ILLEGAL ACCESS
0774043491
24TH/ AUGUST
(FOR
AFRICAN ADVENTURES AND VACATIONS (KAZUNGU)
ILLEGAL ACCESS0774043491
24TH/ AUGUST
(FOR
AFRICAN ADVENTURES AND VACATIONS (KAZUNGU)
Executive
Summary
Unemployment remains
one of Uganda’s key development challenges with the biggest burden borne by
young people under 30 years. A fast-growing population combined with ineffective
policy responses by government in job creation, poor implementation of programs
for job creation and lack ofappropriate skills for available jobsare some of
the factors that hinder young people’s access todecent work and employment (Pletscher,
2015).
While an increasing
number of young people enter the job market,they largely remain jobless because
they lack the skills required for available opportunities in the job market (ILO,
2011). Uganda’s largely theoretical education system (Pletscher, 2015), policy
and governance challenges are partly blamed as causes of unemployment.
Findings in this report
are built onfield investigation and focused literature review on young people
and employability, national policies on youth, employment of care leavers, and decent work. The
reportprovides recommendations for addressing unemployment and improving the
situation ofunemployment among young people leaving alternative care.
To achieve the
stated aims, data from field interviews with key stakeholders, key informants
and young people in Kampala, Wakiso and Buyikwe districts were collected analyzed
and used alongside information gathered from literature review.
Key Findings
·
Care leavers are more likely to be unemployed
if they leave child care institutionswithout adequate skills and professional
qualifications at diploma or degree level. Care leavers generally do not have
family support and social networks that other young people have. This makes
them less likely to be self-employed because they lack social capital that
other youths in their age groups have.
·
Female care leavers are at particularly
greater disadvantage because several studies show that female youths are more likely
to be unemployed than males youths.
·
About 30 percent of care leavers were
found to be less prepared and ready for life outside institutional care in
which they were raised from early childhood. Ill-preparedness was associated
with the shock and surprises that care leavers face once they leave care.
·
80 percent of care leavers felt that
they were not provided with adequate guidance, training and preparation to
enable them face the reality outside institutional care. Many care leavers also
felt that care givers are not adequately following them up once they graduate
from care.
·
Nearly half of care leaversinterviewed
reported that they never had opportunity to engage in skills training
opportunities and rarely received career advice from guardians/foster parents
while living in care.
·
Major stakeholders in child care in Uganda
include Government (MGLSD), children and youth focused NGOs, private and faith
based child care institutions.
These
stakeholders play important roles in child care and have responsibilities for
care leavers. Theysensitize and create awareness for young people in and out of
care, provide education and skills development, policy advocacy, provide alternative
homes for vulnerable children.
·
The concept of care leavers and young
people leaving care is not well known in Uganda. Lack of research on child
care institutions and care leavers in Uganda makes care leavers an entity that
is not well documented.
·
Major challenges faced by care leavers in
Ugandainclude; high levels of unemployment, lack of marketable/employable
skills and a very high level of competition in the job market.
·
Key challenges that young people face in
accessing decent work in Uganda include lack of definition and standards for
decent work, exploitation at work places, inadequate enforcement of labour laws
and policies; lack of a minimum wage policy; lack of awareness by most employers
and employees on the rights of workers and financial exclusion of young people.
Recommendations
1.
There is anurgent need for a
legal/policy framework for recognition of vulnerable children in and out of care.
Limited awareness and knowledge on the concept ofcare leavers and decent work
in major public policy and program documentsin Uganda calls for awareness and
advocacy for policies that recognize children in care and care leavers as a
special entity within childlaws, youth policies and development programs.
2.
Child Care Institutions need to
provide care leavers with adequate guidance, training and preparation to enable
them face the reality outside CCIs.This should be focused on young people’s
skills development and job creation for young people. This would address the
huge challenge of a growing youth population and increasing unemployment among
young people. It would also address the miss-match of many young people’s
education qualification and available job skills requirements.
3.
All children in care should be treated
equally, for example by giving them equalopportunity to engage in skills training,
career advice by guardians/foster parents while residing within CCIs. This will
help adequately preparethem to cope with life outside care.
4.
Children in Child Care Institutions deserve
equal opportunity for education, life skills training as well as professional
skills training among other benefits offered to a few lucky children in care. Start-up
tool kits should ideally be given to all care leavers that opt to venture in
vocational skills training when they leave the care institution. Findings show
that less than half of care leavers currently get start-up tool kits.
5.
Care givers need to followup care
leavers for at least three years after they leave child care institutions to
monitor and evaluate their post care life.
6.
Uganda’s informal sector needs urgent
formalization. Creation of an informal sector development strategy that provides
coherent policy and direction can help as a starting point.
The
informal sector in Uganda is the biggest employer of young people but lacks
standards and regulation which is associated with widespread decent work
deficits and low wages.
7.
There is need for concerted advocacy
efforts by trade unions, NGOs and civil society to press government to fast
track the minimum wage legislation that has stalled in parliament of Uganda.
Lack of minimum wage is a major limiting factor in advancing decent work for
young people in Uganda.
8.
Child care institutions should create
linkages/partnership with public-private sector, CSOs, for apprenticeship, internship,
mentorship, skilling and employment for youth before they leave care.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
SOS Children’s Villages
Uganda is a member association of SOS Children’s Villages (CV)
International which currently operates in 133 countries with a mission to build
families for children in need, help them shape their own futures and share in
the development of their communities.
