan for Afghanistan’s long term energy needs. 

About YES Bangladesh 

Since the Network’s formation in mid-2002 a series of efforts have been undertaken to improve 

public awareness of the extent of the youth unemployment crisis in Bangladesh. At the forefront 

of these activities are efforts to emphasize entrepreneurship and self employment. The lead agency, 

the National Federation of Youth Organizations, acts as the coordinator of Network activities. 

Below are detailed some of the major activities of YES Bangladesh in 2003. 

· Seminar: Youth Employment Opportunities in the National Youth Policy 

In September 2003 the Bangladesh Institute of Administrative Management (BIAM) hosted a 

seminar to explore the elements of the new National Youth Policy which affect employment. 

Participants included officials from over ten major training institutions and government agencies 

responsible for youth. 

At this seminar YES Coordinator, Mr. Dulal Biswas delivered the key speech “National Youth 

Policy- a way to Employment”. He emphasized the need to provide a wider range of 

entrepreneurship training services to Bangladeshi youth. A resolution was adopted to form an 

inter-agency taskforce incorporating civil society representatives to maximize the employment 

opportunities offered by the National Youth Policy. 

40 

· Workshop: Self-Employment for Young People 

A workshop on Self-Employment for Young People was held in Dhaka in October 16 2003. 

Hosted by Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement (BASA), the workshop offered fifty 

participating youth skills training in business plan development and information on access to 

credit for youth. 

www.yesweb.org

· Participation: The Role of Youth in Implementing the National Youth Policy 

To celebrate Global Youth Service Day, YES Bangladesh hosted a workshop in Dhaka in April, 

2003. The theme of the workshop, attended by over fifty young Bangladeshis, was “Youth 

Employment Situation and the Role of Youth in Implementing the National Youth Policy”. 

About YES Egypt 

Since launching in December 2001 YES Egypt has been involved in many projects. Its initial 

focus was to mobilize the youth of Alexandria to assist in preparing for the Alexandria Summit in 

September 2002. After more than sixty young people formed an active volunteer force for the 

duration of the event, the impetus was in place to form an effective national network. 

The most significant achievement since September 2002 is the registration of YES Egypt as 

an official non-government organization. Taking the name “Sustainable Development Association” 

(SDA), the Network is registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs. This is a critical step in 

solidifying a nascent volunteer network into an organization with genuine capacity. SDA manages 

a vibrant online community with over 100 members. 

Highlights of the activities of YES Egypt (SDA) are detailed below: 

· Youth Employment in the Euro-Med Region 

In September 2003 Mr. Abdallah Sobeih represented YES Egypt at a regional Euro-Med strategy 

session in Malta. Joining Mr. Sobeih were delegates from 35 Euro-Med countries. Mr. Sobeih 

reports that participants learnt a great deal about the policies of the European Union (EU) in 

regard to partner countries in the Euro-Med group. Specifically, opportunities for youth 

organizations to become involved in EU-sponsored programs headed the agenda. 

In February, 2003 YES Egypt members presented the global YES Campaign and the work of YES 

Egypt to a group of fifty youth invited to Egypt by the Swedish Institute of Alexandria. Youth 

participated from England, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Jordan and Egypt. Participants focused 

on developing a greater understanding of the youth employment challenges common across the 

region. 

· Workshop on Youth with Special Needs, Egypt July in 2003 

YES Egypt organized a two-day workshop in July to discuss the realities of youth with special 

needs in Egypt. In preparation for the event YES member Amira Sobeih published a paper exploring 

challenges facing special needs educators and disabled youth in Egypt - A Brief Review of 

Disability in Egypt. 

The paper notes that while approximately two million Egyptians (3.5%) are disabled, according 

to official sources, other studies estimate the real figure may be as high as 4.7 million. 

Recommendations, a survey of current services and the role of government agencies and medical 

professionals are also reviewed in the paper. 

· Computer Illiteracy Program. 

Sponsored by Virgitech, Inc., Microsoft and Unilever, YES Egypt negotiated 2,000 computer 

scholarships for disadvantaged youth. The classes, which offered introductory computer skills, 

were offered between December 2002 and June 2003. 

· National Public Policy Forum 

YES Network members were appointed to the Youth Committee of the National Democratic Party’s 

Alexandria branch, September 30 2002. Later, in October 2002 Mr. Abdallah Sobeih and the 

YES Egypt team presented a report, “The State of Egypt’s Youth” before an audience of the ruling 

National Democratic Party’s Alexandria branch. 


41

· Public Information Campaign on Youth Livelihoods 

YES Coordinator Mr. Abdallah Sobeih led a YES team to meet with local youth associations in 10 

Egyptian towns in November 2002. The highlight was a series of interactive sessions aimed at 

identifying ways for youth to be active in community development. Groups of local youth also 

received information about self-employment opportunities, youth livelihood resources, and career 

advice. 

About YES Peru 

After hosting a national consultation in August 2002 the founding members of YES Peru have 

worked hard to implement activities and strategies that will improve the employment prospects of 

youth in Peru. As with many other networks, YES Peru has pursued a combination of community 

project initiatives and policy engagement with government and large institutions. 

