Since Yemen’s devastating conflict escalated in March 2015, the country has faced huge economic challenges, widespread insecurity and a deepening humanitarian crisis. For many Yemenis who have had to endure malnutrition, cholera and other hardships, lifesaving humanitarian aid is essential. Yet work to ensure a more peaceful future – as well as stronger community resilience - is also sorely needed. Groups at the frontlines are helping their communities and holding together a social fabric under immense strain. This includes youth initiatives, civil society organisations and local councils, who are best placed to understand their communities’ needs, and who require targeted support to sustain and expand the critical work they are already doing – and will continue to do.

The majority of Yemen’s population is under 35. These young people have immense potential to work together to address some of Yemen’s challenges in creative ways, including by creating better economic opportunities and linking up with local authorities. But an increasingly polarised society has closed down space for cooperation and has fragmented existing youth networks. Young people have limited access to employment, with unemployment rates three times higher than for adults over 35.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and local councils are essential for delivering frontline services in Yemen. But they have lost both funding and human resources in the last three years. Many local councils have had their budgets slashed, while international funding has been diverted to humanitarian response. This has moved valuable resources away from Yemeni CSOs and locally-led development initiatives that help build the foundations for longer-term peace. 

 

Project Objective:

 

 

 To strengthen the capacity of civil society and local councils in target communities in Yemen, including marginalised and harder-to-reach groups, such as women and rural CSOs, to contribute to inclusive peacebuilding, effective governance, and improved service delivery in target governorates in Yemen, whilst supporting improved livelihoods for youth.

 

With young women and men:

 

 

•    Train 16 youth employment and entrepreneurship ‘champions’ in four governorates and support them to deliver outreach and training to at least a thousand young people.

•    Establish local economic empowerment initiatives and innovation awards schemes to support young people’s business start-ups.

•    Create youth networking and joint advocacy opportunities, bringing 

With civil society and community-based organisations (CBOs):

 

•    Map and select rural CBOs in four governorates to receive bespoke support to strengthen organisational capacity and access grants of between €5,000-€15,000.

•    Provide grants of €27,000-€45,000 to CSOs for institutional development and for projects that could not otherwise be funded.

 

With local councils:

 

 

•    Recruit 16 local government youth policy advisers who will work in local councils to strengthen capacity and contribute to policy planning and development.

•    Provide tailored capacity building support to local councils in each of the selected governorates, with a focus on community consultations, public outreach and participatory strategy planning.