SOS CV in Uganda is an independent non-governmental child
development organization that has been working in Uganda since 1991. In 2015 SOS CV Uganda directly supported
8,666 children and young adults and 30,000 community members indirectly across the
four
locations of Gulu, Fort portal, Kakiri and Entebbe (Annual Report 2015). A total of 689 children are supported through
SOS’s Family Based Care (FBC) model and the rest of the children through the
Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) in different communities. Under the FSP
SOS builds capacity of families, children and youth to become self-reliant and
contribute to sustainable development.
Besides the FSP
SOS CV Uganda implements various child and youth development interventions
focusing on provision of direct essential services; capacity building of child
care-givers and community partners as well as advocacy in the areas of care,
health, education and gender.
SOS believes that in an equal
world, all youth can have decent work, and their care background should not
represent a factor of disadvantage and exclusion. Unfortunately, it is common
knowledge that in many countries children and young people without parental
care are at risk of work exploitation, discrimination in work or unemployment.
Decent work for all, instead, is about ensuring that youth in vulnerable
situations can have access to training, development and career opportunities,
safe and secure work, a wage one can live on, at least basic social protection,
and a voice on one’s rights.
SOS commissioned this study to help it gain deeper insight
into the situation of young people leaving care, their employment, constraints
and challenges facing them. The primary goal of this study is to provide SOS CV
Uganda and other CCIs and stakeholders with knowledge and understanding of the
situation of young people leaving alternative care regarding employability and decent
work. The mapping study aimed to gather information on this topic and provide
evidence “to make the case” and find potential partners to promote the issues
of youth employability among young people leaving care in Uganda.
1.2 Study
Objectives
The overall objective of the study was to provide SOS CV Uganda
and like-minded stakeholders with knowledge
and understanding of the situation of young
people leaving alternative care regarding employability and decent work. To
achieve this objective,the study team engaged in collecting and organizing
evidence, practices, identifying actors involved and stakeholders’ views around
the themesof employability and decent work for young people leaving care.
Findings from this study will help lay the ground for development
of evidence based advocacy approach of SOS Children’s Villages Uganda to advocate
for betterpolicies and practices on which young people leaving care can rely to
strengthen their employability and access to decent work opportunities. The
specific objectives of the study included;
·
To
provide an overview of current national policies on youth employment of care
leavers
·
To
analyze current situation in regards to employment of young people leaving
alternative care, including existing practices, activities of state bodies,
institutions and organizations, non-governmental organizations working in the
field of employment, the problems of their employability, the existing support
and the problem of access to decent work
·
To
provide detailed information about young people leaving care regarding
employability and employment outcomes in Kampala, Wakiso and Buyikwe Districts
·
To
provide recommendations for improving the situation with employment of young
people leaving alternative care across various sectors such as education,
social protection, child protection.
1.3. Structure of
the Report
This report is organized into six
chapters. In this introductory chapter, we provide an overview as well as the
objectives of the study. In chapter two, details of design and methodology of
the study are provided while chapter three provides an understanding of
children and young people with focus on their demographics, education and employment.Chapter
four looks at the situation of care leavers in Uganda, pathways in and out of
care, national targets, policies and programs for children and young people in
Uganda. Chapter five is entirely focused on decent work. It analyses factors
facilitating decent work in Uganda, challenges for access to decent work, and
ways in which decent work is being supported in Uganda. Chapter six presents
key advocacy and policy recommendations to address issues identified in the
report.
2.1 Study Design
This
study employed mixed methods approach which largely consisted of qualitative methodologies.
The qualitative approach involved a comprehensive review of literature,
analysis of secondary information relevant to young people in Uganda and
holding consultations/discussions with purposively selected respondents in
Kampala, line Ministry and local government levelinformants in selected areas
of study. The quantitative approach involved gathering and analysis ofavailable
quantitative data around themes of youth employment and skills development,
education and demographics.
2.2 Selection of
Study Areas
Selection of study areas followed criteria
provided by SOS’s international consultant. This included a purposive
representation of all the three areas of study which included Kampala, Wakiso
and Buikwe. Selection of enumeration areas was guided by relevant district
level key informants. Actual locations visited by research assistants within
each district were chosen both randomly and purposively from the list generated
at district level.
2.3 Sampling
Random
and purposive sampling methods were used to identify the 73participants interviewed
for study. Random sampling was applied for selection of participants in the 4
focus group discussions (FGD) which included both youth and adults past youth
age group as well as males and females. Twelve (12) care leavers 10 non-care
leavers and 32 duty bearers/stakeholders in Kampala, Wakiso and Buikwe were
purposively selected and interviewed based on their responsibility in target
communities and relevance to the study.
2.4 Data Collection
The
study began with review of literature and analysis of statistical data from
secondary sources. This provided direction for field data collection that aimed
at filling information gaps that were identified during review of literature. Field
data collection involved administration of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs),
Individual Interviews and FDGs. Participants in the study included care leavers
from child care institutions, staff from the Community Development Office
(CDO), Probation Office, police (child and family protection unit), CCIs and
NGOs.
2.4.1 Review of Literature
Thisstudy
began with review of literature on young people’s development issues in Uganda.
The review encompassed government programs, policies, legislation, strategies
and plans; institutional and individual research reports and papers; and
NGO/Youth organization program reports. Documents presenting regional and
international best practices and global experiences with youth programming were
also reviewed, as were newspapers and economic reports. These reviews provided
information on context, national pathways for work and employment for youth,
institutional development around youth employment, institutional landscape on
youth employment including actors and key stakeholders. Review of literature
was biased towards context, current situation, opportunities and challenges for
youth employment in Uganda.
