Children and Youth

Uwezo Fund aims to nudge Kenyan youth towards entrepreneurship and self-employment

In September this year the Kenyan government launched the Uwezo Fund, a 6 billion Ksh. cash reserve (approximately $70 million) aimed at channeling financial resources into the hands of youth and women. Money for the fund was obtained from capital set aside by the Jubilee Coalition during this year's election campaign, for use in the case of a run-off. The Jubilee Coalition, led by Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Samuel Ruto, pledged that any money that was not spent on the campaign would be channeled into a fund of this sort. Six months after winning the election, they stood by their commitment and announced that the application process for accessing interest-free loans was now open to registered youth and women's groups. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 11/11/2013 - 00:00

Luchando contra el desempleo juvenil mediante programas de formación

El desempleo juvenil es un problema especialmente grave en Cali. Las tasas de acercan al 33 por ciento, la más alta de las principales ciudades del país (la media nacional en este sector demográfico es del 17 por ciento). Si bien es cierto que la tasa general de desempleo en la capital del Cauca es también superior a la nacional (13 por ciento frente al 9 por ciento), los jóvenes caleños sufren este problema de forma desproporcionada. Aunque las causas del desempleo son complejas, cabe destacar un periodo de recesión económica que duró 10 años, de 1995 a 2005, que coincidió con la llegada de fuertes flujos migratorios. Aunque a partir de 2006 la economía ha crecido, no lo ha hecho en tasas suficientes para absorber la bolsa de desempleo y los nuevos flujos migratorios. La falta de cualificación para los nuevos trabajos que van surgiendo es otra barrera para que los jóvenes obtengan empleo. Leer más o discutir.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/11/2013 - 00:00

Mais atenção para os "Nem-Nem": Jovens que nem estudam, nem trabalham

Os "Nem-Nem" são jovens entre 15 e 24 anos que nem estudam, nem trabalham, nem procuram emprego. Segundo dados do último censo, Brasil tem mais de 5 milhões de "Nem- Nem" no seu território, com grande concentração nas áreas urbanas. Rio atualmente tem mais de 150 mil "Nem-Nem"; preocupa que aquela população cresceu em 30 mil entre 2000 e 2010. Quais são as causas deste fenômeno? E quais são as respostas da cidade para enfrentar aquela situação? Leia mais o discutir.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/11/2013 - 00:00

Building confidence, not just skills

India and China have been saddled side by side in the race for rising economic superpowers. While China has edged ahead on many fronts, India's large youth population provides a massive potential. "An estimated 1-1.2 million new workers will join the labor market in South Asia every month over the next few decades - an increase of 25-50% over the historical average," says a World Bank report. Job creation needs to match this upcoming labor force. A new government initiative in India, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), has prioritized providing this generation with the necessary education and training so the country can reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/11/2013 - 00:00

Putting children at the heart of the urban data revolution

The urban data revolution is here. From Abidjan to Mumbai to New York, we are beginning to learn about real-time trends: in traffic, land use, even in illegal cooking oil dumping in cities. City data is almost in surplus, and mayors are bombarded with new information on goods and resources every day. Yet little of this data shows us how a city's most important resource — its people — are living. Read more.

Submitted by UNICEF — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

Radiografía del Sistema Educativo Nacional

Tal como señalamos en la pasada entrega, el Pacto por México, ha comenzado a dar sus primeros frutos: la Reforma Educativa, uno de ellos. Asimismo, también se "hornea" ya, la reforma financiera, la cual se prevé detone un mayor dinamismo financiero, pero que también contiene ciertos controles. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Mon, 10/28/2013 - 15:45

Alaja the Tarkwa Bay boat operator

I recently stumbled on this series of interviews I did more than five years ago (April 2008) in Lagos, commissioned for a book project that ended up taking a different shape. I interviewed about seven "Lagosians" - a high school student, a boat pilot, an ex-private security guard and musicstar-wannabe, an itinerant shoe-cleaner, a policeman, a street trader, and a white collar worker. Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Tue, 09/10/2013 - 14:20

Freeing Mumbai's Child Laborers

In a small workshop down one of the thousands of twisty, narrow Dharavi lanes, six young men hunch over old-fashioned sewing machines. They are dressed minimally to ward off the May heat. No windows punctuate the cement walls, but a fan swirls noisily above. Their master embroidery skills are mesmerizing to watch. One sewer, now 22, tells us that he started the trade at age 10 when he came to Mumbai on his own. Still a child, he joined thousands of other children across the city in foregoing school for a meager income. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 06/10/2013 - 00:00

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