What Works for Young People's Development? A Case Study of BRAC's Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescent Girls Programme in Uganda and Tanzania

Young people constitute a large proportion of -- and a particularly vulnerable segment of -- Africa's population. 'Youth' constitutes a critical stage in the life course, marked by decreasing household and familial support. Yet as we explore here in the context of Uganda and Tanzania, young Africans are poorly equipped for making the transition to work and financial independence. Consequently, they suffer disproportionately from Africa's key social and economic development challenges. Alongside burgeoning youth populations this makes youth populations an increasingly pressing policy priority across the continent. This chapter explores how BRAC's Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescent Girls programme (ELA) has been designed to respond to the social and economic challenges facing young women in Uganda and Tanzania. It highlights that the impact of integrated programmes can go beyond improved employment outcomes to improve social conditions and health outcomes for beneficiaries and their peers at the community level