Impact evaluation : youth reintegration training and education for peace (YRTEP) program -- contract no. AOT-C-00-00-00091-00 : Sierra Leone 2000-2001

Management Systems International (MSI) implemented the project. The YRTEP program accomplished what it set out to do and did so extraordinarily well. The program has made a significant difference in the lives of the participants, who have done things they would otherwise not have done and gained information they would otherwise not had the opportunity to acquire. They have learned to read and write and to work with numbers in ways they can use in their day-to-day lives. Their physical health has benefitted from the information they have been exposed to and they are better able to manage health concerns. They have learned about democracy and good governance and are prepared to participate more fully in the electoral process and in the governance of their communities. They have learned a variety of ways to manage stress and conflict and have become more self-reliant and better able to generate income. They have learned the importance of the environment and how it affects their well-being. They have learned much about farming practices that, were it not for the war, would have been learned from their families. And, perhaps most importantly, they have rediscovered who they are and what they are capable of doing and becoming. They have glimpsed what is "normal" and come to recognize the possibilities for life in a time of peace. In summary, YRTEP has significantly advanced the work of peace and reconciliation. Originally seen as program to bridge the gap between war and peace until such time as Sierra Leone would be able to "get back to normal," YRTEP has been much more than that and should be continued until all ex-combatants and war-affected youth are resettled peacefully in their communities. There is an important role for the program in terms of building self- reliance, confidence and competence. The literacy/numeracy approach used in the program has had outstanding success and will be useful for the foreseeable future as the most viable alternative to achieving literacy and numeracy for the adults and youth unable to access or enter the formal education system. A significant by-product of the program is the personal and professional growth that has taken place among the large group of Sierra Leonean master trainers and learning facilitators who received intensive training and experience through this program. As a result of their role in their communities and the overall positive manner in which they are regarded by YRTEP participants, they have in many cases become genuine leaders and a voice of reason and stability in an unstable environment, and are looked to as valuable resources both within and outside of their direct participation in the program.