Feed the Future Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity FY2019 Q2 Quarterly Progress Report

The Activity focuses on bridging the gap between youth and the private sector to provide young people with job experience and meaningful careers in agriculture. YLA also supports self-employed youth and young entrepreneurs to enter supply chains or access markets, increase their efficiencies, generate income, and grow revenues. During the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019, the Activity reached 29,654 new youth with economic opportunities. The majority of the youth reached were out-of-school youth in the 30-35 years age cohort. The Activity's efforts resulted in a significant increase in female engagement, with 33% of the new youth reached being female. Ensibuuko Technologies Limited's onboarding of 16 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) onto its cloud-based software, Mobis, contributed to the high number of new youth reached. SACCO membership and activities are primarily male-dominated, which explains the low female engagement in accessing financial services. However, Ensibuuko will deliberately push for an increase in female access to financial services within these SACCOs during the next phase. Three new partnerships were formed this quarter, which leveraged $560,897 from private sector partners with a $186,817 YLA commitment. YLA worked with 14 private sector partners in fields ranging from agricultural financial technology to seed production to reach 29,654 new youth with economic opportunities. Four YLA partners established 40 productive partnerships with various organizations, including traders, processors, financial institutions, and civil society organizations. Through these partnerships, 5,496 youth received short-term agriculture sector productivity and food security training in topics covering post-harvest handling, enterprise and seed variety selection, and pest and disease management as well as workforce readiness skills such as time management, effective communication, and decision-making. In order to increase youth access to output markets, nine YLA partners enabled 2,509 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access $21,104 worth of quality inputs. The MSMEs and youth made sales worth $1,127,625. YLA partners such as Ngetta Tropical Holdings and Sebei Farmers SACCO provided improved sunflower seed, while Anchor Foods Ltd. provided chilies. These inputs and sales demonstrate the Activity's success in increasing youth access to output markets and providing economic opportunities for Ugandan youth. The Activity's focus on bridging the gap between youth and the private sector has resulted in significant progress towards annual targets. The Activity has reached 29,654 new youth with economic opportunities, with 33% being female. The onboarding of SACCOs and the formation of new partnerships have contributed to this progress. The Activity's efforts to increase youth access to output markets and provide economic opportunities for Ugandan youth have been successful, with MSMEs and youth making sales worth $1,127,625. The Activity's success can be attributed to its focus on unlocking the potential for winning partnerships between motivated youth seeking earning and learning opportunities and private sector employers interested in investing and growing their businesses. The Activity's efforts to support self-employed youth and young entrepreneurs have also been successful, with 5,496 youth receiving short-term agriculture sector productivity and food security training. The Activity's geographic focus is on Uganda, with a specific emphasis on reaching out-of-school youth in the 30-35 years age cohort. The Activity's timeframes are quarterly, with the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019 being the focus of this report. The Activity's recommendations for future progress include continuing to bridge the gap between youth and the private sector, increasing youth access to output markets, and providing economic opportunities for Ugandan youth. The Activity's implementation details include working with 14 private sector partners, establishing 40 productive partnerships with various organizations, and providing short-term agriculture sector productivity and food security training to 5,496 youth. The Activity's budget for the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019 was $186,817, with a commitment to leverage $560,897 from private sector partners. The Activity's environmental compliance is ensured through the implementation of an Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP). The Activity's monitoring and evaluation efforts are focused on tracking progress towards annual targets and ensuring that the Activity's efforts are effective in increasing economic opportunities for Ugandan youth. The Activity's success stories include the onboarding of SACCOs, the formation of new partnerships, and the provision of short-term agriculture sector productivity and food security training to 5,496 youth. The Activity's geographic focus on Uganda and its emphasis on reaching out-of-school youth in the 30-35 years age cohort have been successful in increasing economic opportunities for Ugandan youth.