Evalyasyon USAID/Ayiti sou Jèn yo 2016

1 Contract No.: AID - 521 - TO - 16 - 00004 February, 2017 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by LOGIK. USAID/HAITI YOUTH ASSESSMENT 2016 Contract No.: AID-521-0-16-00 USAID/HAITI YOUTH ASSESSMENT 2016 i USAID/Haiti Youth Assessment Report 2016 This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development under Contract Number AID-521- O -16-00030. It was prepared by Henry Wallice Charles, Rachelle Cassagnol, Carole Sassine, Nephtaly Andoney Pierre-Louis, Fabiola Rosier through LOGIK. Implemented by: LOGIK 6, Impasse Hardy, Juvenat, Petion-Ville, Haiti info@logik-ht.com Disclaimer : The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. ii iii T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................. vi Acronyms ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. vii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................1 I. Introduction...................................................................................................................................................4 1.1 Assessment Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................4 1.2 Situation of Youth ..................................................................................................................................4 1.2.1 Global Context................................................................................................................................4 1.2.2 Regional Context ............................................................................................................................5 1.2.3 Haiti: Demographic, Economic and Social Profile ..........................................................................7 II. Assessment methodology ...........................................................................................................................10 III. Findings .......................................................................................................................................................13 3.1 Issue Rating and Problem Analysis.......................................................................................................13 3.2 Findings from Literature review, Key Informant Interviews and Focus Groups ..................................15 3.2.1 Youth perception of the Haiti’s youth development landscape ........................................................15 3.3 Critical Issues ........................................................................................................................................16 3.3.1 Democracy and Governance ........................................................................................................16 3.3.2 Youth Economic opportunities.....................................................................................................18 3.3.3 Education and Training ................................................................................................................19 3.3.4 Social Support Systems ................................................................................................................21 3.3.5 Health and Well-Being .................................................................................................................23 3.3.6 Gender Equity and Positive Youth Development. ........................................................................26 3.3.7 Juvenile Justice, Crime and Violence............................................................................................27 3.3.8 The Environment and Climate Change.........................................................................................28 3.3.9 Policy Environment ......................................................................................................................28 IV. RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................................................................30 4.1 Develop an Integrated Youth Development Policy for Haiti ................................................................30 iv 4.2 Formulate an Action Plan and Implementation strategy for the Integrated Youth Policy ..................31 4.3 Strengthen the institutional arrangements for youth development in Haiti ......................................32 4.4 Support young people active participation in Haiti Democratic and Governance processes .............32 4.5 Facilitate the Economic Empowerment of Haitian Youth ....................................................................34 4.5.1 Develop a Comprehensive National Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy for Haiti ........................34 4.5.2 Promote Youth Skills for Inclusive Economic Growth ..................................................................35 4.5.3 Enhance Youth Employment and Employability ..........................................................................35 4.6 Provide Young people with quality education and training opportunities..........................................36 4.7 Build Social capital and Strengthen Youth Resilience ..........................................................................37 4.8 Improve youth Health and Well-Being.................................................................................................37 4.9 Empower Haitian Young People in the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence ...................................38 4.10 Minimize the Impact of Crime and Violence on Young People............................................................39 4.11 Support Youth Action on Climate Change and Environmental Awareness .........................................39 V. Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................40 Annex A: List of Key Informants interviewed ....................................................................................................41 Annex B: Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................43 ANNEX C: Key Informant Interview Protocol ....................................................................................................50 Annex D: Focus Group Discussion Guide ...........................................................................................................55 Annex E: Problem Rating and Ranking Assessment Tool ...................................................................................58 L IST OF F IGURES Figure 1: THE AGE PYRAMID ..................................................................................................................................7 Figure 2: HAITIAN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE ............................................................7 Figure 3: INCREASE in school enrollment between 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 ....................................................9 Figure 4: SCHOOL PYRAMID IN HAITI .....................................................................................................................9 Figure 5: GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE 63 LEADERS OF YOUTH-LED AND YOUTH- SERVING ORGANIZATIONS WHO COMPLETED ISSUE RATING AND ANALYSIS ...................................................................11 Figure 6: ISSUE RATING BY ALL RESPONDENTS (N=107)......................................................................................13 Figure 7: ISSUE RATING BY YOUTH FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS (N=34) ..........................................................13 Figure 8: ISSUE RATING BY LEADERS OF YOUTH-LED AND YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS (N=63) ..............14 Figure 9: ISSUE RANKING score BY ALL RESPONDENTS (N=99) ...........................................................................14 v Figure 10: HIV PREVALENCE BY AGE GROUP AND SEX IN HAITI ..........................................................................24 Figure 11: SELF-REPORTED STI PREVALENCE BY AGE GROUP AND SEX IN HAITI.................................................25 vi A CKNOWLEDGMENTS The team wishes to acknowledge USAID/Haiti for commissioning this important assessment and for its support through the activity. We also wish to thank the youth-led and youth serving organization leaders, the youth development workers and the different stakeholders who participated in the USAID/Haiti Youth Assessment. We would like to express our gratitude to the young people who participated in the focus group discussions as well as the youth leaders who responded to our survey. This assessment was a significant undertaking, and its completion would not have been possible without all those who graciously shared their time, insights, and recommendations. We hope that their recommendations for significant changes adequately reflect our strong appreciation of their work and insights. vii A CRONYMS ASEC: Assemblée de la Section Communale CARICOM: Caribbean Community CASEC: Conseil d'Administration de la Section Communale CCYD: CARICOM Commission for Youth Development CDB: Caribbean Development Bank CDCS: Country Development Cooperation Strategy CONALD: National Commission for the Fight against Drugs CYDAP: CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan CYPCC: Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre DHS: Demographic Health Survey EMMUS: Survey on Mortality, Morbidity and the Use of Services (Enquête Mortalité, Morbidité et Utilisation des Services) FG: Focus Group FOKAL : Fondation Connaissance et Liberté FOSREF: Fondation pour la Santé Reproductrice et l‘Education Familiale GARR: Groupe d‘Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés GBV: Gender-Based Violence GHESKIO: Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (Groupe Haitien d‘Etudes du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes) GOH: Government of Haiti HELP: Haitian Education and Leadership Program HIV/AIDS: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome viii HUEH: Hôpital de l‘Université d‘Etat d‘Haiti IBESR: Institute of Social Well-Being and Research IDEJEN: Haitian Out-of-School Youth Livelihood Initiative IHSI: Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics ILO : International Labour Organization KII: Key Informant Interview LGBT: Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender LGBTQ: Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer MENFP: National Education and Vocational Training MJSAC : Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action MSPP : Ministry of Public Health and Population NGO: Non-Government Organization PADF: Pan American Development Foundation PNRE: National Regularization Plan for Foreigners PSDH: Strategic Development Plan of Haiti PYD: Positive Youth Development SDG: Sustainable Development Goals SSS: Social Support Systems STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics STI: Sexually Transmitted Infection TVET: Technical and Vocational Education and Training UN: United Nations UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade And Development UNDP: United Nations Development Programme UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ix UNFPA: United Nations Fund for Population UNICEF: United Nations Children‘s Fund USAID: United States Agency for International Development UWI: University of West Indies VDH: Volontaires pour le Développement d‘Haiti WHO: World Health Organization WPAY: World Programme of Action for Youth YDI: Youth Development Index 1 E XECUTIVE S UMMARY The Haiti Youth Assessment and pertinent recommendations are expected to contribute to the first Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS-2018-2023) for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Haiti. The main purpose of this assessment is to inform USAID/Haiti on how the CDCS can best facilitate the needs of the burgeoning youth population in Haiti, including increasing opportunities for economic empowerment, civic and political