There have been many initiatives undertaken and completed in Peru. Below are the highlights of 

some of these successful initiatives. 

· Enterprise for the Disabled Initiative Launched 

In May 2003 YES member ORVUBID won a USD$20,000 grant from the World Bank to invest in 

appropriate technology education for people with disabilities. Initially, the project will focus on 

skills training for the blind with the aim of finding appropriate employment forparticipants. The 

project application was presented in the context of the YES Campaign. Ms. Angie Marin, the 

project coordinator of “Cyber Café” has been invited to the USA to present this initiative in 

December, 2003. The Cyber Café provides training opportunities for young blind Peruvians 

and people with other disabilities. 

· National Advisory Council Formed 

The highlight of government level engagement is the establishment of a new advisory council to 

the National Youth Commission. The NYC identifies youth employment as one of its major priorities. 

YES Network members will serve on the advisory council. 

· Renewable Energy: Training and Small Enterprise Development 

The Institute for the Protection of the Environment (VIDA) in Peru is implementing a USD$7,000 

small enterprise grant from the World Bank. The grant (administered by YES in Boston) involves 

a small business training period, group workshops and a seed grant to begin a 

sustainable renewable energy enterprise in an off-grid community. This process began in June, 

2003 and the grant will continue operation until the end of 2004. 

42 

· Youth Employment: the Right to Work 

In April 2003 YES Peru members CEDAL, VIDA, Red Online and ORBUVID organized a 

workshop, “Youth Employment: the Right to Work”. Over 30 organizations participated in the 

two-day event. The current activities of the Ministry of Women and Human Development and 

those of the YES Campaign were presented. The workshop participants identified four critical 

areas of concern: 

· Appropriate education for the labor market; public / private partnerships 

· Access to employment and ending discrimination 

· Promoting and defending labor rights through public campaigns 

· Higher levels of investment in microfinance, self-employment, entrepreneurship and rural 

development 

· World Bank Youth Consultation in Brazil 

www.yesweb.org

In October 2003 Ms. Ursula Carrascal, YES Peru Coordinator attended a World Bank Regional 

Consultation on behalf of the YES Campaign in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meeting, held under 

the theme of “Regional Integration and Social Equity” was an opportunity for consultation 

between the World Bank and civil society organizations focusing on economic integration in 

the Latin American region. 

About YES Ghana 

The most significant achievement since YES Ghana launched in July 2002 is the registration of 

YES Ghana as an official non-government organization. This is a critical step in solidifying a 

nascent volunteer network into an organization with genuine capacity. YES Ghana manages a 

vibrant online community with over 100 members. 

Highlights of the activities of YES Ghana in 2003 are detailed below: 

· Renewable Energy Fellowship Program 

In April 2003, Emmanuel Edudzie became one of five winners of a YES Renewable Energy 

Fellowship competition. The Fellowship offers training and a $5,000 seed grant to Mr. Edudzie 

to launch a renewable energy small business in Georgia. 

In September 2003 Mr. Edudzie organized a renewable energy workshop for 25 Ghanaian 

youth in the capital of Accra. Co-sponsored by the Energy Foundation, the workshop shared 

background information on renewable energy technologies, Ghana’s energy use patterns, and 

possible ways for youth to contribute to widespread take-up of renewable technologies, and 

opportunities for youth employment in this sector. 

Mr. Edudzie’s business plan involves piloting a micro hydro electricity generating turbine in an 

isolated off-grid rural community. Read about the Global Environment Facility-funded Fellowship 

Program at the YES website: http://www.yesweb.org/projects/renewable.html 

· Skills Training and Employment Placement (STEP) Program 

YEN-Ghana has developed the Skills Training and Employment Placement (STEP) 

Program, which recognizes that the only asset a poor person has is his/her skill or labor. The 

STEP Program entails a coordinated set of interventions to develop the assets a poor person 

has to offer through employability skills training for self or wage employment and income 

generation to lift people out of poverty. 

· Youth Linkages with Government 

In late October, 2002 the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment invited 

YES-Ghana to co-launch and implement a National Youth Orientation Campaign. In addition, 

two members of YES-Ghana’s steering committee were appointed to liaise with the Ministry of 

Manpower on an ongoing basis. 

· National Action Plan Published 

In July 2002, YES Ghana was launched at a National Consultation held in the capital, Accra, 

with over two hundred senior officials, youth and development professionals in attendance. 

A valuable outcome of the event is a well-researched National Action Plan for Youth Employment 

in Ghana. 

The Plan’s major recommendation is to incorporate youth employment policies into a 

comprehensive employment strategy and strengthen their linkages with macroeconomic, social 

and economic policies and make social and economic institutions work for youth. 


43

About YES Georgia 

YES Georgia has consistently demonstrated its ability to organize events and lead initiatives 

that contribute to youth participation in Georgian community development. Since launching in 

May, 2002 the Network of over 40 organizations has hosted three national events, launched 

four regional initiatives and become a fresh voice for youth in Georgia. 

Highlights of YES Georgia’s activities in 2003 are detailed below: 

· Renewable Energy Fellowship Program 

In April 2003, Levan Kobakhidze became one of five winners of a YES Renewable Energy 

Fellowship competition. The Fellowship offers training and a $5,000 seed grant to Mr. 

