Women and youth in northern Uganda have been left particularly vulnerable to the economic and social issues resulting from 22-years of violent conflict, yet they remain at the periphery of the formation of policies to address these issues.
During the conflict, youth were abducted and forced to become child soldiers or soldier’s brides, left parentless, or forced to leave their homes and families for the relative safety of Internally Displaced People's camps. Women were raped as a weapon of war, had their families ripped from them, or were left homeless. Women and youth suffered tragedies beyond most of our comprehension.
The purpose of this project is to support and facilitate the women and youth of the district of Pader (northern Uganda) gain governance authority and take part in the development and peacebuilding processes, while also reducing youth’s propensity to engage in risky behaviours (i.e. drugs, alcohol, crime, etc.). The project activities include conducting district-wide research and comprehensive leadership, peace building and business training; the formation of a network of grassroots women and youth sustained through ongoing dialogue; the implementation of a drug, alcohol and risky behaviour sensitization program; and the facilitation of locally designed and implemented economic projects. The activities focus on building the capacity of women and youth as they strengthen their role in governance and peacebuilding, resulting in their active engagement in the development and peacebuilding processes as well as more equitable participation in governance. The main beneficiaries of this project are the women and youth of Pader, particularly disadvantaged women and youth such as former child soldiers, soldier brides, young mothers, HIV positive women and youth and people with disabilities.
This project is a three-year project. PFAI is currently asking for support for phase one, the leadership training and sensitization program development components of the project. This phase includes mobilizing women and youth groups within each sub-county who are interested in being actively involved in undergoing leadership, peacebuilding and business training; working with the women and youth to revise PFAI’s current training model (i.e. making it locally relevant); and training highly vulnerable women and youth (identified by PFAI’s needs assessment taken during the summer of 2009) in giving the course to members of their communities. The initial time frame for the leadership peacebuilding and business training courses will be approximately five months, but will continue on indefinitely as PFAI will train local leaders in how to administer the course, ensuring it becomes a locally owned program that continues even without PFAI staff administering the program.
Also during this phase, PFAI will work with youth leaders to develop a drug, alcohol and risky behaviour sensitization program. While the program will be aimed at youth, adults will also be involved since adults are often role models in the community.
PFAI has been working in the area for a number of years and has an incredible track record. Visit their website for more details: www.peaceforallinternational.org.
As a registered Canadian charity, PFAI can also issue tax receipts for all donations.