Invisible Lives: Understanding Youth Livelihoods in Ghana and Uganda

Default image, no image supplied by the user.This report explores the diverse livelihoods of rural young people ages 18-24 in Uganda and Ghana. They undertake a mix of informal sector employment, self-employment and agriculture-related activities to sustain their livelihoods.  Agriculture production is central to rural youth livelihoods, but agricultural incomes were meager. Both formal and informal wage employment is rare and sporadic. Entrepreneurship (self-employment) remains an important economic activity. The research found that mixed livelihoods allow for risk mitigation and help to maximize young people’s economic opportunities within vulnerable geographic areas; mixed livelihoods are therefore a logical choice and may be the most economically viable course of action for many disadvantaged rural young people in Africa. 

 

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