Creating Opportunities for Young People through Digital Innovation Operations under the European Union-funded Creating Opportunities for Youth in Digital Economy (CODE) project have transitioned rapidly from initial setup into tangible community implementation across Gandaki and Madhesh Provinces, marking a series of early program milestones. Implemented by a consortium led by Swisscontact alongside Restless Development and …
The Creating Opportunities for Youth in Digital Economy (CODE) project has been launched to connect young people in Nepal with opportunities in the digital economy. Over the next three years, the initiative aims to equip 10,000 young women and men with market-relevant digital skills and connect them to formal employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Launched to …
Story by Hannah Silas (28), Youth Researcher. Zimbabwe After graduating from the University of Jos in late 2024, I was looking for opportunities that matched my passion for research and creating positive change. In early 2025, I came across a Facebook post advertising Community Researcher positions across 14 African countries. After I had submitted my …
By Ssaazi Kizito (SHE SOARS Youth Advisory Board) One of the most striking lessons I learned from the 2025 SHE SOARS All Partners Meeting in Lusaka is that adolescent health and economic empowerment are not parallel priorities—they are mutually reinforcing realities. When young people, for example, adolescent girls, are equipped with practical, income-generating skills, their …
Masitula Musubika, a 28-year-old from the Island of Jaguzi in Mayuge district, Eastern Uganda, lives with a physical disability. In 2024, she joined Restless Development as a Youth Researcher on the Youth Researchers Academy Project, focusing on the topic of examining the barriers and facilitators to accessing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services among young …
Uganda’s demographic trends are shaping every aspect of its development From economic growth and education to healthcare, governance, security, and climate change adaptation. With a growing youth population, the government sees this as a historic opportunity to drive the country toward middle-income status. Vision 2040 and the National Development Plans are key to this ambitious …
How Abubakar Defied the Odds and Transformed His Community Abubakar Matumla, a young leader from Kibaha District, Tanzania, began his lifelong learning journey amidst the challenges of accessing education due to his family’s financial constraints. Despite these difficulties, his parents’ unwavering determination inspired him to pursue his studies, instilling in him values of courage and …
Young girls like Elizabeth are breaking barriers through education and setting an example to inspire others. Limited access to education for girls in rural Sierra Leone poses a significant challenge. Discriminatory practices often rooted in cultural norms and economic disparities hinder girls from receiving the life-changing education they deserve. Elizabeth is a 12-year-old young girl …
“I facilitate football drills lessons in community football teams to share sexual health information with young people.” Agness Malunga, 22, is a football player who plays for a youth football team in Katuba, a rural community in Mkushi District, Central Province, Zambia. Growing up, Agness always played football – a male-dominated game in her village. …
For Tonny and Claudia, a charged phone is the first priority ahead of a busy day volunteering. Tonny lists his morning tasks, giving us an idea of what his daily to-do list looks like. “First I travel to the project location, meet the project lead, and prepare to start monitoring a project. I speak to …