Kobakhidze to launch a renewable energy small business in Georgia. In September, 2003 Mr. 

Kobakhidze organized a renewable energy workshop for 25 Georgian youth in the capital of 

Tbilisi. The workshop shared background information on renewable energy technologies, 

Georgia’s energy use patterns and possible ways for youth to contribute to widespread take-up 

of renewable technologies. 

Mr. Kobakhidze’s business plan involves offering photovoltaic solar panels at affordable prices 

to Georgians living in off-grid areas. Read about the Global Environment Facility-funded 

Fellowship Program at the YES website: http://www.yesweb.org/projects/renewable.html 

· YES Network Leads School Reconstruction Effort in Georgia 

Green Earth, a YES member, led a successful community intervention to reconstruct a school in 

the country’s Khoni region in October 2003. The project involved rehabilitating the schoolyard 

and buildings at Number Three School, and initiating a new curriculum in ecology and energy 

use for students. YES Coordinator Mr. Nugzar Meladze describes a dramatic turnaround for 

the school. “The whole territory of the school was cleaned up and new trees were planted. In 

this action 35 pupils and inhabitants of the region actively took part. 400 trees were planted. 

The school was totally broken down. Previously, pupils and teachers had to have lessons in 

unbearable conditions.” 

Mr. Meladze says the Japanese funded project employed 65 people in cleaning up the school, 

and it represents a triumph of community involvement. “Today the school offers ecological 

education. A governor of the region and the administration of the school actively supported the 

project. Also, it has been a success for the YES Network in the region.” 

· Regional Employment Networks Established 

YES Georgia established the Shida-Kartli Network at a meeting of youth activists in the town of 

Gori, November 6, 2003. Twenty three young people gathered to discuss a range of community 

development initiatives YES Georgia is proposing. At a similar event in Khoni, over forty 

organizations participated in the establishment of the Imereti Network, October 20, 2003. 

44 

www.yesweb.org

Chapter 7 

Youth livelihood Service Learning Programme - A tool for 

empowering youth for promoting Employment and Social 

Entrepreneurship 

This chapter is based on the summary of presentations/working papers presented by Ms. Nancy 

Ames and Dr. David Miller at the Hyderabad YES Regional Forum 2003 

7.1 Introduction 

The YES Campaign and the Center for Family, School and Community, both projects of Education 

Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in collaboration with the School of Community 

Economic Development/Southern New Hampshire University (SCED/SNHU), launched a pilot project 

“livelihood service program as a means of promoting Employment, Social Entrepreneurship and 

Empowerment among youth in Andhra Pradesh at the YES Regional Forum”. This project will be 

launched in select districts of Andhra Pradesh, under the aegis of the YES Academy, in collaboration 

with the local YES Networks being established. 

Governments have recognized that youth unemployment is a growing problem that needs to be 

addressed, and that placing youth at the center of the development agenda is key for sustainable 

development. This is because there are a billion youth on the planet, and 850 million of them live in 

developing countries. While these youth represent a rich resource, they lack the infrastructure and the 

sound economic environment necessary to support the employment needs of young people. The lack of 

effective and accessible knowledge resources; inadequate social infrastructure; and poor stakeholder 

knowledge, commitment, and participation have made it difficult to mitigate the high unemployment rate 

and extreme poverty among youth. 

7.2 Rationale of the Project 

The pilot project aims at helping participating youth develop civic responsibility, employment skills, and 

leadership capacity. Through training and hands-on service projects, the young people will also learn 

how to identify a community problem, take necessary actions, and reflect upon their 

accomplishments. Many factors contribute to youth unemployment problem, including 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Lack of knowledge, technical skills and experience 

Lack of entrepreneurial culture, knowledge, and skills 

Lack of youth involvement and 

Lack of institutional capacity for promoting youth employment 

These problems could be addressed through a very practical and innovative tool ‘livelihood service 

learning’ 

7.3 What is Service-Learning? 

The Global Service Institute defines service as “an organized period of substantial engagement and 

contribution to the local, national and world community, recognized and valued by society, with minimal 

monetary compensation to the participant.” While this definition is a useful one, it is missing one important 

element that is in service-learning: a focus on active learning and reflection. 

According to the U.S. National Commission on Service Learning, service-learning is a “teaching 

and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, 

teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” 


45

What distinguishes service-learning from community service is its strong focus on active learning and 

reflection. Young people not only provide much-needed services to their community, but also learn 

important concepts—like sustainable development and social justice—and essential skills. Most 

importantly, they have the opportunity to reflect on their learning with others. This not only reinforces 

their experiential learning, but also strengthens their capacity to apply what they learn to new situations. 

Service-learning can provide young people with a variety of benefits, including leadership skills, workforce 

skills, self-esteem, and confidence in their ability to make a difference. By contributing to the social 

good, youth also become valued assets in their communities. Active participation in community life may 

also generate greater empathy and respect for others, as well as a concern for the environment. In the 

ideal case, it can lead to a life-long commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility and seed 

the next generation of social entrepreneurs. 

