Summarising an external evaluation of Restless Development Uganda’s Youth Empowerment Programme, this document presents an ‘innovative, cost-effective and sustainable’ youth-led peer education model to demonstrate that young people both can, and indeed, must lead development. Having worked in Uganda for over fifteen-years, the Youth Empowerment Programme (2009-2012), represented a change in approach for Restless Development.
Summarising an external evaluation of Restless Development Uganda’s Youth Empowerment Programme, this document presents an ‘innovative, cost-effective and sustainable’ youth-led peer education model to demonstrate that young people both can, and indeed, must lead development.
Having worked in Uganda for over fifteen-years, the Youth Empowerment Programme (2009-2012), although again designed, led, monitored, and evaluated by young people, represented a change in approach for Restless Development. Previously, supporting youth sexual and reproductive health and youth livelihoods as distinct, separate entities, this programme, drawing upon past learning, sought to maximise the potential for synergies to grow between the two areas. Additionally, the Empowerment Programme sought to influence long term change by allowing young voices to influence policy.
The programme was launched across eight, diverse districts of Uganda, and with three expected outcomes.
The programme was conducted through a peer educator model inside and outside of school environments.
The results of the programme were significant. For example, in Livelihoods the evaluation demonstrated a 23% increase in the adoption of innovative livelihood strategies; in Sexual and Reproductive Health the evaluation found a 54% increase in young people adopting safe sexual practices; and in Youth Civic Participation the evaluation found a 68% increase in young people’s knowledge of decision-making processes.
However, as good evaluations should, the report identifies areas for strategic improvement, identifying limitations and proposing recommendations for future programmes. In particular, the report suggests the Restless Development must clarify what is meant by ‘Youth Participation’ and link this to tangible, measurable outcomes. Similarly, whilst the peer educator model proved adaptive to the challenge of reaching remote, rural populations, work is needed to ensure the reach of future programmes accesses all marginalised groups such as those in mobile cattle camps and the disabled.
Download report:http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/file/resug-evaluation-summary-oct12-pdf