Youth Realities, Aspirations, Transitions to Adulthood and Opportunity Structures in Uganda’s Dryland Areas Brenda Boonabaana, Peace Musiimenta, Margaret Najjingo Mangheni, and Jasper Bakeiha Ankunda Grain Legumes and Alliance Dryland Cereals Table of contents List of tables ................................................................................................................................................ iv List of figures ............................................................................................................................................... iv List of photos ............................................................................................................................................... iv List of boxes ................................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... v Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................... vi Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Method .................................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Characterisation of youth in dryland areas ........................................................................................... 11 4. Youth transition and engagement in dryland agriculture ...................................................................... 20 5. Youth interests, existing opportunity structures and deficiencies ........................................................ 28 6. Conclusions and recommendations ....................................................................................................... 47 References .................................................................................................................................................. 52 Appendix 1. Participant list for Rupa Sub-county, Moroto District ............................................................ 55 Appendix 2. Participant list for Bugondo Sub-county, Serere District ........................................................ 57 Appendix 3. Participant list for Anaka Sub-county, Nwoya District ............................................................ 58 Appendix 4. What went well, or not by district ......................................................................................... 60 iii List of tables Acknowledgements Table 1. Number of interviews conducted by district, sex and age ............................................................. 16 The Uganda country research team gratefully acknowledges the valuable contributions of many Table 2. Youth typologies, characteristics and aspirations in the study districts ......................................... 19 individuals whose time, expertise and ideas made this study possible. Table 3. Cereal and grain legume value chains preferred by youth ............................................................ 27 Particular thanks go to the study participants of Rupa Sub-county, Moroto District; Bugondo Sub- Table 4. Youth interests and needs in Moroto, Nwoya and Serere districts ................................................ 29 county, Serere District and Anaka Sub-county in Nwoya District. Appreciation further goes to the District Administrative Officers, District Community Development Officers, and Sub-County Table 5. Youth specific targets of the 6 SDGS .............................................................................................. 30 Community Development officials for the support rendered to the research teams during the Table 6. Youth identification of programmes and services in their localities .............................................. 32 study. Special thanks to the ICRISAFT technical team leader, particularly Dr Esther Njuguna Mungai for providing technical oversight of the project, and Ms Rachel Gitundu for providing input to the Table 7. Livelihood activities preferred by female and male youth ............................................................ 39 literature section, Ms Mavis Eleanor Manyasa of ICRISAT for her support during fieldwork activities. Table 8. Other persistent challenges affecting youth in dryland areas ........................................................ 44 The team is also grateful to Ms Katindi Sivi Njojo for her technical input. Table 9. Opportunity structures: Benefits and critical deficiencies ............................................................. 45 Gratitude is extended to all research assistants on the project (Ms Frances Longora, Mr Pius Okello and Mr Charles Amaitum) for their valuable support, and Hellen Opie for her mobilisation support List of figures in Serere. We thank Makerere University management for providing a conducing environment and logistical support for the study. Jeffery Bentley edited this report. Figure 1. Field work sites in Uganda ............................................................................................................. 9 Figure 2. Key influencers for youth realities in dryland areas ..................................................................... 46 Last but not least, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) provided financial support, which is most gratefully acknowledged. List of photos Photo 1. House with a sheet metal roof that female youth prefer ............................................................ 15 Photo 2. Young mothers being helped to care for their children in Eastern Uganda ................................. 21 Photo 3. A hut built by a male youth as a marker of transition in Serere ................................................... 23 Photo 4. Girls in Moroto carrying fencing materials ................................................................................... 34 Photo 5. Stone quarrying and brewing business in Rupa Sub-county, Moroto .......................................... 39 Photo 6. Rice distributed by government to vulnerable community members ......................................... 40 Photo 7. Innovative farm practices in Serere .............................................................................................. 42 Photo 8. A road destroyed by floods in Serere District in December 2019 ................................................ 43 List of boxes Box 1. Shattered hopes due to early pregnancy: Youth experiences in Serere .......................................... 22 Box 2. Experiences of former LRA captives in Nwoya District .................................................................... 25 Box 3. Case examples from Serere and Moroto Districts ........................................................................... 37 iv v Acronyms Summary ABEK Alternative Basic Education for Karamoja The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a lead centre for the CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (CRP-GLDC), in partnership with ACFODE Action for Development Makerere University, commissioned a study on “Youth realities, aspirations, opportunity structures ALREP Northern Uganda Agricultural Livelihoods Recovery Programme in the drylands of Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia”. The findings will provide a critical input into the development of a “CRP-GLDC Youth Strategy for the Drylands” in East and Southern African dryland CDO Community Development Officer regions. The study focused on the youth, including who they are and their aspirations, their transition experiences, engagement in dryland agricultural value chains, as well as existing opportunity structures CEWIGO Centre for Women in Governance and associated challenges. By understanding these dynamics, ICRISAT’s CRP-GLDC gender programme will better target and engage male and female youth in cereal and legume value chains towards a CRP-GLDC CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals commercialised rural economy. In addition, other programs in the CRP-GLDC and beyond will adopt DCAO District Chief Administrative Officer some of the study recommendations to design youth-friendly, sustainable and impactful interventions. DCDO Deputy Community Development Officer Method FGD Focus Group Discussion This study focused on three dryland regions of Uganda: North (Nwoya District), North East (actually the eastern part of the Northern Region: Moroto District/Karamoja Sub-region) and Eastern Region FOWODE Forum for Women in Democracy (Serere District). The study drew on a comparative case study design, and used a qualitative approach GoU Government of Uganda using three interview methods of focus group discussions (FGDs) (six males and six female FGDs), life histories (25 males and 21 females) and key informant interviews (KIIs) (nine males and nine females). ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Seventy-six interviews were held with female and male participants across the three districts. Data were analysed in the field,