Service Learning –A Case Study 

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation created the National Commission on Service-Learning to examine 

this important approach to education, employment, and civic engagement and make 

recommendations to the U.S. government, along with educators, parents, and community members. 

The Commission was comprised of a distinguished group of individuals from a variety of different 

sectors, including education, government, business, academia, arts, and entertainment. Chaired 

by former astronaut and Senator John Glenn and staffed by Education Development Center, 

Inc., the Commission held hearings, visited service-learning programs across the United States, 

examined the latest research, and engaged in lengthy dialogue. 

After two years of hard work, the Commission concluded that “service-learning is a powerful 

tool for education and human development” and challenged the country “to ensure that every 

student in kindergarten through high school participates in quality service-learning every year 

as an integral and essential part of the American education experience.” 

What do they say about Service Learning? 

Here are some additional quotes from the Commission’s final report entitled, The Power of Service 

Learning for American Schools: 

“Service-learning is a particularly fertile way of including young people in community service 

because it ties helping others to what they are learning in the classroom. In the process, it 

provides a compelling answer to the perennial question: ‘Why do I need to learn this stuff.’” 

General Colin Powell, founding chairman of America’s Promise 

and U.S. Secretary of State 

“Service-learning helps [youth] learn skills they will use as learners, workers, and citizens.” 

James Hunt, Jr., former Governor of North Carolina 

“If we want our students to lead creative, productive, and responsible lives, we must give them 

opportunities to learn in ways that have consequences for others, as well as for themselves. I 

know of no better way to invoke the many facets of cognitive development, moral reasoning and 

social responsibility than to engage students in service-learning opportunities. At its best, a 

service-learning experience can be transformative. Clearly, learning within a context of 

responsibility is powerful.” 

Judith A. Ramaley, Assistant Director, Directorate for Education 

and Human Resources, NSF, USA 

46 

Not all service-learning programs have such powerful outcomes, however. Figure 1 presents several 

essential elements of quality service learning that have been excerpted and adapted from the Commission 

Report for the international sphere. 

www.yesweb.org

7.4 How it works? 

This will be the very first stage of a long-term, world-wide program that fashions a unique partnership 

between social investors and young service-learners to promote effective social change and 

economic development in poor and at-risk communities. Each group brings to the program a unique set 

of resources to bring about change in a manner that is immediate, measurable, and sustainable. 

Social investors are individuals, clubs, businesses, and school groups interested in investing in the 

future of young leaders participating in the social and economic development of their communities. The 

social investors bring much-needed capital that can create and sustain program infrastructure (including 

sponsoring institutions, program administrators, trainers, and mentors) and provide 

incentives for participating youth. They will make monthly investments over two years to support the 

activities of the youth participants in the program. Their return on the investment will be a sense of 

satisfaction in forming the leadership of tomorrow, while also participating in the social and economic 

transformation of communities in poor, underprivileged regions. Social investors will be given frequent 

updates on the progress of their investment. This exposure will become an important learning tool for 

those whose lives are not touched by poverty. They will gain a close and vivid view of the challenges 

that our young people are facing in effecting positive changes in their communities. 

The young service-learners, in turn, contribute their energy, creativity, and willingness to work hard to 

improve their own lives and develop their communities. Young people ages 13 to 25 will be enrolled in 

this program for six months to one year, during which time they will receive initial training, provide 

service to their community, and develop their plans for the future. They will be required to provide a 

minimum of twenty hours per week over the designated service period. This time commitment will 

allow them to remain in school or be otherwise employed during this period. They will undergo training 

that will provide them with the skills and capacities that have direct bearing on their service work and 

create opportunities for their future. Each participant will be assigned to a community-based organization, 

government agency, or NGO and will have an active voice in designing and/or selecting their service 

project. During their period of service, they will have ongoing mentoring and support. At the completion 

of their service, they will have support in developing their future life plans. 

7.5 Long-Term Goal 

Within 10 years, over 5,000 social investors will be recruited to provide resources so that young participants 

of the service-learning programs living in the poorest regions of the world will be able to participate fully 

in the economic and social development of their communities. Over 5,000 young people will participate 

in the program through which they will receive training, participate in community development initiatives, 

begin their careers, and contribute to their communities. Through their service-learning activities, these 

young people will acquire leadership and entrepreneurship skills, a sense of civic responsibility, and 

confidence in their own ability to make a difference. As a result, they will become valued assets in their 

communities and move closer to becoming social entrepreneurs. 

7.6 Objectives of Pilot Initiative 

The two-year pilot project will be implemented in three overlapping phases: (1) design and implementation, 

(2) evaluation and refinement, and (3) sustainability and scale-up. By the completion of the pilot project, 

we expect to achieve the following objectives: 

● 

● 

● 

By the end of year one, launch pilot projects in two sites that enroll a total of 50 youth. 

Provide training to these youth so that they learn new knowledge and skills, and strengthen their 

capacity for transformational leadership. 

Launch at least 45 individual initiatives led by youth enrolled in their local communities. 


47

● 

● 

Provide ongoing mentoring and support so that at least 80 percent of the youth successfully 

complete their commitment. 