participation; improved access to better quality education, health services, social support systems, and mitigation of the vulnerabilities associated with poverty and lack of opportunity; as well as to align the strategy with USAID 2012 Youth in Development Policy. More specifically, the Haiti Youth Assessment sought to accomplish the following:  provide an overview of the status of youth in Haiti (defined here as aged 10-29);  summarize lessons learned from previous USAID and other donors, civil society, and Government of Haiti (GOH) youth programming/strategies in the post-earthquake period; and  identify opportunities in key sectors in the new strategic period. The assessment was conducted utilizing a mixed-methods approach, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data using literature review, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The report positions the Haitian youth development ethos in a global and regional youth development context. It provides an overview of key development issues in Haiti and chronicles key findings and recommendations for Positive Youth Development (PYD). The PYD approach accentuates the potential and capabilities of young people, rather than their deficiencies (Damon, 2004). Summary of Findings Participants in the focus groups and key informant interviews were very frank in articulating their perspectives on the Haitian youth development ethos when giving their perceptions on the status of young Haitians. Many of them supported the concept of the PYD approach. In this regard, they specifically advocated for young Haitians to be treated as valuable assets and strategic partners in nation-building. Consequent upon these focus groups sessions, key informant interviews, and review of appropriate literature, several pertinent findings emerged. The Economy. In relation to the economy, participants stated that the differences in living experiences and access to available opportunities were complex and depended on young people‘s contextual realities. Young people were economically engaged in various sectors. Their concerns were that of the general state of the country‘s unequal and stagnant economy, which makes it difficult to find reliable work for anyone and even more so the young. There was a weak relationship between education output and employment. Furthermore, the appeal of entrepreneurship is strong but the young people are unable to secure training and funding to 2 become successful business owners. The call is to ensure that systems are in place to strengthen youth economic capital. Education. Education in the country does not meet the needs of all young people. This is the position expressed by all participants in the study, whether key informants or focus group members. It must be noted that the high illiteracy rate is a cause of concern among the differently- abled youth. Among the challenges in the education system most mentioned by participants was with the apparent lack of a vision to guide the creation of an education system that would be both effective and efficient. They spoke about the plans and strategies for reform that were designed along the lines of traditional or well established approaches to education as promoted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other international institutions. The policy makers lacked the political will to transform the education system. They suggested a paradigm change and effective education reform. Social Support Structures . Social Support Systems were seen as essential for the positive development of young people. It was noted that the youth contributed to and benefitted from the different support structures, including the family, community groups and institutions. They were concerned with the weakening of traditional community relationships and support structures. They advocated for an ethos of shared purpose and enhanced solidarity and cooperation among civil society entities. On the positive side, it appears that many young people are discovering the power of collaborative work. They create numerous associations based on their shared interests and goals. Many of the associations are scattered and divided among themselves. These difficulties seem to stem from a lack of training in collective work, in the sharing of ideas and participatory planning of activities. They requested training and funding to support activities that would contribute to the cohesion among youth associations. Health and well-being. Health is a concern for the participants because healthcare is not accessible to all in the country. The high costs of health care to individuals and families and the seemingly insufficient health care facilities in the country pose challenges to health and well-being. The vulnerable economic climate creates tensions that are aggravated by the sporadic explosions of violence that affect the population‘s mental health and general well-being. Haitian youth are disproportionately affected by the challenges in healthcare. Sexual and reproductive health is one of the priority health issues among youth in Haiti. Early sexual activity, insufficient knowledge and awareness, inadequate prevention programs and use of effective prevention methods and alcohol and drug abuse heighten young people‘s vulnerabilities and creating a high ‐ risk environment for many young people. Juvenile justice, crime and violence. The relationship between the Haitian population and the justice system is challenged by misconceptions, as the belief is widely held in the country that those without the means to demonstrate some link with force or power easily fall prey to decisions of justice that are totally arbitrary with little links to the conventions and treaties signed by the country or even inscribed in the Haitian codes. The views on juvenile justice expressed by participants can be linked to the way the public associates the notions of youth and crime and violence in the country. Most interesting has been the explicit rejection of this