Youthmakers Hub at the AU-EU Action Lab Stakeholders Inception Meeting
Youthmakers Hub was represented by Fred Kakembo and Hakiim Owiny, YMH Associates from Uganda, at the inception meeting organized by Restless Development Uganda. The meeting took place on the 28th of November 2024, at Royal Suites, Bugolobi-Kampala, Uganda. This meeting was organized to introduce the AU-EU Youth Lab programme and its Actions to stakeholders, including both AU-EU Youth Voices Lab and the AU-EU Youth Action Lab. Youthmakers Hub is the communication partner of AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, a four-year initiative under the AU-EU Youth Lab programme, co-funded by the European Union, fostering a more youth-responsive and inclusive society in Africa and Europe.
This initiative brings together five esteemed organizations known for their youth-led approach and youth-informed work experience: Oxfam, Restless Development, Search for Common Ground, Youthmakers Hub, and ComDev Africa.
The participants included youth-led and youth-focused organizations operating in Uganda. The Program Director of Restless Development Uganda, Gabriel Iguma, welcomed members and shared brief highlights about the organization’s strategic direction. He noted that the recently launched seven-year strategic plan focuses on amplifying youth voices, coordinating youth-led organizations, and forming a National Youth Working Group, among other goals. He emphasized that the Global Youth Collective aims to support youth-led and youth-focused organizations and individuals to collaborate effectively.
Other speakers included Lilian from SRHR and Andrew from Mobile Clinic Uganda, both of whom are Health Advocates sitting on the selection committee of the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab. They detailed the key project outputs, including microgrants for intervention countries and youth in the diaspora, and explained how youth representatives will be supported to participate in influential decision-making spaces. The programme has uniquely connected young people in Europe with young people in Africa.
Timothy Oboth, Programme Manager of the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, highlighted that young people form the majority population, which is why the AU and EU have combined efforts to support them. He thanked the programme for fostering connections between African and European youth. For the first time, young people were included in the Youth Advisory Board. He assured attendees that several grants are lined up to cater to different groups. Approved grants include those for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Cooperation, and Representation. The programme will also create an interactive platform between government officials and civil society organizations. He noted that grant flexibility was a key consideration, simplifying the application process, reporting, and monitoring & evaluation (M&E). This approach will allow remote districts, such as Karamoja, to access these opportunities.
Elizabeth Ongom, Operations Advisor for CSOs and Social Development and EUD Representative in Uganda, congratulated Restless Development on securing the grant. She remarked that such grants are difficult to win. She explained that the EU is gradually shifting away from budget support as a key focus and is placing more emphasis on CSOs due to the social impact of small grants on specific beneficiaries, such as youth groups. She encouraged youth-led and youth-focused organizations to utilize available grants like ERASMUS+, which has supported Ugandan universities and small CSOs. Although ERASMUS+ is currently closed, it will resume in January 2025.
Ongom also urged youth organizations to familiarize themselves with the EU User Action Plan and stay updated on youth financing opportunities. She stressed the importance of understanding EU contractual documents and annexes, which are standardized until 2027. She advised organizations to maintain close relationships with focal point persons by keeping them informed of developments and inviting them to participate in events. Such gestures, she noted, enhance an implementer’s profile and transparency. She also advised using official communication channels and collaborating with respective entities to increase visibility at district levels. Finally, she emphasized maintaining a high standard of work, particularly in documentation.
Mr. Mondo Kyateeka, Assistant Commissioner for Youth and Children at the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MoGLSD), expressed his pleasure in attending the inception meeting. He commended Restless Development for spearheading a programme designed to uplift youth and encouraged adopting the Basic Asset Approach, where youth take charge of their destinies. He praised the chosen theme, Unleashing Youth Initiatives for Social Impact Change, for bringing youth capacities to the forefront in driving innovation.
Kyateeka affirmed the government’s full support for the programme, noting the importance of the public-private partnership in fostering collaboration between the government and the private sector. However, he cautioned partners against oversimplifying the programme in ways that might undermine its effectiveness. He encouraged youth to persist in their efforts, resist negative influences, and engage in creative industries due to their lucrative potential. Additionally, he emphasized collaborating with the government on programmes to manage high population growth, such as family planning and sexual reproductive health rights initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a group photo.
Written by Fred Kakembo, YMH Uganda Associate & Programme Director of Uganda Children’s Centre