The level of concentration on sources
depended on relevance of materials for attainment of study objective. Policy
documents on youth skills development and employment were also reviewed to
establish themes of relevance to this study. Analysis of available statistical
data was undertaken with the literature review. This involved examining of
household data and cross tabulation with indicators likeyoung people’s
education and employment, among others.
2.4.2 Study tools
Semi
structures qualitative questionnaires used for the study were developed by
SOS’s international consultant and adopted for use by our field team after
discussions and minor modifications. Key themes of study included education,
employment, responsibility for young children, young people and care leavers,
polices and legal frameworks on care leavers and young people, decent work
among others. These were selected as critical aspects for investigation following
guidance in the TOR.
2.4.3 Key Informant Interviews
The
study team conducted interviews with key informants and discussedvarious study themes
including care, care levers, employment and decent work, responsibility for
children and young people. Key informants included probation officers in local
governments in the community based services and probation office, officers in
the child and family protection unit of the Uganda Police Force and representatives
of youth serving organizations and child care institutions.
2.4.4 Focus Group Discussions and Individual
Interviews
The
study employed participatory focus group methods to collect direct, first-hand
information from young people. Our teams targeted out of school young people,
young people involved in youth development programs and other randomly selected
young people. In total four (4) FDGs of 6 to 8 participants were conducted with
young people in and out of employment in Kampala, Wakiso and Buikwe.
Two
of the FDGs included young people out of care while the other two involved
randomly selected young people. All FDGs were heterogeneous involving males and
females. Twelve(12) Individual interviews were also conducted with care leavers
in addition to the FDGs.
2.5 Data Analysis and Preparation of Reports
Much
of the data collected during the study was qualitative and necessitated use of
content analysis for categorization of verbal and written data that were
gathered to classify, summarize and tabulate where possible. Content analysis
was done at two levels; first by providing descriptive account of the data
basing on respondent’s views. The second level involved a more interpretative
analysis in which the consultants where more concerned with responses as well
as what may have been inferred or implied by the respondent. Quantitative
analysis of data from all sources was done descriptively. This helped to draw
relationships between different variables hence creating a more informative
situational understanding of relationships between different themes of the
study.
2.6 Study Team
The
study team comprised of 5 members including one lead researcher, two associate
researchers and two research assistants who served as enumerators in each of
the districts. All members of the study team were trained on methods and
principles of research as prescribed by SOS’s international consultant’s
manuals.
2.7 Quality Assurance
Quality control was a key aspect of
the study, the following procedures in addition to direct supervision of team members
by the lead consultant was employed to help in assuring quality of both the
process and its output.
1.
All research assistants were trained
on procedures for the study. This helped reduce on variance in application of
tools and procedures.
2.
Interviews were recorded using
digital recorders where the respondents accepted to be recorded and transcribed
later. Other interviews were recorded by writing the responses into note books
or data entry forms that were provided for data collection.
3.
Enumerators double checked with
respondents to understand whether what they documented was what they meant
whenever a situation arose when there was doubt in information gathered.
2.8 Triangulation
The consultant cross-checked information
gathered from different sources using interviews, phone calls and documentary
analysis. The team endeavored to compare information gathered on the same
variable with information from at least 3 other sources to make sure it was
reliable and unbiased. This was especially helpful with online data and grey
literature.
2.9 Patents
Our field team sought permission from
respondents to have patent rights over any material gathered. A written consent
was also sought from participants of the study though in some case participants
were unwilling to provide additional consent beyond the initial consent to
participate in the study.
3.0 Country Context
The World
Bank (WB) mentions youth unemployment as a serious policy challenge in many Sub-Saharan
African (SSA) countries including Uganda. According to the WB youth aged 15 to
24 in SSA were twice likely to be unemployed compared to any other age cohort
in 2013[1].
For Uganda, in 2012, UBOS revealed that the share of unemployed youth among the
total unemployed persons in the country was 64 percent. It
was also estimated that 83 percent of the Ugandan youth was unemployed as of
2009[2].
While
increased access to education resulting from Uganda’s universal primary and
secondary education programs has made youth to get better educated, many
educated young people remain unemployed. The ILO calls on Government of Uganda
(GOU) and development partners to prioritize and place a stronger focus on designing
effective policy responses to unemploymentfor this cohort of people inpreparing
them for productive jobs[3].
Youth
unemployment in Uganda is multifaceted and is a result of complex factors like inadequate
investment in job creation, possession of insufficient employable skills by youth,
and miss-match of job seeker’s skills with requirement for available jobs (Pletscher,
2015; Ahaibwe and Mbowa, 2014) and high rates of labor force growth at 4.7 percent
per annum (UBOS, 2010)[4]. According
to UBOS, unemployment correlates quite well with characteristics of the
unemployed, for instance,urban youth are more likely to be unemployed (12%)
than rural youth (3%). In addition, female youth are twice as likely to be
unemployed compared to male youth (UBOS, 2015).
A
UBOS statistical abstract indicates that youth unemployment increases with the
level of education attained.Unemployment is lower among persons with no
education and primary education, and higher among those with secondary
education and above (UBOS, 2015). While this does not diminish the importance
of education in employment, it points towards the limits of available
employment opportunities. It also a result of increased competition for white
collar jobs by many educated people who are biased towards wage-paying formal
jobs which are very scarce and harder to find[5].