By the end of year two, create at least two communities that are able to sustain themselves 

solely on the funding received from social investors with no further grant support. 

● 

By the end of year two, have a replicable Youth Service-Learning Model with an array of tools 

and resources that can be used by NGOs and other program sponsors around the world. Among 

these resources will be a manual for program administrators, a training module to guide the 

week-long initial training program, and guidelines and resource materials for mentors and social 

investors. 

Essential Elements of Quality Service Learning 

1. Service projects have clear educational goals that define the knowledge and skills that 

youth are expected to learn and involve young people in constructing their own knowledge. 

2. Projects engage students in challenging tasks that are age appropriate and require them 

to think critically, make decisions, and solve problems. 

3. Service tasks have clear goals, meet genuine community needs, and have significant 

benefits and consequences for the community. 

4. Young people have a voice in selecting, designing, implementing, and evaluating their 

service project. 

5. Service projects engage young women as well as men, and they demonstrate respect for 

diversity—of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and ability—through their participants, 

their practices, and their outcomes. 

6. Service projects foster communication, interaction, and partnerships with the local 

community. While they are embedded in the fabric of community life,they also serve to 

catalyze change. 

7. Youth are prepared for all aspects of their work and receive supervision and support 

throughout their project. 

8. Young people have opportunities to reflect before, during, and after service. Reflection 

encourages critical thinking and is a central force in the design and fulfillment of both 

educational and service goals. 

9. Multiple methods acknowledge, celebrate, and validate students’ service work and their 

contributions to the local comsmunity. 

10. Ongoing assessment is used to (a) determine whether individual youth are meeting the 

program’s goals and enhance their learning, (b) document and evaluate the servicelearning 

program as a whole, and (c) foster continuous improvement in the program’s 

design and implementation 

The Service Learning Think Tank in British Columbia summed it up this way. Service-learning 

encompasses three major principles or ideals. These three ideals are at the very heart of effective 

service-learning programs that foster the development of youth and their communities: 

48 

1. Lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is both a social process and an individual activity that 

occurs throughout life. Learning can take place in formal, non-formal, or informal settings. All of 

these settings help individuals develop the knowledge and skills they need to be active citizens, productive 

workers, effective and loving parents and family members, and creative learners. According to 

UNESCO, lifelong learning has both life span and life-wide aspects. In this view, learning in the 

community has equal value with traditional classroom learning. Furthermore, it has a social goal— 

learning for the broader public good as well as for personal growth or economic gain. 

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2. Democratic citizenship. Democratic government of, for, and by the people requires a responsible 

and capable citizenry in which community service is valued. A commitment to service can be instilled 

by formal education, as well as through non-formal learning opportunities in the family, community, and 

workplace. Involvement in the service creates a greater understanding of the needs of the community. 

It promotes a concern about community issues and a commitment to being involved that mark an active 

citizen by awarding effective citizenry skills. 

3. Communitarianism. The Think Tank defines communitisariaism as a set of liberal and social 

values including: 

● Community capacity-building and empowerment 

● Adding value to the existing social capital (knowledge, shared values, networks, trust in the 

community) 

● Assuring social inclusion and cohesion 

● Learning a sense of responsibility to others, whether locally or globally 

● Learning and acting for the public good, not just for personal gain 

7.7 Role of Service-Learning in the YES Campaign 

Based on the survey of current service-learning programs it is clear that only a handful focus on locally 

developed, grassroots service projects designed to engage rural youth. Most are international and 

multi-national programs that seek to bring “outside help” to local communities, rather than to empower 

those young people that are already there. Yet, both research and experience suggest that servicelearning 

offers unprecedented promise for engaging rural and peri-urban youth in 

community development, while also training them as workers, community leaders, and enterprise 

developers. 

In keeping with the goals of the YES Campaign of providing “what is missing” for promoting youth 

employment, we propose to develop a local Youth Service-Learning Model in which young people will 

provide community service while learning the knowledge and skills needed for productive 

employment and for establishing their own enterprises that achieve the twin objectives of enterprise 

and community development. Young people will be paid a modest stipend for their efforts and will 

receive a small “scholarship” to pursue further education, employment training, or entrepreneurship at 

the completion of their term of service. 

This model will focus on training youth for three mutually reinforcing activities: 

1. To be productive workers who can apply their new knowledge and skills in a wide range of 

meaningful, socially responsible employment settings 

2. To be leaders and problem solvers, with a strong commitment to making their community a better 

place in which to live, work, and raise a family 

3. To create entrepreneurial solutions to identified community needs 

Through this model, youth will engage in development efforts to help build economically and socially 

sustainable communities. The notion that someone will come and fix the problems of poor countries 

and communities is not feasible and has led to unsustainable programs. Building local capacity for 

innovation and change and a culture of self-reliance and social responsibility is essential in order to 

create lasting solutions to seemingly intransigent community problems. The best demographic group for 

this kind of capacity building is youth—today’s and tomorrow’s leaders. The Youth Service-Learning 

Model will build this capacity through training, mentoring, and provision of business development services 

for young people in rural communities around the globe. In doing so, it will move the youth (and their 


49

elders) out of the resignation that surrounds them and provide them with meaningful, hands-on projects 

where they learn by doing. 