association by 3 informants throughout the study. Discussing crime and violence in relation to the situation of the country‘s youth today was relevant in view of the traumatic and disempowering impact of these on the young people living in neighborhoods marked by crime and violence. These in turn would more profitably be linked to economic and political abuse inflicted to segments of the population cramped in the shantytowns of our cities, with zero access to safe places to learn and play and often without food and water. Environment and climate change. There is agreement from the interviews that most young people seem to be conscious of negative changes in their environment but that they lack knowledge of what is meant by climate change. Not only is information disseminated about the effects of environmental changes on life in the country, numerous projects have been implemented over the past sixty years, with the financial and technical support of international donors such as USAID. Yet the subject was not found worthy of much interest by people deeply engaged in social and development activities, in their interviews with the LOGIK team in the early days following the disaster caused in the country by Hurricane Matthew. There were also grave concerns regarding the youth governance and policy environment and indeed the absence of a strategic framework for positive youth development in Haiti. This report chronicles the concerns, perspectives and recommendations of Haitian young people for the sustainable development of Haiti and to provide Haiti‘s youth with improved opportunities for economic empowerment, social inclusion and active citizenship. Above all, the report recommends an integrated youth policy as a guiding framework for the effective transformation of the Haitian youth development landscape. 4 I. I NTRODUCTION 1.1 A SSESSMENT P URPOSE AND S COPE With the current Post-Earthquake U.S. Government Haiti Strategy ending in 2018, USAID/Haiti is preparing for its first Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which is slated to begin implementation in 2018 for a period of five years (2018-2023). As part of the Phase I of the CDCS planning process, the Mission took stock of existing resources to identify those analyses that are necessary to inform the CDCS design, including this Youth Assessment, which seeks to: 1. provide an overview of the status of youth in Haiti (defined here as aged 10-29); 2. summarize lessons learned from previous USAID and other donors, civil society, and Government of Haiti (GOH) youth programming/strategies in the post-earthquake period; and 3. identify opportunities in key sectors in the new strategic period. The purpose of this assessment is to inform USAID/Haiti on how the CDCS can best meet the needs of the burgeoning youth population in Haiti, including increasing opportunities for employment, education, and political participation; access to basic services, and mitigation of the vulnerabilities associated with poverty and lack of opportunity; as well as to align the strategy with USAID 2012 Youth Development Policy. Youth in this study refers to the Haitian population between the ages of 10 and 29, who are estimated to represent over 40 percent of the general population (IHSI/Banque Mondiale/DIAL, 2012). 1.2 S ITUATION OF Y OUTH The primary purpose of this report is to present a situational analysis of Haiti‘s youth development landscape. However, it is necessary to contextualize Haiti‘s youth development ethos in dominant and emerging global and regional realities. 1.2.1 G LOBAL C ONTEXT Today there are approximately 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24. Ninety percent of this population lives in developing or less developed countries, and the youth population is growing fastest in the poorest nations (UNFPA, 2014). The global youth population represents an invaluable development asset and tremendous opportunity for economic and social progress. Indeed, how we value this asset, invest in and strategically engage this potent force for transformation and development will define the world we will live in the future. (UNFPA, 2014; GYDI, 2016). 5 Unfortunately, young people continue to be disproportionately impacted by several development challenges, including unemployment; poverty and indigence, crime and violence, armed conflict, and poor housing among others. Yet perhaps one of the most difficult challenges impacting global youth development landscapes is the prevalence of describing young people from a deficit standpoint – that is to say, a discussion of youth as a problem that needs to be addressed, rather than as an asset to be nurtured and developed. More recently there has been a shift in the reexamination of the representation of youth. The visibility of various multilateral agencies and development organizations, including several United Nations agencies, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, European Council, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) has been accentuated and investments in global initiatives to support evidenced-based strategic interventions and positive youth development, generally, seem more strategic and focused. Several well-researched and informative reports on youth development have been published with the enhanced participation of young people. These efforts have contributed to several key outcomes, including the existence of a substantial body of knowledge on youth development, a robust international agenda to enhance youth economic empowerment, greater global advocacy and political action in support of youth participation in sustainable development and development of a better youth policy environment; and the development of National Youth Policies, strategic action plans, and effective youth participation models. The World Bank, USAID, and DFID have also made considerable investments in support of youth civic and political participation, youth skills for inclusive economic growth programs, youth economic empowerment initiatives, gender mainstreaming, and citizen security. 