GOOD PRACTICE – Youth Forums Advocacy. PLAN UK, Tanzania

Good Practice – Youth Forums Advocacy

Brief summary

The Youth Forums are groups formed of 20 youth (10 male & 10 female) at two different government administrative levels: district and national levels.

The Youth Forums aim to represent the voices of marginalized youth for their interests to be heard and attended to. These interests include but are not limited to: youth policy, decent employment, information about job market and on how to access government loans available for youth businesses. The 20 forum members at every district level (district forum) are selected among youth in government administrative units called Wards where each Ward is represented by not less than two but not more than six (a female/ male balance is observed) who in most cases are youth leaders at that level. National Forums are formed of 20 youth, plus a chairperson and secretary from each of 10 project districts forums. The forum members are selected and elected by their fellows at each respective level. The selection criteria are: willingness to participate, acceptance of the provision of time on a volunteer basis (there is no allowance or compensation of any sort), living in the area, knows how to read and write, willingness to learn and to help others. In each forum there are be at least 2 disabled youth.

Key Areas of Good Practice:

• Advocacy Methods (1.2)
• Providing support to informal economy operators/workers to access services (social protection services, business registration, access to formal savings and credit schemes, training, etc.) (3.1)
• Leadership training, empowerment training (3.4)