Joint Regional Reflection Convening for the AYAR Research & Uptake Project – Kigali

Kigali, June 10, 2024.

By Rose Njage and Elijah Kabari: Young people make up more than 70% of Africa’s total population and are projected to continue increasing in number over the next two to three decades. This demographic shift presents both opportunities and challenges for the continent. On one hand, it offers the potential for economic growth through a larger labour supply, which, in turn, can help address Africa’s sustainable development challenges. On the other hand, it poses the risk of chaos, conflict, and security threats as many young people may struggle to secure decent jobs, leading them to resort to illegal means for survival.

Among Africa’s youth, both men and women face a range of obstacles, including social, economic, and political constraints, as well as the detrimental impacts of climate change and pandemics. These challenges further contribute to their limited access to dignified and fulfilling employment, as well as sustainable livelihoods.

Despite various efforts and initiatives implemented by governments and development partners across the region, significant gaps still exist in providing adequate opportunities for young people. Many rely on informal work characterized by low and unpredictable incomes, restricted access to financial services, and a lack of job security. These realities are rooted in deep-seated gender and socio-cultural norms that hinder the equal participation of young women in various sectors of the economy. Consequently, many initiatives tend to overlook the needs and aspirations of young women. Additionally, across many countries, young people face an escalating dependency burden. Contrary to traditional narratives that have often portrayed young people as careless, lazy, and unwilling to take responsibility for their lives, emerging evidence reveals that young people are innovative, hardworking, and actively pursuing their envisioned futures. This is evidenced by their high aspirations.

In our project sites, young people have been showcased as dynamic and versatile, participating in various income-generating activities and driving innovation through entrepreneurship while building networks to transform their lives. They have become trendsetters, harnessing their potential and capacities for their own well-being and that of their families, and are making every effort to achieve their future goals. They exploit limited opportunities in sectors such as ICT, construction, transport, the gig economy, and the creative industry, leading to what we refer to as the “transition from waithood to hustling”. Given this context, evidence plays a critical role in shaping inclusive policies and programs aimed at providing dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for young people. Understanding their aspirations, goals, and motivations is essential, as is identifying pathways to enhance their resilience and adaptability, while gathering insights on expanding work opportunities. This approach ensures that young people can move beyond mere survival and truly thrive.

Regional Reflection Convening

Since September 2021, we have been collaborating with the Mastercard Foundation on the implementation of the Africa Youth Aspirations and Resilience Research and Uptake (AYAR) Project across seven African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. In these countries, we have partnered with individual researchers and organizations including IPAR-Rwanda. The project has generated significant evidence and knowledge that provides valuable lessons and new insights for engaging youth, amplifying youth voices, supporting youth agency, and creating responsive programs and policies to enhance youth employment in dignified and fulfilling jobs across Africa. The study also highlights youth unemployment as a significant issue on the continent, requiring a well-coordinated approach and increased collaboration among all stakeholders for effective solutions. To enhance the evidence base and policy adoption in the African continent, PASGR and IPAR-Rwanda are hosting a regional reflection convening in Kigali, Rwanda, from 11-13 June 2024. This event brings together all AYAR project country research teams, youth representatives from the project countries, development partners, thought leaders in youth development policies, and representatives from the Mastercard Foundation to discuss the research and issues related to youth aspirations and perspectives on dignified and fulfilling work that have emerged from this project. The convening offers an opportunity for country teams and selected stakeholders to collectively synthesize the unique research findings from each country, share best practices, and reflect on lessons learned during the project’s implementation. In addition, this convening also serves as a platform for cross-learning between country teams and for enhancing approaches to research uptake, thereby contributing to ongoing discussions and efforts to increase employment opportunities for African youth.

Objectives

At the end of the 3 days, the convening aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Reflect on the research experience and findings to draw important lessons and insights and connect them to new and ongoing policy and program design, implementation, and avenues for further research.
2. Foster increased stakeholder engagement and networking under the Utafiti Sera platform to strengthen knowledge systems and exchange ideas on youth aspirations and resilience within the youth employment and dignified and fulfilling jobs sector.
3. Identify areas for future research on dignified and fulfilling work for young women and men in Africa.

Expected outcomes

The convening is expected to yield the following outcomes:

Our Approach

The convening has adopted our innovative and proven research-to-policy framework developed by PASGR, the Utafiti Sera Model. The model provides an effective platform for stakeholder engagement and collaboration on policy-relevant issues, allowing for the collective synthesis of evidence and the formulation of policy recommendations. Teams will work together in plenary, group discussions, and issue-focused sessions, as well as individually, to address country-specific matters.