1.2.2 R EGIONAL C ONTEXT In 2003, the World Bank published ― Caribbean Youth Development: Issues and Options. ‖ Even while this seminal report on the youth development situation in the Caribbean identified several positive initiatives, it lamented the disproportionate impact of issues and risky behaviors such as drug abuse, early sexual initiation, teenage pregnancies, and crime and violence, among others, and made a case for greater investment in and strategic engagement of Caribbean young people. More recently , several other asse ssment reports and strategy papers have accentuated the urgency of greater investments in youth development and provided strategic support for positiv e youth development initiatives, enabling policy environments, youth economic empowerment , and meaningful youth engagement 1 . Many of these reports have not only provided compelling evidence for greater investments in the young people of the Caribbean but have emphasized the economic 1 Among these are the USAID Rapid Youth Assessment in the Eastern Caribbean (2008); USAID /Dominican Republic Cross Sectoral At - Risk Youth Assessment (2010); the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development Report (2010); USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean Youth Assessment (2013); USAID – Eastern and Southern Caribbean - Regional Development Co - operation Strategy (2015 - 2019) and the Caribbean Development Bank‘s Youth are the Future: The Imperative of Youth Employment for Sustainable Development for the Caribbean (2015). 6 value of those investments. Indeed, the CARICOM Commission on Youth Developmen t (CCYD) report succinctly articulates some profound observations and strategic recommendations regarding youth development in the entire community , including Haiti. It must be noted that Haiti was an active participant in the CCYD‘s work , with Haitian you ng people and youth development stakeholders fully engaged throughout the research process. Subsequently, several of the Commission‘s activities were hosted in Haiti, including a three - day meeting in December 2008 to discuss among other matters the CCYD pr eliminary research findings . In an appeal for youth development stakeholders and policy makers to adopt a new ‗ mindset‘, the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development posited ― Youth are in a developmental stage of life. The vast majority is making the transition to socially responsible and productive adulthood, but there is a minority that is not. The first change in our thinking must be to refrain from using this minority to brand all youth. Secondly, with respect to the minority itself, the change in thinking must be to see them first as potential assets to be nurtured, not as a cancer to be repressed. What is really required is more investment to provide them with additional opportunities to develop their creative and productive capacities; While efforts must necessarily be made to limit the negative impact of risk and vulnerability factors, the first line of thinking must be to allocate more resources to strengthen the institutions that should serve as protective factors – the family, the community, the school, the faith-based organizatio ns.‖ Caribbean governments, including Haiti, have in several instances collectively communicated their intention to support a more positive regional youth development ethos, an enhanced youth policy landscape, and also their ― intention to explicitly recognize and clearly articulate the role of youth in Caribbean development. ‖ (Declaration of Paramaribo on the Future of Youth in the Caribbean Community, 2010). According to the ― Declaration ‖ , Caribbean Heads of Government recognize ― the importance of regional integration in advancing the interests of youth and the importance of the interests of youth to economic resilience and economic integration at the national and regional levels and affirmed ― the right of adolescents and youth to participate in decision-making on matters in which they have an interest and that affect them. ‖ The Heads of Government also indicated that young people are valued but under-utilized partners and resources for deepening integration and achieving regional development goals (not only beneficiaries); assets to be developed, not problems to be solved; and a considerable force for peace, good governance and sustainable development. Consequent to this, the CARICOM Secretariat has worked collaboratively with member governments and international partners to establish the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP). The secretariat has also initiated a forum of Directors of Youth from member countries, including Haiti to provide strategic leadership and guidance to the regional youth development agenda. The regional youth development landscape has also been positively impacted by a re - energized youth movement (Caribbean Youth Leader‘s Summit, 2016) and the strategic interventions of the academic community, particularly the University of the West Indies Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies 50/50 Youth Research Cluster). The cluster functions as a network of professionals involved in youth development research. The main objectives of the group are to help build the evidence - base for Caribbean youth development; foster interdisciplinary 7 collaboration and provide capacity building support to both youth - led and y outh serving institutions and processes in the Caribbean community, including Haiti. In 2015 the Cluster, working in collaboration with several regional and international partners hosted the first Caribbean Youth Development Conference at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus in Jamaica at which Haiti was represented. Some other positive initiatives are investments citizens security programs, programs to positively impact at - risk and young people living in challenging circumstances. Perhaps one of t he more positive outcomes of these collective efforts are actions being taken to develop holistic national youth policies, economically empower young people and the professionalization of youth development work within national and regional spaces. 