50 

Three phases are envisaged 

● 

Creating a vision for what is possible for young people to accomplish in their communities and 

asking them to make a commitment. 

● Developing and implementing an action plan. Helping participants develop individual projects 

where they identify a local problem, design a solution, create an action plan, enroll other team 

members, implement the program, and complete the project. In the process, they will learn 

essential business management skills, problem solving, maintaining timelines, starting and completing 

projects, and other skills related to employment and entrepreneurship. 

● Identifying a plan for the future that encompasses education, employment, and/or 

entrepreneurship, along with some form of community service. At this point, the young people 

will be matched up with a training institution, a mentor, and/or financial institutions to develop 

their plans for the future. 

In the ideal case, youth who complete their service-learning project will be able to find meaningful work 

that provides a real service to the community or to create a new enterprise that addresses an identified 

community need. Not every job has the potential for “doing good,” however. Another desirable outcome 

would be for the service-learning graduate to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable 

employment, while at the same time finding significant ways to contribute to his/her community outside 

the regular job. 

One key component of the model will be the use of transformational technologies, providing a language 

and vocabulary that are designed to promote self-empowerment and growth in leadership skills. This 

training is called transformational because it aims to redefine the relationship of the individual to his/her 

world. Through the training, it is expected that the young people will learn to see themselves as change 

agents, as actors responsible for shaping outcomes, not merely passive players and victims of 

circumstances. The training develops the concepts of vision, intention, commitment, and ‘taking a stand’ 

for something in such a way as to lead to breakthroughs in what is thought possible and what is actually 

achieved. 

For example, training in phase one focuses on intention as a critical factor in shaping the world. Young 

people can listen passively to a discussion or workshop, much like they would if they were watching a 

movie or overhearing someone’s conversation. Or they can listen with intention, in which their mind is 

focused on a goal to which they are committed. The quality of listening and of participation is completely 

different in the two situations. When intention is present, transforming the world is possible. The 

transformation must first occur internally—a shift in one’s perception of the world, the uncovering of 

possibilities that were previously invisible, the realization that one can be a dynamic actor who can 

induce change. It then extends beyond the individual to the family and community, as the intention is 

translated to visible change. 

The youth enrolled in the program will be in trained to engage in transformational planning, action, and 

reflection so that they can (1) develop a vision of what is possible, (2) identify specific opportunities to 

help realize that vision, (3) commit to specific action plans with measurable milestones, and (4) be 

accountable for their own commitments and for achieving results. The training assumes that there will 

be setbacks and breakdowns along the way, and it provides ways of using these to refocus on the 

underlying vision, renew the commitment, and return to the process of identifying opportunities and 

committing to action plans. 

The schematic, on the following page, was used in a transformational training workshop conducted by 

EDC in Peru. This workshop resulted in a major breakthrough: the founding of a local organization 

dedicated to advancing workforce development issues as part of the national agenda. 

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! 

Stages : 

a) Create the vision 

b) Identify opportunities 

c) Create a work plan 

Goal : Agreement on a 

work plan 

2)What stratagies 

are needed 

vision 

1)What 

are the 

opportunities 

Tools & 

Instruments 

3) What are the 

necessary resources 

(what’s available 

what’s missing) 

! 

! 

Politics 

! 

Figure 1: Schematic of the steps involved for creating a breakthrough in what is possible 

After aligning behind a common vision, workshop participants divide into thematic or geographic 

groups in order to (1) determine the opportunities (2) identify strategies (3) identify available 

and new resources, and (4) agree on a work plan with specific milestones for which each 

individual can be held accountable. 

The process described above, if well facilitated, leads to extraordinary levels of participation and 

commitment in diverse groups of people. The participants in the service-learning program will use this 

process, and other elements of transformational training, to create the space in which they develop selfempowerment. 

The vision and specific opportunities will be shaped around the issues that youth 

themselves identify—those issues of greatest importance to themselves, their families, and their 

communities. These may include issues of reproductive health, child care, economic development, 

education, and the environment, among many others. The training will include role models as mentors 

and coaches and examples of projects completed in other communities, such as establishing health 

clinics, classes on birth control, literacy classes, AIDS awareness programs, micro-enterprises, and 

community clean-ups. 

7.8 INTEGRATING THE YOUTH SERVICE-LEARNING MODEL WITH THE 6 “ES” OF THE 

YES CAMPAIGN 

The Youth Service-Learning Model fits perfectly within the YES Campaign’s framework for youth 

development. It addresses all six “Es” that are at the heart of promoting meaningful, sustainable 

employment for young people all around the world. 

● Employability 

Service-learning provides youth with education and training in real-world settings, with support from 

adult mentors. Young people learn marketable skills, along with building self-esteem and confidence in 

their ability to make a contribution to their community. By finding creative and collaborative solutions to 

difficult social and environmental problems, young people also learn a new world-view that embraces 

innovation, teaches respect for others, challenges what is, and envisions what might be. 

