Youth Empowerment Conference

Description

In partnership with a local youth council, two Peace Corps Volunteer will lead the core educational component of a three‑day Youth Empowerment workshop. As the primary facilitators, we will conduct a full‑day session for seventy‑eight elected youth leaders, delivering a specialized, youth‑focused Community Economic Development curriculum. We will also award official certificates in Income Generating Activities, Personal Money Management, and Project Design and Management to help address the area’s 23.5 percent youth unemployment rate.

To maximize community impact, grant funds will be used to provide catering for the workshop via a local women's group. This group is based in an isolated island village that relies on subsistence farming, where women face significant barriers when accessing economic opportunities. This approach helps ensure that the project strengthens their role as local entrepreneurs.

This effort delivers meaningful economic stimulus into the hands of fifteen women, creating reliable income and supporting long‑term financial resilience. The combined focus on youth leadership development and women‑led enterprise helps ensure broad community benefits that extend beyond the workshop itself.