1.2.3 H AITI : D EMOGRAPHIC , E CONOMIC AND S OCIAL P ROFILE This section presents an overview of Haiti demographic, economic and education systems. Based on estimates from the national statistics of 2014, Haiti‘s population is approximately 10,485,800 individuals. The median age of the population is 22.6 years and about half of them aged less than 21 years (Herrera et al., 2014, p. 37). Thus the population is quite young and the age pyramid (see figure 1) for the country shows a very large and ― rapidly growing ‖ youth base (USAID, 2012). The sex ratio in the general population is 95 males to 100 females (Herrera et al., 2014, p. 36). The ratio of target groups in this study is closer to 1 male to 1 female. The population grows at a rate of 1.71 percent and it has been estimated that ― more than 245,000 youth add to the working age population (ages 10 and up) each year (Herrera et al., 2014). The majority of the Haitian population (52 percent) lives in rural areas. There is a slow and steady movement towards the cities and other metropolitan areas. The metropolitan area of Port- au-Prince absorbs 22 percent of the country‘s population. Other cities account for the remaining 26 percent of the general population (Herrera et al., 2014). Source: CIA - THE WORLD FACTBOOK 2016) FIGURE 1 : THE AGE PYRAMID Source: ECVMAS, 2012 and Herrera et al (2014) FIGURE 2 : HAITIAN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE 8 In 2012, the Haitian workforce comprised some 4,008,700 people in employment. Approximately 47 percent of the workforce was independent workers in agriculture and 45 percent in non ‐ agricultural sector (Herrera, et al., 2014). In 2012, approximately 79 percent of employed people earned less than 200 gourdes per day (Herrera, et al. 2014). The total dependency ratio, an index used to compare the number of people who are not eligible to work (0 -14 years, and 65 and over) with those eligible to work (15 – 65), is 68 percent. This means that the overall Haitian economy will have challenges supporting the very young and aging population. It is therefore important for Haiti to take up the challenge of putting its youth to work, as they will contribute to nation building and attempt to tackle the numerous social ills and bring life and prospects to its stagnant economy. The youth are the most vulnerable group in the workforce because they work under extremely risky conditions. In addition, they enter the job-market during a period when there is a significant decline in economic activity in the urban centers and find it difficult to survive in an already fragile economy. Gender and women‘s rights advocates have lamented the burden of ― double work-day ‖ on active women. The concept of double work-day is women having to add domestic work to weeks of 48-56 hours of work outside the home. Haitian young women who have jobs have also dedicated 17.7 hours a week on housework. In 2012, women dedicated more times to domestic work than men (15.4 hours for women, versus 7 hours per week for men (Herrera et al. 2014). There is the concern that the contracted economy has facilitated the rise in child labor especially among the ― restavèk ‖ . The ― restavèk ‖ usually work at middle and upper class homes in urban homes in exchange for access to educational and enhanced social and economic capital. However, many of the “restavèk ‖ are subjected to inhumane conditions including abuse, denial of educational opportunities and non- payment for services rendered. A significant number of children flee employers‘ homes or abusive families and become street children (U.S. Department of State, 2016). In 2014, Haiti passed an anti-trafficking legislation that criminalized the “restavèk” practice (Gouvernement d‘Haïti, 2014). However, given the economic causes of the phenomenon, it is uncertain how the law will be applied and whether it will improve the situation. The Haitian education system includes a non-formal sector that concerns training in literacy and post-literacy, as well as apprenticeships in crafts for adults aged 15 years and more. The formal sector of schooling includes (i) early childhood education, (ii) primary, (iii) secondary education, (iv) higher education, and (v) technical and vocational training. At the formal level, it is expected that upon entering the university, a young person will have spent 16 years in a teacher-centered education system, where the pedagogical practices are textbook-based. That Haitian society has been unable to provide a basic education to the whole population remains a matter of the highest concern. Traditionally, the Ministry of Education has over the years repeatedly tried to respond to problems at four different levels, and the ambitious Five-Year Operational Plan designed following the earthquake of 2010 was organized around the challenges linked to: ― (i) the inadequacy and inequitable distribution of schools; (ii) the poor quality of educational services and weak internal efficiencies as evidenced by low levels of academic 9 FIGURE 3 : INCREASE IN SCHOOL ENROLLMENT BETWEEN 2 010 - 2011 AND 2013 - 2014 Source: Data from MENFP Statistical Yearbook 2013-2014, p.15 achievement coupled with high grade repetition and dropout; and (iii) poor sector governance and resources (human, financial) that limit the ability of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) to carry out effectively its primary responsibilities of regulating, planning, and managing the education sector as a whol e.