THE YOUTH LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME (YLP)

The Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) is Government of Uganda financed programme designed as one of the interventions of Government in response to the high unemployment rate and poverty among the youth in the country.

It covers all Districts of Uganda (including Kampala Capital City Authority).

Cabinet and Parliament approved budget of UShs265 Billion (Approx. US$. 100 million) for the first 5 years of implementation 2013-14 to 2017-18.

The Programme was launched January 24, 2014

Objectives of YLP

The Programme Development Objective (PDO) is to empower the target youth to harness their socio-economic potential and increase self-employment opportunities and income levels.

Specific Objectives:

• To provide youth with marketable vocational skills and tool kits for self-employment and job creation.
• To provide financial support to enable the youth establish Income Generating Activities (IGAs).
• To provide the youth with entrepreneurship and life skills as an integral part of their livelihoods.
• To provide youth with relevant knowledge and information for attitudinal change (positive mind set change).

Target Beneficiaries of the programme

The Programme targets unemployed and poor youth aged 18-30 years, including the following categories:

• Drop-outs from schools and training institutions.
• Youth who have not had the opportunity to attend formal education.
• Single parent youth.
• Youth with disability.
• Youth Living with HIV/AIDS.
• Youth who have completed secondary school or tertiary institutions (including University) but remain unemployed.

Programme Components

YLP has 3 components: (i) Skills Development, (ii) Livelihood Support & (iii) Institutional Support.

Skills Development Component (20%)

This supports the development of marketable livelihoods skills that create opportunities for self – employment among the poor and unemployed youth. Investment options include Masonry, carpentry, metal fabrication, hair dressing, tailoring, leather works, Agro-processing, electrical repairs, bakery/cookery, Video-Audio editing, motor mechanics, clay moulding etc.

The programme encourages and promotes innovations in non-traditional skills areas such as ICT, Agro processing among others.

Livelihood Support Component (70%)  

This provides productive assets for viable income generating enterprises chosen by the youth.

Investment Options include, Dairy production, high value crops, poultry/egg production, piggery, aquaculture, animal traction, agro-forestry, post-harvest handling, value addition, trade, service sector projects, etc.

Institutional Support (10%)

The Institutional Support Component has two (2) sub-components:

Project Implementation Support (PIS): To improve the technical, administrative and managerial capacity of the key implementers of the Project at national, local government and community levels.

Transparency Accountability & Anti-corruption (TAAC): To promote good governance and accountability at all levels of Project Implementation.

It is implemented in collaboration with the Inspectorate of Government (IG). More focus is on the preventive measures.

Implementation Arrangements

YLP is mainstreamed into Government structures at the National and Local Government levels.

The Local Governments are responsible for mobilization & sensitization, beneficiary selection, facilitating projects preparation, appraisal and approval of projects, monitoring and supervision.

Beneficiary selection is conducted through community participatory mechanisms (done in the community).

MGLSD provides the technical guidelines, support capacity building, financing, and overall coordination. YLP support is provided through Youth Interest Groups (YIGs) of 10-15 persons in form of Revolving Funds (Soft Loans-with youth friendly terms). These funds are youth-friendly because:

• There is no interest in repayments made within the first twelve months.
• Only 5% per annum surcharge for the repayments made after the initial 12 months.
• No physical assets/collateral required.
• Flexible repayment period of 1-3 years depending on the nature of the project.
• Accessible for both existing and new groups.
• Formal registration of groups not a pre-condition for access.
• No administrative fees levied on any application.
• Promotes active participation of the youth at all stages of implementation through the Youth Council Structures; and
• The fund size depends on request made by the group ranging from UShs.1-25 million.

PROJECT FUNDS ACCESS GUIDELINES

The YLP Support will be accessed by Youth Groups that will have expressed interest, passed the beneficiary selection criteria,  and  generated  viable  projects  that are approved by the District Technical Planning Committee.

How will the Youth Express Interest?

The eligible beneficiaries will:

a) Obtain a Project Interest Form (PIF) from the Sub-county distributed free of charge by the Sub-county Focal Point Person (CDO/ACDO). It is a one-page form which captures the type of project the Youth wish to undertake, the location of the Youth/proposed Project site, as well as the contact persons for follow up.

b)    Complete the PIF in duplicate (one copy to be submitted to the Sub-county and the other to be retained by the Youth).

c)    Each PIF issued and returned to the Sub-county will be entered in a PIF register, maintained by the Sub-county.

d)    It should be noted that the PIF is not a Project Application Form. It is an indication of the wish of the Youth to participate in the Programme and an invitation to the Sub-county Authorities to follow-up and facilitate the youth to transform their Project Idea into a fundable Project Proposal/Application.

e) On receipt of the PIF at the Sub-county, the Sub-county Selection Committee, based on the information provided on the PIF, will get in touch with the Local Council-One (LCI) Chairperson of the area to mobilize the Youth who are behind the PIF submitted, together with the entire community of the village they reside in, for a meeting to be conducted within that village/community.

Beneficiary Selection

1.  The process of beneficiary selection will be facilitated by the Selection Committee comprised of the Sub-county Chief, Sub-county CDO/ACDO, Sub-county Youth Chairperson and LCI Chairperson of the area.
2.  Beneficiary   selection   shall   be   done   in   a   community   meeting   in   a   transparent and participatory manner.  This process is expected to take 3-4 hours.
3. The process will begin with sensitization of the entire community on the YouthLivelihood Programme.  Thereafter the Selection Committee will announce the receipt of a PIF form.
4.  Youth from that community and ask them to introduce themselves to the meeting.  At this point the actual selection will have started.

The Selection Committee will then engage the community to confirm the following:

1. Are all the intended beneficiaries Youth (persons within 18-30 years of age)?  Evidence may be presented in the form of birth certificates, immunization records, passports, baptismal certificates, national identity cards, or through community recognition of the youth.
2. Are all the intended beneficiaries bona fide residents of their area?
3. Are all the intended beneficiaries un-employed, under-employed or poor?
4. Are all the intended beneficiaries Ugandan Nationals?
5.  Does the selection of the Youth to benefit under the Group conform to the cardinal principle of equity in the allocation of resources? The Selection Committee, in collaboration with the community, will ensure that no more than one youth is selected from any single household at a given time. Priority will be accorded to those youths who have not recently benefited from similar programmes.
6. Are all the Youth of sound minds and good character to be trusted with the funds

NOTE: Visit our site E-Library to view documents about YLP in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipal Council.