Furthermore,
socio-economic and cultural background is an important factor in employment in
Uganda. For example, youth with disability, children and young people from very
poor background and those without parental care are at greater risk of
discrimination in work and unemployment (SOS, 2015; Stein, 2005). This often
adds to the bias, exclusion and discrimination faced by these young people
during their childhood in the hands of caregivers and community members[6].
3.1 Population of
children and young people
The legal
age when a person is considered a child in Uganda is 18 years (Uganda Amended Children’s
Act 2016). Figure 1 and table 1 show thatUganda’s population is largely
comprised of young people. Children below 18 yearsmake 55 percent of Uganda’s
population of 34.6 million[7].
This puts Ugandain the ranks of countries with the youngest populations in the
world (Pletscher, 2015). Normally young people in care are no longer entitled
to special assistance and social protection when they become adults (SOS, 2015)
especially if they are not in school or engaged in any practical training or
skills development activity (CDO, Wakiso).
Fig 1: Population pyramid in Five-Year Age Groups, Uganda, 2002
Source:
Uganda Bureau of Statistics
Table 1: Percentage Distribution of the Ugandan
population by age groups
Age
(Years)
|
1969 census
|
1991 census
|
2002 census
|
6-12
|
22.7
|
22.3
|
21.9
|
Less than 15
|
46.2
|
47.3
|
49.4
|
Less than 18
|
51.4
|
53.8
|
56.1
|
10-24
|
27.8
|
33.3
|
34.2
|
13-19
|
12.9
|
15.8
|
16.3
|
15-24
|
16.2
|
20.0
|
19.9
|
18-30
|
21.7
|
23.6
|
22.3
|
60 and above
|
5.8
|
5.0
|
4.6
|
Source:
Uganda Bureau of Statistics
3.2 Education
status of children and young people
Uganda has a 7-4-2 formal education system
where primary school has an official entry age of six years and duration of
seven grades (P1-P7). Primary school is divided into "lower primary"
(P1-3), a "transition year" (P4), and "upper primary" (P5-7).
Secondary school is divided into two cycles: lower secondary consists of grades
8 – 11 (S1-4), and upper secondary consists of grades 12 – 13 (S5-6).
In principle, primary school
education is free and compulsory under Uganda Government Universal Primary
Education (UPE) scheme. Pupils sit for the Primary Leaving Certificate
Examination (PLE) at the end of grade 7 (P.7), the Uganda Certificate of
Education (UCE) at the end of grade 11 (S4), and the Uganda Advanced
Certificate of Education (UACE) at the end of grade 13 (S6).The school year is
broken down into three trimesters/terms; typically,February-April, May-August, and
September-December (UNESCO IBE, World Data on Education, revised 9/2010).
UPE and Universal Secondary Education
(USE) were introduced in Uganda in 1996 and 2010 respectively. Since then a
growing number of children and young people have enrolled and attained
education to a level of at least seventh grade (PLE certificate) which is a
requirement for entry into secondary school. Table 2 shows statistics of
enrollment and pass rates for PLE from 2011 to 2014. Uganda has a total of
9,428,000 pupils enrolled in primary and secondary education, of these pupils,
about 8,098,000 (86 percent) are enrolled in primary education (www.epdc.org).
A report by FHI 360 in Uganda shows
that vulnerable children like orphans are 50 percent more likely to be out of
school than non-orphans, and differences are statistically significant for
children aged 10-13 and 14-17 (www.fhi360.0rg).
On the other hand, children in CCIsare more likely to access primary and
secondary education while living in and benefiting from the institutional care than
their peers living with parents. This advantage applies to both male and female
children in well-established Child Care institutions.
The pass rates for PLE has been high
at an over 85% (table2) but only a fraction of those that sit for PLE
transition to secondary school. According to UBOS 68 percent of young people
out of school completed primary education and only 3.4 percent completed
tertiary education. Approximately half (51 percent) of young people surveyed by
UBOS left school early with the majority (59 percent) being young females. It is no wonder, therefore, that 71 percent
of young working people are undereducated for the work they do (UBOS,
2015).According to the ILO Uganda Work for Youth Transition publication report,
many young women and men, especially in rural areas, are not benefiting fully
from the educational system (ILO, 2014).
Table
2: Primary Leaving Examination Results by grade (2011-2014)
Characteristics
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
Pupils
who enrolled
|
532,631
|
564,217
|
579,431
|
627,343
|
Pupils
who registered
|
534,833
|
564,060
|
582,181
|
603,408
|
Pupils
Who Sat for PLE
|
514,916
|
543,071
|
561,466
|
585,620
|
Pupils
who passed PLE
|
444,815
|
480,067
|
494,839
|
516,861
|
Pass
Rate (Percent)
|
86.4
|
88.4
|
88.1
|
88.3
|
Source:
Uganda National Examinations Board
The 2014 Ministry of Education and
Sports (MoES) annual school census shows an increase in secondary school
enrolment of about 2 percent between 2013 and 2014 (table 3). However, the
quality of both UPE and USE education has increasingly come under scrutiny with
some critics arguing that the two programs have lowered the quality of
education that children get (www.theguardian.com).