● Employment Creation 

While the primary goal of service-learning is not employment creation, it can lead to new business 

ventures that address real needs in the community. For example, in Maldova, one young person created 

a new service in response to an identified community need: delivering business correspondence throughout 

the city on an old motorcycle. Now his service is becoming more successful as companies are starting 


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to value what this service brings to them. In the end, what started as a volunteer service has turned into 

a viable business employing more young people. 

● Equity 

Service-learning promotes equity in two important ways. First, it can provide an equal opportunity for all 

young people to realize their full potential, including the disabled, the rural, young women who still suffer 

from discriminatory barriers, and other marginalized groups in society. Many of these individuals have 

a difficult time entering the labor force for the first time. Service-learning provides an opportunity for 

them to learn new skills, contribute to their community, and demonstrate their worth in a low-risk, 

non-competitive environment. 

Second, many service-learning projects promote education, health, and nutrition for those who are most 

in need. By tutoring special education students; promoting health education in poor, rural communities; 

or providing literacy training to young girls, youth engaged in service-learning can help ensure that 

everyone has access to these fundamental human rights. No society has truly advanced by depriving 

itself of the talents and abilities of half of its population. 

● Entrepreneurship 

Service-learning is the precursor to social entrepreneurship. Through their community service projects, 

young people learn to become youthful entrepreneurs who see social and economic opportunities where 

others only see problems. Entrepreneurs, whether they are working in the villages or in the capital 

markets, are the visionaries who generate livelihoods for themselves and for others. Service-learning 

encourages, nurtures, and supports their quest for the new and the untried, while also promoting a deep 

sense of social responsibility. 

● Environmental Sustainability 

Service-learning can contribute to both environmental sustainability and other social causes. Many of 

the most successful service-learning projects focus on water, land, energy, the atmosphere, biodiversity, 

and ecosystem management. These projects can lead to sustainable employment as well as employment 

creation, as communities see what is possible. It would be shortsighted to destroy our environment in 

the quest for transient employment opportunities. 

● Empowerment 

The primary goal of service-learning is empowerment, to harness the untapped talents of unemployed 

youth, and to provide them with a set of real-world experiences that not only serve their community but 

also help them in their quest for sustainable livelihoods. Youth are empowered in a number of ways. 

Certainly they learn new knowledge and workforce skills that can serve them well as they seek future 

employment. But, they also learn that they have the capacity to make a real difference in the world 

around them, exercise leadership, cooperate with others in achieving common goals, and reflect on their 

own learning and accomplishments. As a result of their experiences, they are empowered to pursue 

further education and training, find meaningful employment, or create jobs for themselves and others. 

52 

7.9 Implementation Plan 

The two-year project will be implemented in the following three overlapping phases: 

1. Pilot Phase ( April 2004–March 2005) 

During this phase, we will select the two pilot sites (one of them will be Hyderabad), create the project 

infrastructure, and identify the participating youth. We will develop the training program, train the young 

people, identify potential service-learning projects, launch those projects, and establish links between the 

youth engaged in service-learning and their mentors. The sites will provide the participants with the 

ongoing support they need to successfully complete their service projects and see that they receive 

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compensation for their services. Another task during this pilot phase will be the development of the tools 

and resources needed to replicate the model. 

2. Evaluation Phase (July 2004–March 2005) 

We will undertake both formative and summative evaluation of the pilot projects. Participatory evaluation 

techniques will be used that will involve and engage the youth and communities involved in the program 

evaluation and impact assessment. Among the evaluation questions we will address are these: What 

does it take to successfully administer the program, train the participants, and provide ongoing support? 

What kinds of young people are recruited, and what attracts them to the program? Do the program 

participants meet their commitments to the program, staying the course over time? What impact does 

the program have on participating youths’ knowledge and skills, self-esteem, sense of civic/social 

responsibility, and future plans? 

3. Scale-Up and Sustainability Phase (April 2005–March 2006) 

During this phase, we will engage in outreach and fundraising. We will pay particular attention to raising 

funds from the social investors for the sponsorship of young people involved in service-learning. Armed 

with the impact assessment data and successes of the pilot initiatives, donors with a social commitment 

will be approached to sponsor these young people and their community development initiatives. As a 

result, a network of organizations, individual donors, and foundations will be created. 

The young people who have gone through the service-learning will feel empowered by the whole 

process of the transformational training. This training will give them a “can do attitude” and the capacity 

to discern a problem and address that problem in their community. The involvement of the youth in the 

entire impact assessment will also mobilize them to action and convey a sense of empowerment. The 

participatory assessment process itself will become a tool for engaging young people as they establish 

benchmarks for effecting social change. 


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Abbreviations and Glossary 

Annexure 

AIF: Agence intergouvernementale de la Fancophonie 

CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency 

EDC: Education Development Center 

FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization 

G.E.F: Global Environment Facility 

GYSD: Global Youth Service Day 

ILO: International Labour Organization 

IYF: International Youth Foundation 

OECD: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 

OHCHR: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 

SIDA: Swedish International Development Agency 

TIG: TakingITGlobal 

UNAIDS: United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 

UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 

UNDP: United Nations Development Program 

UNHABITAT: United Nations Humans Settlements Program 

UNECA: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 

UNECE: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme 

UNESCAP: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific 

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 

54 

UNESCWA: United Nations Social and Economic Commission for West Asia 

UNECLAC: United Nations Economic Commission for Caribbean and Latin America 

UNFIP: United Nations Fund for International Partnerships 

UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund 

UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 

UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund 

UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization 

UNIFEM: United Nations Development Fund for Women 

USAID: United States Agency for International Development 

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WAY: World Assembly of Youth 

WEF: World Economic Forum. 

