Kampala, UGANDA – On 25th March 2022, Open Space held an experience sharing session at the KCCA Lubaga Division Urban Council Offices, Kampala, for the beneficiaries of the Meaningful Youth Participation Project (MYPP) from three districts; Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso. The session hosted youth leaders from the Namataba-B Ward, Bwaise, and Maganjo Parishes to share their experiences with and during the project.

The Meaningful Youth Participation Program is a project is implemented by Open Space, with support from the British High Commission under the Open Society Uganda Program, which seeks to address the evident ineffective youth participation in governance and development processes in Uganda by strengthening the capacity of youth and youth leaders at the Local Government to be able to comprehend and positively contribute to processes that extend effective development opportunities to young people who take the lion’s share of their constituents. This project intends to extend the possibilities of youth leaders to advocate for and transform promises into realities by facilitating a deeper understanding of government processes and systems through which decisions that define the quality-of-life Ugandans are made.

Prior to this experience sharing session, a youth leaders’ training was held at Esella Country Hotel, Kampala, where the youth leaders were taken through different components including Budgeting, Planning, and Social Accountability; the Decentralization and Local Government Act; and lastly the Parish Development Model and Local Economic Development Policy.

Later on, in a bid to encourage and contribute towards meaningful youth participation of the youth in local government processes, Open Space provided youth desks consisting of desks, chairs, a public address system, face masks, hand sanitizer, and so much more.

“Before the youth desks came to Kawempe, we had imposters who were other people coming to pose in the youth office and solicit money out of the youth by fabricating lies of solutions to come. But after the youth desks, those people are unable to do so anymore.,” explained Seezi Israel, Youth Chairperson Kawempe Division.

“Another thing is, the youth desks have allowed for the youth and youth leaders to come together more often than not which helps in the faster tracking of issues,” he added

The youth leaders also explained that they had been given the capacity to provide skills of financial literacy to the youth in their communities, and further encouraged themselves to mobilize and pass on information to the rest of the youth in their communities.

“It is our goal as youth leaders to ensure that we work towards the meaningful participation of the youth. We ought to work in collaboration with organizations like Open Space to ensure that this information reaches the youth so that they are enabled to contribute significantly,”

Emmanuel Kisule, a youth leader at Bwaise 2, expressed his appreciation for the youth desks, stating that they provided an area specifically dedicated to the youth leaders and the youth, thereby providing capacity for easier tracking and solving of issues.

“We previously had no address, but now, we have one where we can easily form groups of the youth for easier assistance. It has also helped us lobby for the issues of the youth. It has increased the number of meetings we have with them, and the stationery and the logbook we got to help us keep track. We have managed to create a transformation. So we thank Open Space, and our chairperson for bringing this opportunity to us,” Kisule said.

The youth leaders were encouraged to make use of opportunities of networking to grow their connections, change their mindsets, and learn more. They were also taken through the Parish Development Model and asked to carry out an assessment on how prepared they would be when it rolls out. They were also encouraged to keep the spirit of meeting and collaboration with each other at all levels.

“Currently, the PDM has been held back in Kampala because it has not yet been fully understood and the leaders lack certain requirements. However, in the next financial year, according to the president, about 200million will be given to each parish to be able to reach middle-income status. Therefore, we need to sensitize our fellows about the PDM, follow up on the budgets and frameworks, and be assertive so that these processes can be made faster. Keep back the bias,” urged Aisha Namutebi, a board member at Open Space.

Context

The Parish Development Model (PDM), a shs490bn program that was recently launched by President Yoweri Museveni, is a Government strategy or approach for organizing and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit. This will ensure support for more Ugandans to increase their demand for goods and services.

The PDM identifies seven pillars that include: 1) production, storage, processing, and marketing; 2) infrastructure and economic services; 3) Financial inclusion; 4) social services; 5) mindset changing; 6) parish-based management information system; 7) governance and administration.

Earlier this month, The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka rallied youth in Kampala to embrace the PDM. She said the youth have the potential to transform Uganda if they embrace government programs and focus on development.

“Under the Parish Development Model, the government will be bringing money to the parish SACCOs where you can borrow this money and invest it in income-generating activities,” Kisaka said.

Open Space has done its part to equip the youth with platforms to aid their meaningful participation, like under the Meaningful Youth Participation Program where youth desks were given to the youth offices from Namataba-B Ward, Bwaise, and Maganjo parishes.