Table 3: Key Secondary School Education
Indicators (2010-2014)
Indicator
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
Enrollment
|
1,210,870
|
1,251,507
|
1,362,439
|
1,391,250
|
Gross
enrollment rate
|
28
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
Net
enrollment rate
|
24
|
24
|
26
|
26
|
Source:
2014, Annual School Census, Ministry of Education and Sports
3.3 Employment
status of children and young people
Uganda’snational youth unemployment
rate is 6.2 percent[8] (table 4),
with differences observed between males (4.7 percent) and females (7.5 percent)
based on the strict definition of unemployment (UBOS, 2015). However,when the
relaxed definition of unemployment is used the national unemployed rates
increases to 16.4 percent[9].
UBOS statistics further reveals that unemployment ishigher among the more
educated implying that unemployment increases with each additional level of
education attainment. Tertiary level unemployment rate is estimated at 11.8 percent
and that for young people with no education estimated at 3.6 percent[10].
Table
4: Activity Status of Youth in Uganda (18-30 years), 2013 and 2015
Economic Activity
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
Total
|
||||||
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
SWTS 2015
|
|||||||||
Employed
|
80.4
|
60.7
|
68.5
|
80.8
|
73.8
|
76.8
|
80.8
|
69.7
|
74.4
|
Unemployed
(strict)
|
6.0
|
8.5
|
7.5
|
3.2
|
4.4
|
3.9
|
4.0
|
5.6
|
4.9
|
Inactive
(strict)
|
13.6
|
30.9
|
24.0
|
16.0
|
21.9
|
19.3
|
15.4
|
24.6
|
20.7
|
Total youth population
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Relaxed framework
|
|||||||||
Employed
|
80.4
|
60.7
|
68.5
|
80.8
|
73.8
|
76.8
|
80.7
|
69.7
|
74.4
|
Unemployed
(relaxed)
|
11.4
|
25.6
|
19.9
|
9.2
|
14.8
|
12.3
|
9.8
|
18.1
|
14.5
|
Inactive
(relaxed)
|
8.2
|
13.8
|
11.6
|
10.1
|
11.5
|
10.8
|
9.6
|
12.2
|
11.1
|
Total youth population
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
SWTS 2013
|
|||||||||
Employed
|
70.1
|
55.5
|
61.9
|
73.4
|
70.5
|
71.8
|
72.5
|
66.3
|
69.1
|
Unemployed
(strict)
|
3.6
|
7.1
|
5.6
|
3.9
|
4.4
|
4.1
|
3.8
|
5.1
|
4.5
|
Inactive
(strict)
|
26.3
|
37.5
|
32.5
|
22.7
|
25.2
|
24.1
|
23.7
|
28.6
|
26.4
|
Total youth population
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Relaxed framework
|
|||||||||
Employed
|
70.1
|
55.5
|
61.9
|
73.4
|
70.5
|
71.8
|
72.5
|
66.3
|
69.1
|
Unemployed
(relaxed)
|
7.0
|
21.5
|
15.1
|
7.4
|
11.6
|
9.7
|
7.3
|
14.11
|
11.1
|
Inactive
(relaxed)
|
22.9
|
23.1
|
23.0
|
19.2
|
17.9
|
18.5
|
20.2
|
19.4
|
19.7
|
Total youth population
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Source:
SWTS 2013 and SWTS 2015, UBOS
UBOS
statistics further reveal that informal employment is widespread among young
people and only 18 percent of working young people aged 15-29 have a written formal
contract. Sixty percentof the paid young employees take home less than the
average monthly wages/salaries while informal employment is almost universal
among young workers with 92 percent engaged (UBOS, 2016). It is therefore,
highly possible that a sizeable percentage of young people leaving care are
part of the statistic.
Study
findings also show that children in child care institutionare not likely be
engaged in any form of child labor or employment activities because care
providers tend to strictly adhere to standards of child care prescribed by
child laws and policies in Uganda. This puts children in CCIs in a better
position than those living with poor parents and relatives who are most likely
to expose their children to child labor and work at an early age to make ends
meet.
UBOS
statistics are well corroborated by findings from a study by Action Aid (Table 5)
that indicatesthat majority of young they studied was unemployed. Findings from
the same study shows that young people with no education and those with only
primary or secondary school were more likely to be unemployed than those who
with vocational training or university degree.
This
finding contradicts UBOS’s statement that more highly educated young people are
more likely to be unemployed than their counterparts with less education. Other
reasons for unemployment among young people in Uganda are lack of jobs and lack
of skills for available jobs (AAU, DRT, UNNGOF, 2012).
Table 5:
Employment status of young people by education attainment
Education
attainment
|
Employment (%)
|
|
Employed
|
Not employed
|
|
None
|
1.6
|
12.0
|
Primary
|
9.8
|
16.4
|
O’ Level
|
12.7
|
24.2
|
A’ Level
|
4.8
|
11.2
|
Vocational Training
|
2.5
|
4.2
|
University
|
7.1
|
3.6
|
Total
|
38.4
|
61.6
|
Source: AAU, DRT, UNNGOF. (2012). Lost
Opportunity? Gaps in Youth Policy and Programming in Uganda
A study by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD)
indicated that approximately 380,000 youth (ages 18-30) enter the labour market
each year but only 90,000 (less than 25 percent) of them get jobs (MGLSD, 2011).
Because nearly half of Uganda’s population is under the age of 15 (PRB, 2010)[11] it has become increasingly difficult for the
Uganda economy to match its job creation capacity with the large group of young
people entering the job market annually. Thus, many young people are unable to
find employment, and those who do are often absorbed into the informal sector
or become self- employed (ILO, 2011).
