March 15, 2011
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While the world has been closely watching the Ugandan Elections, there has been another democratic process unfolding in Uganda that BRAC has been monitoring. Youth, who make up around 22 percent of Uganda’s population, have also been electing their representatives in all levels of Government. This process started off in December 2010 with the election of village youth committees and will conclude with the youth parliamentary elections in March 2011.BRAC has been closely following the engagement of adolescent club members in these elections. These adolescent clubs are the very core of the Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescent (ELA) programme implemented by BRAC. There are currently 690 clubs set up by the programme across Uganda.


While the world has been closely watching the Ugandan Elections, there has been another democratic process unfolding in Uganda that BRAC has been monitoring. Youth, who make up around 22 percent of Uganda’s population, have also been electing their representatives in all levels of Government. This process started off in December 2010 with the election of village youth committees and will conclude with the youth parliamentary elections in March 2011.BRAC has been closely following the engagement of adolescent club members in these elections. These adolescent clubs are the very core of the Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescent (ELA) programme implemented by BRAC. There are currently 690 clubs set up by the programme across Uganda. Through these clubs, BRAC is working with adolescent girls to create a safe environment, where they can develop skills to become empowered, confident and self-reliant individuals who are active agents of social change in their families and communities.In December, a total of 180 club members ran and 109 members were successfully elected to represent the voice of youth at various positions in the village level committees. The posts that they for which they were elected includes Chairperson, Vice chairperson, Treasurer, General Secretary, Secretary for Finance, Secretary for Labour, Secretary for Female and Youth Affairs, Secretary for Students’ Affairs, Secretary for Sports and Culture, Publicity Secretary, Representative for the Disabled and Representative for NGOs. Some club members also ran at the recently organised sub-county and parish level elections and 19 of them have been elected.“I am very excited to have joined politics. I have always wanted to be a leader. This is a great opportunity for me. I joined these elections because I wanted to be a voice for my fellow girls in the youth committee. Besides I want to be an example to all girls, especially club members, in my village.”This was the view of 22 year old Nankyanzi Agnes, from Miti adolescent club in West Uganda who has been a Mentor for the club for nearly 3 years. She was elected as Secretary Finance at village level, and then elected as Secretary for Female and Youth at sub county level. Agnes learned of the elections through the ELA programme.
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