‖ (MENFP, 2012, p. 27). In recent years, there has been a steady increase in school enrollment as illustrated in Figure 3 using data from the Ministry of Education‘s Statistical Yearbook for 2013-2014. It is estimated that nearly 100 percent of young people aged 10 to 24 are literate; but there still exists discrepancies between urban and rural areas. (IHSI, 2014). The figures from the Ministry‘s statistical yearbook for 2013-2014 show that 62 percent of pupils were of the regular age (6 - 11 years) in Cycles 1 and 2 or the basic years of the Fundamental School for that year (MENFP, 2014, p. 112). Most of the remaining 38 percent would be ‗ overage‘ pupils, reaching at times beyond 20 years of age. Figure 4 illustrates the school enrollment in fundamental and secondary education by grade and sex. For 100 pupils entering First Grade there were 8 pupils enrolled in the last grade of ― Philosophie”. Source: GETF (2010) "Pour un Pacte National pour l’Education en Haïti."p.90 FIGURE 4 : SCHOOL PYRAMID IN HAITI 10 II. A SSESSMENT METHODOLOGY Initiating the Process To ensure that the situation of youth in Haiti was successfully captured in the report, the assessment team undertook a series of activities and tasks, including: 1. Drafting and approval of work plan for the project. 2. Convening of several planning meetings with team members to discuss and finalize arrangements for the data collection strategies. 3. Identification of key stakeholder to be interviewed on the situation of youth in Haiti. 4. Session with team members to build awareness on the principles and practice of ― positive youth development ‖ and to encourage and facilitate optimum stakeholder participation and inclusion in the youth policy development process. 5. Reflection and review of the data collection strategies. 6. Drafting the data collection instruments. The situation analysis was guided by the terms of reference to conduct a youth assessment that should:  provide an overview of the status of youth in Haiti;  summarize lessons learned from previous USAID and other donors, civil society, and Government of Haiti (GOH) youth programming/strategies in the post-earthquake period; and  identify opportunities in key sectors in the new strategic period. Research Design The triangulation mixed methods design, convergence model was utilized to conduct the situation analysis. The purpose of this design was to ― obtain different but complimentary data on the same topi c‖ (Morse, 1991, p. 122). This was the most appropriate mixed methods design for the assignment because there was the need to validate the quantitative survey results with the qualitative findings. The qualitative component took the form of focus group discussions with young people and key informants interviews. Data Collection  Literature Review : As part of the preparation and during the assessment, the LOGIK team reviewed descriptive and analytical literature on demographic, social and economic issues affecting youth in Haiti, relevant country-level statistics, recent assessments and evaluations focusing on youth and relevant sectors; existing studies and reference documents from bilateral and multilateral organizations at the national level as well as documents presenting international best practices and global experience with youth programming at the global and regional levels. See Annex B (Bibliography for a list of all of the sources used). 11  Individual Key stakeholders‟ interviews and focus group discussions were two of the methods that the assessment team used to collect the qualitative data. These data collection methods captured the voices of the major youth development stakeholders, their perceptions about youth in Haiti, and recommendations for the strategies to enable positive youth development. o Key Informant Interviews (KIIs ): During the fieldwork phase, the assessment team conducted interviews with a range of key stakeholders to provide diverse insights regarding assets, opportunities, and obstacles currently facing youth in Haiti. Key informants consisted of individuals most informed about specific aspects of youth conditions in Haiti. To the extent feasible within the limited time, Key Informants included youth leaders, government officials, and stakeholders working with youth in education, health, economy, peace building. A semi-structured KII guide (Annex C) was used during meetings with informants to ensure the consistency of questions. Key informant interviews included a sample of respondents from the public, private, civil society, and donor sectors. A list of key informants can be found in Annex A. o Focus Groups (FGs): The team worked with the youth-led and youth-serving organizations to recruit youth respondents and schedule over the course of data collection. Particular attention was paid to the disadvantaged youth. A FG guide was developed to facilitate a semi-structured conversation with and between participants (Annex D). A five-person team conducted fieldwork from October 20 to November 23, 2016  Issue Rating and Problem Analysis : The team augmented KIIs and FGs with Issue Rating and Problem Analysis exercises. The ― Issue Rating ‖ exercise allowed respondents to rate the level of importance of each thematic area to youth. Since the team recognized that multiple issues may be important, the ― Problem Analysi s‖ tool prompted informants to ― rank-order ‖ a set of 13 predetermined problems most often faced by youth in the country. The issue and ranking questionnaire was sent prior to the interview with the participants. The Participants The assessment team used a purposive sample strategy to sample young people, youth activists, representatives of civil society and voluntary organizations, government agencies, private sector, and various youth-led and youth serving organizations. The LOGIK team interviewed 64 individuals through 30 KIs and 34 participants in 4 FG Discussions. Furthermore, 63 leaders of youth-led organizations, 11 of FIGURE 5 : GEOGRAPHICAL DISTR IBUTION OF THE 63 LE ADERS OF YOUTH - LED AND YOUTH - SERVING ORGANIZATION S WHO COMPLETED ISSU E RATING AND 12 the KIs and the 34 FG participants completed the Issue Rating and Problem Analysis exercises. The FG participants were from the areas