Study findings further reveal that only about
4 out of every 10 skilled/educated care leavers can get a decent job within one
year after leaving[12] the care system. According to care leavers,
it is more difficult for care leavers to access decent jobs than it is for similarly
qualified young people that did not go through the care system. This they
largely attributed to lack of connections and limited support from care givers
once they graduate from care. Child
labor has also been reported to be on the rise, the National Labour Force and
Child Activities Survey (NLF & CAS) of 2011/12 shows that about 4.3 million
children (39% of the children aged 6-17 years) in Uganda were involved in some
work[13] in 2011/12
(UBOS, 2016).
Analysis of UBOS UNPS 2010 dataset reveals
that a big majority of young people who considered themselves as employed were
ether self-employed or engaged in activities that contributed to family work/incomes
(Table 6).Again, this is consistent with the UNHS 2010 that showed that
majority of working youth in Uganda are self-employed in the informal sector in
which close to 97 percent of employed youth were engaged in 2010 (UBOS
2010).
Table 6:
Distribution of youth by employment status
Employment
status
|
Age Group
|
|
||
12-14
|
15-24
|
25-30
|
Total
|
|
Regular wage earner
|
0.0
|
1.6
|
6.1
|
3.0
|
Casual wage earner
|
1.2
|
17.6
|
20.7
|
17.4
|
Self employed
|
2.6
|
14.6
|
39.5
|
22.2
|
Contributing to family work
|
96.2
|
66.1
|
33.7
|
57.4
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Source: Based on analysis of UBOS Data sets 2010
Findings also
reveal that care leavers are more likely to be unemployed if they leave the CCI
without adequate skills and professional qualifications at diploma or degree
level. They are also less likely to be self-employed because they lack families
and social networks that other youths in their age groups have. This is
expressed in the following statement made by a care leaver.
“…the life of a care leaver is
not easy.Many of us are on our own once we leave institutional care. All the
family that you had from early childhood in the care institution disappears,
our mothers seem to lose interest in us and focus on the children that are
still with them in the care families. I count myself as extremely lucky to have
earned myself a job immediately after completing my studies at diploma level.
I’m even now studying a bachelor’s degree as I work but I know of very many care
leavers that are less fortunate. They are suffering, they have no relatives
here in Kampala and life without connections makes it even harder to get a job
when you do not have good professional skills and training”(Care leaver)
Table 7: Activities of
children (6-17 years), 2011/12
|
|
Proportion (%)
|
|
Attending school
|
Working
|
|
Sex
|
|
|
Male
|
88.1
|
39.6
|
Female
|
89.6
|
38
|
Residence
|
|
|
Urban
|
90.3
|
17.2
|
Rural
|
88.7
|
42.2
|
Total
|
88.8
|
38.8
|
Source: UBOS Data sets 2010
UBOS statistics indicatesthat the proportion
of jobless youth aged 18-30 years increased from 5% in 2002/03 to 8% in 2009/10.
Similar trends are evident in a study by Action Aid which found that
unemployment among female youth doubled between 2005 and 2010 further
exacerbating existing inequalities between young women and young men looking
for employment. It is highly likely that these trends have continued to grow because
the levelof economic progress that has occurred in Uganda from2010 is unlikely
to be big enough to counter the impact of large labor force growth rate that
has occurred over the same period.
Table 8
Youth Unemployment rate by Sex and Residence
Sex
|
2005/06
|
2009/10
|
||
Unemployment
rate
|
Jobless
|
Unemployment
rate
|
Jobless
|
|
Male
|
3.1
|
3.7
|
2.7
|
3.2
|
Female
|
2.2
|
9.8
|
4.4
|
8.5
|
Residence
|
|
|
|
|
Urban
|
9.6
|
17.0
|
10.2
|
13.8
|
Rural
|
1.4
|
4.6
|
2.4
|
4.2
|
National (12-30 years)
|
2.7
|
6.9
|
3.6
|
6.0
|
Source:
Uganda National Household survey 2005/06 and 2009/10
There is a high likelihood that young people
in Uganda and especially care leavers and other vulnerable sections of young
people will continue to face even greater challenges in accessing decent work
given the increasing rate of unemployment among young people.Analysis of UBOS
data also reveals differences in unemployment between urban and rural youth
with the former being close to three times the national average in 2009/10. While
table 8shows a better employment situation for rural youths, it is argued that
high prevalence of subsistence agriculture as a mainstay of the rural economy is
what employs rural based youth several forms of unpaid family labor jobs (AAIU,
DRT & UNNGOF, 2012).
Care leavers from CCIs that provide extended
post-childhood support and follow up have high chances of getting jobs and
fitting into life outside CCIs than those that do not get similar chances. This
is illustrated in the following statement by a senior staff at a CCI in Wakiso
district.
“…our
care leavers are well prepared for life outside care while they are still with
us. We strive to provide them with professional education and training, usually
up to university level or vocational training for those that opt for vocational
skills. In most cases, we help them look for jobs by contacting different
organizations. Normally we don’t allow them to leave without getting jobs. This
enables them to easily and quickly integrate into communities outside the care
family”
Eighty five percent (85%) of the care leavers
interviewed in this study reside in urban areas, most of them in Kampala city.
Care leavers are therefore likely to be more unemployed than the average young
person in their age group residing outside Kampala.
