SEYLeC Project_The Strengthening and Empowerment of Young Leaders for Climate Resilience in Oudomxay province, Laos PDR
Objective:
– Building and encouraging youth in urban and rural areas to involve in voluntary work.
– Building the network amongst organizations and volunteers in-country and abroad.
– Building capacity in association on administration and fundraising in professional manner.
Vision: Youth carry enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills in leading sustainable development, enriching equality for all Lao Citizen
Mission: Develop the human resources for the society in Lao PDR with a focus on youth occupational opportunities, creative thinking, and easy trasfer of their skills to fellow youth locally and internationally
Location: 10 villages from 2 districts in Oudomxay province
target beneficiary: Young people both rural and urban areas
- The key problems:
There is a challenge in protecting water sources and forest areas, and more serious in management of natural resources sustainability in line with the Government’s policy and strategy especially climate change with effect to livelihood because of three reasons. First, There are misperceptions towards climate change and sustainable natural resources management among community people. There are heavily exploited and damaged by people in and outsides of communities by cutting and burning forests, catching and hunting wildlife. These things are dangerous and harmful for the forest, wildlife and water sources, and it is possible to lose the rarest and endangered species. Second, there is a lack of participation of community people especially young people in natural resource conservation and protection. there is no participation from youth to protect their resources because of inequality of gender and cultural barriers, especially in ethnic groups. Third, there is limited access to social services especially employment of young people and a lack of community development intervention in rural areas .
- It is important to address:
All problems above are reduced human resources and community development. The problem mentioned are important and need to address because they are barriers to social services access like education and employment especially women and lead resulting to poverty and lack of opportunity for socio-economic development contribution—young people are unable to be fully involved in social-economic development and intervention as well as the absence of participation of young people is increasing risk and continuing the poverty cycle and not being involved in the community, discrimination on different aspects. Therefore, HJA proposes to address the issues by increasing the capacity and participation of youth in personal development and community for climate change resilience as well as conservation of natural resources. HJA proposes to carry out the Strengthening and Empowerment of Young Leaders for Climate Resilience in Laos PDR (SEYLeC) project in line with HJA’s strategy and the Lao Government’s policy.
Activity:
The project orientation workshop: for engagement with all partners in planning and implementation project as well as to ensure conducting project right way with the right person and reconfirm the problems and needs to address by young people. In the meantime, young people and partners have acknowledged participation because the participation of the target group and partners are important and a requirement for project achievement. They must involve in a running project like planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation.
Activity:
Training for 20 young leaders with the topic: a. Rights and Gender equality (basic gender and human rights principle), b. legislation on natural resources and Climate Change, and c. Volunteerism and Individual Development Plan (IDP): Youth can understand the legislation and support them participate in community activity development because they will be able to advocate for equal rights and gender equality in the community as well as to vote on their needs and raise their voice to promote their involvement in community development activity with voluntary action. In the meantime, youth can identify the individual develop a plan to improve themselves to be leader/facilitator at the community level with an action plan for mentoring and coaching support.