Youth leadership development programs in Africa : assessing two case studies

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The central focus of this thesis is Youth Leadership Development programs in Africa.These programs are viewed within the context of the circumstances the youth currentlyface in their lives, and also the important role the youth in Africa have to play in the futureof the continent. It is argued that leadership development holds the key to addressing thesocial, economic and political challenges Africa currently experiences.The Youth capacity building program in Uganda and the Joint Enrichment Project in SouthAfrica were chosen as two case studies of Youth Leadership Development programs inAfrica. The two case studies were benchmarked against the assessment tool that theInternational Youth Foundation (IYF) has created for making youth programs work. Theabove two programs differ greatly in their cultural, economic, social and political contexts.The aim of this study is to determine whether a single set of criteria for Youth LeadershipDevelopment programs in the African context is possible, despite the aforementioneddifferences inherent in the programs. To this end separate qualitative comparisons havebeen conducted on both the case studies. Shortcomings with regard to the assessment toolas well as the chosen youth programs were also identified.This study highlights that community development includes youth development, andtherefore also the training of future leaders. Africa cannot rely on previous models ofleadership development for today's youth. Further research in this field is needed, but thisstudy confirms that Youth Leadership Development is vital in Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University