Female care leavers are at particularly
greater disadvantage because several studies show that female youths are more
likely to be unemployed than males.
“…it
is very rare for a girl like me to get a decent job here in Kampala if what you
say is what decent job means. But I think it all depends on how well someone
plans and manages their money however little they are earning. Many female leavers
care do not cope well with the hard life outside care. Some lucky ones like me
who got a business startup capital will try to create jobs for themselves but
it is very hard when you have no family and other people who can guide and give
you advice. I know of a friend who is suffering she has no job and is all alone”(Care
leaver)
3.4 Responsibility for children and young people
The Children’s Act provides the framework for protection
of all children in Uganda including those whodo not live with birth parents and
their extended family. Part III of this Act specifies the roles of local authorities
in supporting children. The Act also spells out responsibilities of the family
and children’s court that is mandated to preside over legal matters concerning
children in Uganda.
Findings show that responsibility for children in
Uganda can be broadly categorized into the two groups below:
1.
The first
is responsibility for children living with birth parentsor with extended family
and relativesin case of loss of birth parents or other circumstances that make
birth parents unable to perform their parenting role.
“It is the norm in Uganda that biological parents take care and
responsibility of their children, however, there are circumstances which makes
this not to happen and children end up living with relatives and extended
family members” (CDO,
Wakiso)
2.
Children who
donot live with birth parents andcannot also for different reasonslive with
relatives or extended family. Children under this category are normally taken
care of by Child Care Institutions, foster parents, NGOs and government as
explained by a respondent from Wakiso CDO.
“…the level of responsibility and care provided by any of these NGOs
and government depends on the entity’s mandate, mission, and objectivesand on
the level of support and funding available among other factors. For instance,the
government majorly provides the policy and legal frameworks for care and
responsibility for children and little of actual care and responsibility beyond
what it provides for child offendersin Government remand homes”
The next section provides in detail key roles and
responsibilities of government, NGOs, Child care institutions taking care of
children and young people in Uganda.
3.4.1 Government
The MGLSDhas the primaryresponsibility for child
protection and its mandate goes beyond children and spans to the youth who
encompass young people leaving care. However, government’s capacity to
adequately take care of children and youth has often been questioned. For
example, the human rights watch argues that key government institutions are
failing to adequately protect children who do not live with birth parents and close family (HRW, 2014). Usually
government only takes direct care of children under extreme circumstances and
only for a limited time.
These
circumstances include reported cases of child neglect, lost children and child
offendersas explained by a respondent in from the ministryGender Labor and
Social Development in the quote below.
“…the probation office or the Child and Family Unit of the
police take care of children under extreme circumstance, for example lost and
neglected children, while the children’s remand homes take care of child
offenders that are incarcerated”
The role
of the national government explained above is devolved to local governments at
district and sub-county level.When it comes to youth GOU has also put in place
employment policies and programs supportive of youth employment for instance,
education, entrepreneurship courses in schools, funds for youth employment like
Youth Livelihood Fund and SACCOS among others.
3.4.2 NGOs
NGOstakeholders play a very important role in
taking care of children and young people who can no-longer live with their
birth parents and extended family. Usually some NGOs enroll and take up
responsibility of children as young as 1 year to 5 years of age into
specialized projects like Orphans and Vulnerable Children projects. Other specialized
NGOs and organizations like child care institutionsalso enroll and take direct
care of children. A respondent from Another Hope children’s home explained their
role as follows:
“…children
under extreme circumstances like neglect and those that are dumped soon after
birth are usually eligible for enrolment at out facility and will normally stay
under care of the orphanage for as long as the project lasts or until they (the
children) grow into adulthood”
Findings below present the roles and responsibilities
played by NGOs in relation to care for children and young people incare, leaving
care and out of care.
Mobilization,sensitization and
awareness creationamong young people on social,
economic and health issues that affect them either directly or indirectly: - For
example, HIV/AIDS, risky lifestyles, skills development, job creation, human
rights and gender equality among others.Some NGOs undertake affirmative action
to support orphans and vulnerable children including those living with HIV/AIDS
while others provide alternatives to street life to children.
Education and Skills Development:
NGOs like Compassion International, World Vision and Youth Alive are supporting
government youth oriented programs like skilling Uganda and BTVET strategic planby
training and equipping young people withlife skills and behavioral change to
improve on their morals as well as facilitating their entry into the labour
market. This is mainly done in partnership with formal and non-formal
vocational training institutions and specialized projects targeting young
people. These trainings embed youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy
skills, value chain development to improve on productivity of Income Generating
Activities (IGAs) and livelihoods of young people.
Some
of the technical and vocational trainings offered impart youths with skills
like hair dressing, welding, motor vehicle mechanics, tailoring etc. to prepare
them for employment. It is argued that these skills help youth and care leavers
to compete favorably in the job market.
SOSCV
for example provides opportunities for education to vulnerable children and
youth through sponsorships as well as life skills that enable children under
their care to acquire professional skills at higher levels of education.SOS
also provides some of its care leavers that submit successful proposals with
money gifts which they can use as business startup capital thus preparing them
for independent living
Advocacy:Some
NGOs are engaged in advocacy for appropriate policy frameworks and environment that
will enable youth to develop social economic and cultural skills that enhance
their participation in the overall development of Uganda.Other NGOs are advocating
for social and economic rights of care leavers and linking them to appropriate
government programs for youth, for example, theYouth Livelihood Program (YLP) that
provides a revolving fund to organized youth groups to undertake projects to that
improve their livelihoods.Furthermore, someNGOs where mentioned to be engaged
in capacity-building, training and technical support to government on child
protection and rehabilitation of child offenders.
