The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen – in partnership with the Youth Leadership Development Foundation(YLDF) – is pleased to launch the seventh edition of the Youth Leadership Programme for the year 2021 (YLP7). Application deadline: Thursday, 17 September 2021.

We are looking for applicants who:  

• Are a social entrepreneur with an innovative business idea
• Have an innovative solution to address a social challenge in your community
• Want to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• With to meet and collaborate with other young leaders
• Want to learn how to improve the design of your solution and implement projects that will help your communities
• Desire to learn how to improve your business idea and how you could implement it in reality
• Would like to know more about wellbeing and mental health

What is the Youth Leadership Programme?

In 2015, UNDP in the Arab States launched the Youth Leadership Programme to empower young people and support them to design and implement innovative, impactful, and sustainable development solutions – whether in the form of social enterprises, nonprofits, NGOs, initiatives, social entrepreneurship, or campaigns.

As such, UNDP Yemen is looking to engage and nurture Yemeni entrepreneurs and Yemen’s young people who are involved in tackling the most difficult challenges of our time and who contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable development.

YLP7 will support and empower Yemen’s young change-makers to design and implement innovative, effective, and sustainable development solutions. It aims to:

• Accelerate implementation of pioneering solutions for sustainable development; and,
• Build networks of young women and men who can create change and have a positive, sustainable impact in their communities.

2021 Theme: Creating Change from Inside Out

This year’s YLP7 theme is “Creating Change from the Inside Out”. It focuses on the wellbeing of young changemakers and social entrepreneurs and how - by addressing their own mental health - they can be part of creating solutions that address challenges within their community.

The Programme will answer the questions:

• What does wellbeing and mental health mean? 
• How can social innovators create solutions to community challenges by addressing their mental health? 
• And how can we work torward it? 

YLP7 in Yemen will support the youth through two pathways: community builders and social entrepreneurs.

1. Community builders

Young Yemeni people have always played a key role in developing grassroots innovations that address gaps in the availability of essential services in their communities. Young people have shown that they can play a valuable role as an innovator or agent of change, and that their contribution should be actively supported and seen as part of building peaceful communities.

2. Social entrepreneurs

Yemen, as most of the Arab region, suffers from the high youth unemployment. The United Nations recognizes that entrepreneurship and innovation are essential to harness the economic potential of every nation; however, for entrepreneurship to thrive, a conducive business environment is needed. The added value of the YLP7 is the promotion and introduction of metrics geared towards impacting the SDGs in business and promoting more sustainable private sector development over time.

Participation brings about Opportunities

By joining YLP7, you will:

• Be a part of a dynamic network of young and innovative Yemeni leaders who desire to help the country build forward better. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in the Programme with other young leaders from the Arab region and will have extensive opportunities to not only implement your ideas for social change but also develop your leadership potential.
• Develop your skills in social innovation approaches and methodologies as well as increase your skills in problem-solving, communication and leadership, strengthen your presentation abilities, and increase your understanding of emotional intelligence.
• Help expand your knowledge of the SDGs.
• Learn more about wellbeing and mental health and its role in creating effective change.
• Play a role in the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals.
• Receive a participation certificate.

The three-best youth from each pathway will receive US$ 2,000.

Eligibility Criteria

Both women and men applicants that meet the requirements below are encouraged to apply here. The deadline for the application is Thursday, 17 September 2021. Women and people living with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

• Between 19 – 29 years of age
• Fluency in Arabic
• Yemeni nationality living one of these governorates (Aden, Hadramout, Shabwa, Socotra, Abyan, Al-Dhale, Al-Mahra,Taiz, and Lahj)
• Have an innovative solution or social entrepreneurship idea/project that contributes to achieving the SDGs and 2030 Agenda
• Highly motivated and interested in social change
• No experience necessary to apply
• Internet accessibility and knowledge
• The ability to commit within the programme period (September-October 2021) 
  

Given COVID-19 situation, the training will be delivered virtually via ZOOM.

For questions, please contact: YLPYemen@YLDF.org  

About our Partners

The Youth Leadership Development Foundation is a Yemeni non-governmental, non-profit organization established to encourage young people, especially marginalized groups and girls, to participate in the development of Yemen by expressing their views. This is particularly important where young people represent a large segment of population but do not play a significant role in the decision-making process.

“A Yemen in which skilled, well qualified, and active young women and men play leadership roles in all domains of society and enable Yemenis to contribute to a better world. Its goal is “The full potential of Yemeni youth are unlocked and they are able to meet their social and economic aspirations to play leadership role in society.”