12% of youth chronically poor - study

The report shows higher poverty rates among 12-17 year-olds compared to the 18-30 year-olds.

With debates among communities that youth have been sidelined in development, a new report has revealed that 12 per cent of youth are chronically poor and 62 per cent unemployed.

The study released on Friday titled, Lost Opportunity? notes that the unemployed youth are a threat to the well-being of society.

The study, which was conducted by Action Aid International Uganda, an NGO, shows that the unemployed youth could become a source of instability if government does not plan for them early.

“Majority of the youth who are out of school have no regular work or income. Some 61.6 per cent of the respondents in the study were not in any form of employment,” the report reads in part.

It adds: “Majority of whom were in urban centres with 12 per cent of all youth in Uganda aged between 12 and 30 being chronically poor and with higher poverty rates among the 12-17 year-olds as compared to the 18-30 year-olds.”

The study was done among 1,100 youth with a sample of 100 per selected 11 districts across the 10 sub-regions countrywide.

The report states that there are no structures and systems to mentor youth the and prepare them for employment.

While launching the report, the commissioner for the youth and children affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Mr Kyateeka Mondo, said there should be a purposeful, focused and targeted education system for youth to avoid being duped in courses that are irrelevant to the job market.

He asked them to engage in private enterprises, saying Shs15b had already been accessed by 3,500 organisations countrywide since last October.

Mr Mondo said the government had also embarked on a graduate venture youth fund where beneficiaries will access funds using their transcripts as security.

Mr Charles Ocici, from Enterprise Uganda, attributed the problem to poor attitude and mindset.

“Parents need to engage their children in what they do to gain experience,” Mr Ocici said.

mssebuyira@ug.nationmedia.com