3.4.3 Child Care Institutions
Most
CCIs are privately run by individuals, non-governmental and faith based organizations.
The MGLSD records show that there are over 1000 CCIs in Uganda, but only 39 were
legally as of 2016. SOS CV Uganda is one of the registered CCIs in Uganda providing
alternative homes and family health and education services for children under
their care.
Akey
informant from SOS CV said that all CCIs are expected to be registered by MGLSD
and before admission of any child the institution they are expected to get a
court order for a duration of 3 years which is renewable.Findings indicate that many children are admitted
in CCIs between 0-5 years. A care leaver narrates the role of care institutions
in child care.
“…I was admittedinto SOS care family in 1992 when I was 5 years
old by some well-wishers. I lost both my parents and I was a suffering orphan. All this changed when I joined SOS. I’m very
grateful to God and very much appreciate the care and upbringing I got from my
SOS family. They paid all my school fees from Nursery school through primary
secondary school to YMCA where I studied and graduated with a diploma in 2011”(Care leaver)
3.5 Where children are placed
Study findings reveal that children may be placed
under foster care or residential care depending on the type and nature of
organization taking care of them, the CDO Buikwe district explained as follows:
“…children rescued under OVC projects are placed under foster
care of other families within their communities willing and able to take them
up with sustained support from NGO projects. Usually all children in orphanages
are placed under residential care in the establishments and homes managed by
the orphanages. Children who don’t live with birth parents and are not under care
of extended family or relatives are normally taken care of by NGOs and church
aided organizations, children’s homes, charities, orphanages”
GOU has no formal places in which children are
taken care of for long time periods after they are delivered to the police either
as lost, abandoned or neglected. Instead the government through the probation
office in the local government and the police’s child and family protection
unit will quickly make referrals of these children to the nearest known child
care institution. Once in the CCI children
will usually spend most of their childhood in these places or be adopted by
families within or out of the country or may stay until they transition out of
care.
4.0 The situation of care
leavers in Uganda
Care
leavers are young people who leave care because they have reached the age when
they are no longer entitled to special protection and assistance from the care
system. Typically, young people in Uganda achieve care leaver status when they
turn 18 years, however, in some countries this can be up to 24 years, or later,
depending on various circumstances (SOS, 2015).
Even
with the above definition the concept of care leavers and young people leaving
care is one that is not well known. Not much research has been conducted in Uganda on institutional child
care and young people leaving care.Care leavers are an entity
that is not well documented in the laws of Ugandamaking data and literature on care leavers hard to get.
Care
leavers are not given a special attention by legislations, social protection
policies and programs with respect to theirsocial economic and cultural rights.
There is also no legal definition of ‘care leavers’
in Uganda. All children transition from child-hood to adult-hood once they
attain the age of 18 years. Thus, care leavers are not a special sub-group of
youth population in Uganda.
While the laws and legal frameworks on children and
young people in Uganda recognize the existence of children in and out of care,
there is no specific policy on care leavers. However, there is a comprehensive
legislation that governs children in care and youth. These legislations fall
under the MGLSD. Other legislation and policy/administrative frameworks that
govern children and youth in Ugandaare listed below:
Policies
·
Constitution
of Uganda 2005
·
Local
Government (Amended) Act 2010
·
National
Youth policy and Action Plan 2016
·
The
Children’s (Amendment) Act 2016
Administrative Frameworks
·
Social
welfare office and dedicated gender desk at district level
·
Probation
and social welfare office in every local government
·
CDO at
district and Sub County level
·
Government
institutions like Local Council systems which have positions of secretary for
women and children’s affairs
Institutional level policies
Globally, SOS CV has in place several
policy guidelines related to youth and care leavers which are contextualized to
fit existing specific country legal frameworks.
These include: the youth policy, gender equality policy, child
admission, reintegration guideline. For instance, by policy all youth have
development plans, exit meetings and provided with skills prepare them for some
level of self-reliance.
4.1 Pathways into and
out of care
The Children’s AmendmentAct 2016 provides
guidelines and legal framework for foster parenting and adoption of children
who don’t live with birth parents and orphans. The Uganda Children (approved
homes) rules 2013 directs that approved homes shall only receive children in
two ways; either in an emergency from a police, a probation and social welfare
officer or any other person for a maximum period of forty-eight(48) hours
pending production of the child in a court; or on an interim care order. This
was confirmed by SOS key informants who stressed that every child admitted into
institutional care must have a court order granting institutional care. This
order is secured through the probation officer
[3]ILO work4Youth publication series No. 24 Labor market transitions of
young women and men in Uganda, 2014
[6]Faith to Action initiative, children, orphanages, and families. A
summary of research to help guide faith-based action, 2014
[8]UBOS Statistical Abstract 2016
[9]
Relaxing the definition of unemployment altered the picture to an extent, the
difference in unemployment rates overall was more than twice the unemployment
rate based on the strict definition of unemployment, implying that mostly youth
were available to work but not actively seeking work.
[13]
Working: A person is regarded to be working that is at work, if he/she
gainfully worked in an economic activity for at least one hour during the
reference week. Permissible light work: Light work refers to non-hazardous
activities done by children in their homes under observation and supervision by
their families in an environment free of exploitation
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