Project profile — Healthy Youth, Sustainable Livelihoods, Innovative Results

• Zambia (20.00%)
• South Africa (20.00%)
• Uganda (20.00%)
• Tanzania (40.00%)

• Basic life skills for youth and adults:
Basic life skills for youth and adults (11230) (36.00%)
Early childhood education (11240) (30.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Human rights (15160) (24.00%)
• General Environmental Protection: Environmental education/training (41081) (10.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)

This project is part of DFATD’s International Youth Internship Program (IYIP), which is within the Career Focus stream of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). The IYIP is designed to offer young Canadian post-secondary graduates the opportunity to gain professional experience through international development work. The Victoria International Development Education Association administers 40 youth internships for young Canadians in four countries (Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia) in order to deepen their knowledge of international development, and to develop key employability skills; while increasing the capacity of local partner organisations. It seeks to equip girls and boys, women and men with the education, skills, partnerships and opportunities they need to realise their rights, and become productive and participating members of society.

Expected results include: 1) Increased access by Canadian interns to Canadian labour market opportunities, including in the field of international development; and, 2) Increased engagement of Canadian interns as global citizens in supporting international development efforts in Canada and abroad.

Results achieved as of March 2017 include: (1) 40 interns (36 female and 4 male) were recruited and successfully deployed abroad. They all completed their six-month internship and are actively involved in public engagement activities such as community events, school presentations, workshop facilitation, interviews, blog postings, and social media networking; (2) all 40 interns report having improved transferable employment skills, understanding and knowledge of international development issues including environmental sustainability, governance and gender equality; (3) 97.5% the Local Partner Organisations that have hosted interns noted increased capacity to deliver youth and economic empowerment programming; and (4) 92.5% of interns are currently employed or enrolled in graduate programs.

• Proactive disclosure