Up to Youth Activity

Up to Youth is a five-year activity that works to empower youth vulnerable to social exclusion by mobilizing and engaging them to create positive change in their communities. It achieves this through youth engagement activities, skills-building, and fostering an environment that gives young people the agency and support to improve their lives. The activity operates in nine partner municipalities in Kosovo. By doing so, this activity contributes to USAID’s overall goal of increasing opportunities for inclusive democratic and economic participation.

Activities

• Mobilize vulnerable youth to identify key challenges in their communities, design solutions, and lead implementation of initiatives that address priorities in their communities
• Build necessary life and soft skills (e.g., critical thinking, social media literacy, active listening, leadership, tolerance, issue advocacy) in vulnerable youth to engage in meaningful ways with their communities.
• Promote skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, accessing financing and establish mentorships that can enhance youth employability.
• Strengthen youth support networks by bringing together relevant stakeholders including local government, private sector  and nongovernmental organizations’ representatives, peers, parents and teachers to support youth priorities.

Key Results to Date

• Approximately 3,000 youth and parents participated in Up to Youth’s community outreach activities.
• Over 900 youth throughout the nine partner municipalities were mobilized to improve their capacities and skill to contribute to benefit from better communities and livelihoods.
• 147 youth completed training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, accessing financing, establishing mentorships, to enhance their skills and enable them to actively participate in Kosovo’s economic development. 
• Partnered with the private sector to implement an internship program with the aim of increasing employability prospects of youth participants. 
• Built the capacities of its Youth Advisory Board (YAB) with a diverse group of 30 youth that provide support across the country to other youth participating in the program. 
• 54 youth-led initiatives were implemented and another 27 new initiatives will address community challenges.

Additional Information

Project Funding

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Kosovo) 

Project Duration

April 2019 – April 2024 

Implementing Partner

Global Communities

Total Funding

$8,937,090

Key Counterparts

Partner municipalities’ relevant departments, non-governmental organizations and local businesses.

Where We Work

Hani i Elezit/Elez Han, Kaçanik/Kačanik, Viti/na, Mitrovicë, Jugore/Južna, Mitrovica,Vushtrri/Vučitrn, Skënderaj/Srbica, Istog/k, Klinë/a, and Gjakovë/Đakovica. 

Contact

Melita Teliqi Devaja, Project Management Specialist