The project will provide business and financial skills training to marginalised street youth in Duque de Caxias, Brazil. 30% of youth on the streets in Rio de Janeiro are from Caxias, and a high percentage of those from Mangueirinha favela, where our project is based. By supporting young people to start or expand small businesses, get a job or return to education, the project aims to reduce poverty for young people and their families and reduce the number of young people ending up on the street.
UNICEF (2006) has estimated that 42% of Brazilian children live in poverty and up to 8 million children live on the streets. In Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, only 20% of the adult population has a secondary school certificate. Lack of education is a key factor in the 55% local unemployment rate and the resulting high levels of criminality, drug trafficking and prostitution. It is therefore crucial that these youth develop suitable skills to avoid chronic unemployment, poverty and criminality.
Our project will provide a two-week Training of Trainers workshop, educating 15 frontline youth workers to roll-out our Street Business Toolkit to street youth in their area. The Toolkit is accessible to youth with low literacy levels and little experience of formal education, guiding them through simple, practical steps to plan and start a business, or secure a paid job. Youth who earn a decent living are better able to support themselves and contribute to their family income.
In addition to immediate poverty relief for the youth involved, the project will build the capacity of local NGOs and youth workers to deliver business training to youth in their communities. Integrating our training into their youth livelihood programmes will ensure our impact is felt far beyond the project period. Following the project, the 15 trained youth workers have the capacity to reach up to 210 youth per year, indefinitely. Trained youth can feel confident in their earning potential and
