Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference :: DC, Sept 7 - 9

The world is experiencing a youth employment crisis that is perpetuating cycles of poverty and preventing growth and development. In response, Making Cents International organizes an annual Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference (formerly the Global Youth Enterprise & Livelihoods Development Conference). The conference provides a learning platform for 400+ professionals from 60+ countries who are working to increase and improve economic opportunities and working conditions for young people.

Here's the list of the orgs who sent reps to the 2010 conference. Here's the 2010 agenda. Note that Sarder Lutfor Rahman, BRAC's ELA Tanzania Project Manager spoke at the 2010 conference - that's how I found out about the 2011 conference:)

The 2011 agenda will address youth enterprise development, workforce development, livelihoods development, and youth-inclusive financial services. The full agenda and learning tracks will be posted this summer. Stay current on Facebook or sign up to receive email updates.

Sept 7 - 9, 2011
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC

Can't make it to DC for the conference? Well, after each conference Making Cents synthesizes the learning shared at the event to develop a practical "State of the Field" publication, downloadable here.

If you want to intern for the org and help prepare for the conference, then apply here.

YAY! Now you can support Ugandan Teen Girls' Ventures through Kiva!

I love, love, love BRAC's work with Bengali, Tanzanian and Ugandan teenage girls who have dropped out of school.

The Social and Financial Empowerment of Adolescents (SOFEA) project is a BRAC initiative in Bangladesh that provides teen girls with financial and social support to enable them to empower themselves. The project is also active in Tanzania and Uganda, where it is known as Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA).

The SOFEA program includes:
* A secure place for adolescent girls to socialize
* Life-skills training
* Livelihood training
* Financial literacy
* Savings and credit facilities
* Community sensitization

I learned about these BRAC programs through this Kiva blog post (which I found out about via Kiva's Facebook page.) I really wanted to fund one of the participants' Kiva loans, but all of the loans had already been fully funded by the time I checked the Kiva website. Yet I had a great time reading each girls' profile:)

Definitely check out the Kiva post for additional info about the programs, and check out the below video interview with Farzana Kashfi, Head of SOFEA Program at BRAC Bangladesh.