WHO: World Health Organization 

WSIS: World Summit on the Information Society 

WSSD: World Forum on Sustainable Development 

Glossary 

Youth The definition of youth followed varies from country to country as is specific. In India, the 

definition of youth is all persons in the age group of 18 to 35. 

Action Plan An organised and informed way to set out goals and responsibilities in a project. 

Background Papers These subject specific papers are developed for various YES events to serve 

as the basis of discussion in the sessions. They are written by eminent authors and practitioners to 

describe the current situation and draw on some programmes and practices that have worked. 

Breakout Sessions Breakout sessions are organised to look in depth at specific topic areas that are 

not currently being addressed in the YES thematic areas. These encourage interested delegates from 

different countries to engage in the dialogue, discuss what works and learn new strategies. 

Capacity Building Workshops Provide the participants with practical, ‘hands-on’ training and tools 

in specific capacity areas. They will draw on the rich experiences of the facilitators, providing an 

opportunity for participants to innovate, adapt and replicate effective practices in youth employment. 

Innovation Marketplace The Innovation Marketplace is a component of the Forum that allows 

governments, NGOs, foundations, donors, civic leaders and business an opportunity to showcase their 

“effective practices” or innovations that promote youth employment. Booths and tables at the Innovation 

Marketplace will enable exhibitors to display their practices, projects and literature in the field of youth 

employment to a wide and diverse audience committed to youth employment and livelihoods. 

Open Sessions These sessions will provide a forum for delegates to draw on the rich experiences of 

the participants to innovate, adapt and replicate effective practices in youth employment. 

Plenary Sessions Inform participants about the current situation; the problems and perspectives in 

youth employment and covers concrete actions towards promoting youth employment and sustainable 

livelihoods. 

International Youth Leaders for Employment (IYLE) This is the youth unit of the International 

Advisory Group. It consists of youth leaders from different regions of the world that have shown 

leadership in youth employment issues. Their commitment is to ensuring that the YES Campaign has 

the input and perspectives of young people. 

Civil Society The sphere of institutions, organizations and individuals located among the family, the 

state and the market, in which people associate voluntarily to advance common interests. 

Diverse Stakeholders Organizations, Groups and Individuals from different sectors of society with 

an interest or role to play in a particular issue. 

Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs) Organizations that primarily deal with government to 

government relationships, such as ILO, UN, etc. These organizations in recent years have begun to 

look at other groups and have started forming relationships/partnerships with other stakeholders. 

Iterative Process Achieving a goal or reaching a position / policy, etc through a series of experiences 

that build on each other. These experiences may be in the form of consultations, meetings, briefings. 

An iterative process should be a learning experience. 


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Least Developed Countries Countries designated by the World Bank/United Nations/International 

Labour Organisation as the less developed countries in the world. 

Micro-credit Micro-credit refers to small loans made to low-income individuals to sustain selfemployment 

or to start up very small businesses. Although there is no standard definition of microcredit, 

in practice such loans are quite small, amounting to a few thousand dollars. 

New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) The New Partnership for Africa’s 

Development is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a firm and shared conviction, 

that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and 

collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development and, at the same time, to participate 

actively in the world economy and body politic. 

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) An organisation which works for the common good of 

society, without being affiliated with any department or arm of government. These organizations tend 

to be not for profit, but not always. 

Sustainable Development Sustainable development should show the true social, ethical, environmental 

and economical costs of production, use and disposal of goods and services. Sustainable development 

should meet the needs of today’s generation without damaging the needs of the future. It should be 

equitable to all members and groups in society. It should have a strong focus on communications and 

partnership, and it should encourage a sense of ownership among the immediate beneficiaries. 

Global Alliance for Youth Employment The Global Alliance for Youth Employment is a membership 

of diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, the private sector, youth organizations, and 

education and training institutions, who are committed to promoting youth employment. The actions 

that the Alliance members take to promote employment for the world’s youth will form the building 

blocks for the Forum and Campaign. 

National Consultations National Consultations on Youth Employment are multi-stakeholder meetings 

convened by YES Country Network to focus national attention on the youth employment challenge. 

YES Country Networks YES Country Networks are a network of diverse stakeholders that address 

the issue of youth employment in their country. These stakeholders are made up of varying organizations 

and institutions within a country ranging from government agencies, businesses, NGOs and youth 

organizations. 

YES Global Knowledge Resource (GKR) The GKR is a one-stop-shop on information relevant to 

youth employment. It provides access to comprehensive effective practices and innovative information 

on youth employment initiatives, as well as ongoing pilot projects to demonstrate and test what works 

in the field. The GKR supports the work of members of the Global Alliance and YES Country Networks 

around the world. 

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