USAID Somalia, Somali Youth Leaders Initiative Quarterly Progress Report Quarter 4, FY 2012

The program aimed to support the development of youth leaders in Somalia, with a focus on education, vocational training, and civic engagement. The program was implemented by Mercy Corps and consortium partners, including CARE, Save the Children, and Somaliland National Youth Organization (SONYO). The program's first year of implementation was characterized by startup and preparatory activities, including grant administrative tasks, inception meetings, and the signing of memoranda of understanding with government ministries. Key program implementation activities commenced in the fourth quarter of FY 2012. Sub-grant agreements were prepared and signed with consortium partners, and a three-day inception and grants compliance workshop was organized to ensure understanding of the program and grant management guidelines. The program implemented several key activities, including the construction and rehabilitation of secondary schools and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers. A total of 1664 students were enrolled in five secondary schools where construction and rehabilitation work had kicked off. Mercy Corps and CARE collaborated with the Ministry of Education to train Community Education Committees (CECs) on school management and fundraising mechanisms, with 19 CECs trained and preparing school improvement plans. The program also initiated strategies to promote girl child education, including discussions with the Ministry of Education and the formation of the Women Council for Girl Child Education (WCGCE) in both Somaliland and Puntland. Awareness on gender disparity in education was integrated into CEC trainings and planned teachers' and MOE staff trainings. The Non-Formal Education (NFE) program was rolled out, with 1,239 youth enrolled in a six-month literacy and numeracy program in 28 selected NFE centers across Somaliland and Puntland. The TVET program also began, with 80 youth enrolled in five different vocational skills in one institute-based TVET center in Puntland, and an additional 50 TVET graduate youth enrolled for a six-month apprenticeship/internship program with individual-owned business enterprises. The program initiated a public-private partnership initiative through meetings with government and private business institutions in Puntland, with 14 private business institutions expressing willingness to work with the government and the SYLI program to provide skills training and job creation for youth. Civic engagement activities started in the second quarter, with the mobilization and training of 66 youth leaders as Training of Trainers on Global Citizen Corps. The trained youth groups successfully organized three community service action events in Hargesia, Somaliland, focusing on patient support, environmental sanitation campaigns, and environmental conservation. The program's implementation was facilitated by the signing of memoranda of understanding with government ministries, and the program's activities were aligned with the ministries' strategies and work plans. The program's progress was monitored through regular meetings and assessments, and the program's achievements were reported in the quarterly progress report.