Facilitating the Transition of Adolescents and Emerging Adults From Care Into Employment in Kampala, Uganda: A Case Study of Uganda Youth Development Link

Abstract

Uganda has an increasing number of vulnerable youth in care who require support to transition into adult life. This article explores the agency enablers and the factors which hinder adolescents and emerging adults transitioning from care to adulthood, with an emphasis on the transition into work taking a case study of the Uganda Youth Development Link. Cross-sectional and case study designs were employed using structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. Results show that care programs helped care leavers gain skills that facilitated self-reliance through employment in the formal sector and self-employment, a savings culture and expansion of social networks. Enablers included the mentors, exchange learning visits, placements with businesses, and positive social support networks. Unaffordable business premises, stigma and discrimination, limited access to credit, and insecurity inhibited successful post care transition. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of agency and structure in the transition out of care in Uganda.

Leaving Care in Africa

“…Dickens and Marx (2020) report that, though many of the care-leavers in their study were NEET, they were mostly living in formal dwelling spaces rather than informal dwellings, because many lived with their families 2 years after leaving care. Bukuluki, Kamya, Kasirye, and Nabulya (2020) and Frimpong-Manso (2020) also provide evidence of the importance of social support from family and community networks to successful care-leaving.…”

“…The papers in this special issue repeatedly emphasize that despite the odds and adversities, African youth who leave care exhibit resilience by navigating toward better outcomes. Several attain high educational qualifications, are in stable marriages, and do not use drugs (Bukuluki et al, 2020; Dickens & Marx, 2020; Frimpong-Manso, 2020). The youth’s personal motivation, including their hope for the future and fear of failure, enables them to succeed during their transition.…”

“…qualitative data (Bond, 2020;Frimpong-Manso, 2020;Gwenzi, 2020;Moodley, Raniga, & Sewpaul, 2020;Takele & Kotecho, 2020), quantitative data (Dickens & Marx, 2020), and mixed methods data (Bukuluki, Kamya, Kasirye, & Nabulya, 2020;Dziro, 2020). Most of the evidence comes from residential care, but there is also a focus on nonformal kinship care, an area on which very little is written, despite being the major form of alternative care for OVC on the continent.…”

Toward Many Emerging Adulthoods: A Theory-Based Examination of the Features of Emerging Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth

“…For instance, young people across the world are almost three times more likely than adults to be unemployed (International Labour Organization, 2012). Those with lower educational attainment and limited family support are more likely to experience broad instability in adult life, necessitating the development of specialized employment interventions for young people leaving systems of care, such as the Uganda Youth Development Link program in Kampala, Uganda (Baggio et al, 2015; Bukuluki et al, 2020). Given the broad and global reach of these social forces, we assert that the experiences of cross-systems youth should not be considered marginal or even rare, but rather constitute a distinctive but common manifestation of emerging adulthood.…”

Suicidal Ideations and Attempts Among Adolescents in Kampala Urban Settlements in Uganda: A Case Study of Adolescents Receiving Care From the Uganda Youth Development Link

“…These adolescents and youths are mostly vulnerable and at risk of exploitation and abuse. UYDEL's aim is to enhance the socio-economic transformation of vulnerable adolescents and youths through advocacy for their rights and skills development (Bukuluki et al, 2019 ; Uganda Youth Development Link, 2021 ). In 2020, UYDEL served 805 adolescents (Uganda Youth Development Link, 2021 ).…”