Kujenga Amani Pamoja – Building Peace Together

Despite the sustained economic growth in the last few years, Kenya is still faced with acute socio-economic challenges including unemployment and poverty that is threatening to derail its efforts to achieve national as well as the millennium development goals. Youth shoulder the brunt of the socioeconomic problems in Kenya with limited opportunities to improve their livelihood. Youth (15–34 years old), who form 35% of the Kenyan population, have the highest unemployment rate of 67%. The coastal area faces increasing insecurity, extremism, and radicalization, particularly in Kwale county. Kwale and Mombasa, key economic, political, and social hubs, suffer from persistent community disenfranchisement since independence. Many youths are out of school and unemployed, making them vulnerable to extremism and radicalization. Significant gender disparities persist across education, health, parliamentary representation and labour market participation. Women face longer working hours, underrepresentation and higher poverty rates (34% among women aged 35-59). Girls’ drop-out rates exceed those of boys, reflecting the undervaluing of female education. Violence against girls has increased since 2012 (45% of women aged 15-49 affected) and female genital mutilation remains prevalent in some communities, despite a national decline.

Youths and young men in Tanzania experience high unemployment and limited access to quality education. Many migrate from rural to urban areas seeking better job opportunities but often lack professional skills and access to credit. Although 77% of the population is under 35, they are underrepresented in decision-making processes, especially locally (USAID/Tanzania youth assessment report, 2020). Gender equality remains distant with significant gaps. Government data from 2021 reveals 60% of women live in extreme poverty, with limited access to employment and fair wages. Gender-Based violence rates are alarmingly high, with women accounting for more than two-thirds of victims. Recent police reports highlight 14,184 incidents of Gender-Based violence and violence against children. Additionally, more than half of out-of-school children aged 7-17 are girls, reflecting limited pathways to advancement.

Mozambique has one of the lowest human development indices in the world and over 60% of the population living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate is 44.8%, and the illiteracy rate is 60.7% (PED 2018-2027) with 58% of young women living in extreme poverty and 54% of young men (UN Women et. al. 2020). In 2019 Mozambique was ranked 181st out of 189 countries in the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index, and 127th out of 162 countries in the Gender Inequality Index (UNDP 2020). Extreme poverty, a lack of social services and gender norms that discriminate against women have contributed to the unequal status of women and girls in Mozambique. Women have lower levels of education than men and women over 25 have 2.7 mean years of schooling while men have 4.5 mean years of schooling. High levels of teenage marriage and childbirth coupled with a lack of access to healthcare services and low contraceptive prevalence (25%) result in a fertility rate of 4.9 children per women (USAID 2019). Since 2017, the Cabo Delgado conflict has its roots in the pre-existing socioeconomic marginalisation of northern Mozambique, political and religious ideology, and inequalities worsened by the discovery of minerals and natural gas deposits in the region, which has threatened the livelihood of the local population. As of January 2024, over 582,000 were still displaced in northern Mozambique, due to recurring attacks on civilians and governmental forces by Non-state armed groups since 2017.

In order to address this situation, we have tailored an intervention centered on the civil society which aims at empowering young women and men living in the coastal bordering areas of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique to become peacebuilders and agents of positive change within their communities. The project adopts an inclusive community-led approach that recognizes the critical role of grassroots efforts in supporting sustainable peace and the importance of empowering individuals, families, and community members to be stakeholders in peacebuilding efforts. Through participatory approaches, WeWorld supports the use of media and arts to empower youth and to promote social cohesion, peacebuilding and gender equality. Conflict-sensitivity is integrated into every phase of the project, informed by a deep understanding of the conflict and peace dynamics specific to the target locations.