This project used a five-step co-creation process in Uganda and Malawi to develop community-led strategies for youth livelihoods, climate resilience, and basic education improvement. It was implemented in collaboration with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) and community-based organizations in Uganda (Palabek SACCO, Bed ki woro youth group, ‘Mama Eyetengereire Mukusomesa Abaanabe’ (MEMA), and ‘Gema Kumwanamwino Asome Twezimbe’ (GEKAT). The project was implemented between 2019 and 2023 with funding from USAID. Operating in selected communities in Uganda and Malawi, the project addressed three persistent development challenges: youth unemployment, climate vulnerability in recurring adverse climate zones, and quality deficits in basic education amongst low-income rural schools.
The project used a five-step community innovation co-creation process: 1) Community immersion through extended engagement with local leaders, groups, and households; 2) Participatory problem definition using local knowledge systems to reframe challenges from community perspectives; 3) Collective ideation workshops employing human-centered design principles adapted to local contexts; 4) Prototype development and testing within communities using low-cost, iterative approaches; and 5) Implementation planning with clear roles, resources, and monitoring mechanisms owned by community structures.
In Uganda, the project worked with communities in two districts located in Eastern (Mayuge district) and northern (Lamwo district). In Mayuge district, the process addressed educational quality challenges through community-school partnerships that developed locally-relevant teaching materials and parent-led monitoring systems. In Lamwo district, the focus of the project that was collaboratively identified was the youth livelihood component which used sustainable entrepreneurial practices that connected traditional vocational and entrepreneurial skills with market opportunities, supporting enterprises in agro-processing, bakery, and financial literacy capacity building through the youth SACCOs.
In Malawi, similar processes were implemented in Nsanje district which was facing distinct climate challenges, especially flood-prone areas. Two context-specific resilience projects were co-developed as a result: (1) Building capacity of farmers in intensive maize production using residual moisture; and (2) Enhancing food security through youth involvement in agriculture in GVH Bitilinyu.
A distinctive feature was the project’s emphasis on ‘self-reliance’ and ‘agency’ – building skills, confidence, networks, and the decision-making power of community members to drive their own development. The project documented significant shifts in community attitudes from dependency to proactive problem-solving, with measurable outcomes including increased school attendance, diversified livelihood sources, and enhanced community capacity to mobilize local resources for collective action. The key learnings from this project emphasize the importance of giving sufficient time for genuine relationship-building and the need to balance structured methodologies with flexibility to adapt to local realities.
Below are the links to some of the products from this project:
■ Community co-creation manual
■ MEMA report
■ Palabek SACCO project report
■ GEMA report