of St Martin and Delmas 2 with youth working with Lakou Lapè , an organization that is promoting peace and conflict transformation at all levels within Haitian society, particularly with youth, and seeks to address the issues of violence in the 12 to 25 year old age group 2 . Other groups from the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in Cite Soleil, Cite Militaire, and Jalousie were included in the FG participants, as well as a FG with youth from 3 youth-led organizations in the South department of Haiti. One-third of FG participants were female. Figure 4 shows the geographical distribution of the leaders of youth-led organizations who completed the Issue Rating and Problem Analysis exercises. They are from 7 out of the 10 geographical departments of Haiti. Quantitative Data Management and Analysis The assessment team coded, entered, and analyzed data with the use of Excel. For analysis, descriptive statistics was the most appropriate measure. The team employed frequency distributions and measures of central tendencies for the analysis. Qualitative Data Analysis Qualitative data analysis was iterative across the assessment; however, its emphasis took place upon conclusion of fieldwork. The qualitative data was tabulated and analyzed using a thematic analysis methodology. 2 Lakou Lapè is building a youth training program that will seek to address the issues of violence in the 12 to 25 year old age group. Gender-based violence, gang formation and development, and other areas of interest to youth are the avenues that Lakou Lapè expects to explore through this program. (http://lakoulape.org/?page_id=149&lang=en) 13 FIGURE 6 : ISSUE RATING BY AL L RESPONDENTS (N=107 ) FIGURE 7 : IS SUE RATING BY YOUTH FOCUS GROUP PARTICIP ANTS (N=34) III. F INDINGS 3.1 I SSUE R ATING AND P ROBLEM A NALYSIS The aim of the survey was to identify the issues or challenges that were most important to the Haitian Youth. Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the distribution of respondents according to their rating of level of importance of 10 thematic areas to youth on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important. The findings suggest that economic opportunities were most important to the respondents (64 percent), followed by education and training (60 percent), as illustrated in Figure 6. More than half (55 percent) of the respondents rated ― Health and Well-Being ‖ as a very important issue for youth. The least important issue highlighted was crime and violence. Most of the FG participants rated economic opportunities and education and training as very important (respectively 88 percent and 85 percent). Also 79 percent of the FG participants rated ― Health and Well-being ‖ as a very important issue. 14 FIGURE 8 : ISSUE RATING BY LE ADERS OF YOUTH - LED AND YOUTH - SERVING ORGANIZATIONS (N=63) Economic opportunities and education and training remain very important for youth according to the leaders of youth- led and youth-serving organizations. The respondents were asked to rank-order the issues. Figure 9 presents how respondents ranked 13 problems with 1 being the ― most important ‖ to youth. The respondents consistently ranked inadequate education system and lack of economic opportunities as the two most important problems facing youth in Haiti. FIGURE 9 : ISSUE RANKING SCOR E BY ALL RESPONDENTS (N=99) 15 3.2 F INDINGS FROM L ITERATURE REVIEW , K EY I NFORMANT I NTERVIEWS AND F OCUS G ROUPS This section presents the findings from the literature review, the KIIs, and the FGs with young people, including key challenges for youth development in Haiti. 3.2.1 Y OUTH PERCEPTION OF THE H AITI ’ S YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE The assessment team asked FG Participants to identify the most pressing challenges that young Haitians experienced and the most important opportunities for improving the lives of the youth. Challenges The most pressing challenges were classified under three main headings: equity, access, and empowerment. Participants had concerns about equity in the services offered to the young people. This was expressed in terms of equitable educational opportunities. FG participants were concerned that programs and opportunities did not reflect the heterogeneity of Haitian young people. The unavailability of appropriate transportation for persons living with disabilities was identified as a major obstacle for their integration. In terms of access, the youth expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of available social services and lack of efforts to improve them. They also identified the lack of economic opportunities contributed to a vicious cycle of poverty with a profound and pervasive impact on the youth population. This factor is also a contributing factor in the rural urban drift and migration. Young people also identified the lack of technical and professional skills as a mitigating factor in their ability to access the limited opportunities, especially in a society where the perception of a successful person is of one who attended university. Young people indicated they generally felt neglected, disengaged, and disempowered because they are excluded from decision-making processes. Further they expressed dissatisfaction with the deficit perspective of young people prevalent in Haiti, in which youth are conceptualized and treated as problems to resolve, rather than as valuable assets for the country. They opined the prevailing circumstances contributed to several unintended consequences, including youth participation in risky-behaviors. They also felt the private sector was not doing enough to improve the situation of young people in Haiti. “Education seems to be for the elite and not everyone has the same opportunities.” “The challenges are more pressing for people living with disabilities because they have a lot of difficulties to educate themselves and to be integrated into the society.” “It's not the person who is disabled physically, but the environ