Lessons from the work with “Rural Youth” in Latin America and the

Caribbean Procasur Coporation

August, 2014

Procasur: “South to South Cooperation” in Knowledge Management.

Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean: History of colonization/Cultural linkages/Similar economic and social contexts/Situated and relevant experiences as source of knowledge

Improve development processes from “South to South Cooperation” as a strategy to share experiences/lessons/best practices…

“South to South Cooperation”…

PROCASUR 2012-2015: “Rural Youth Entrepreneurship Program” (IFAD).

Objective: To facilitate the integration of Rural Youth as relevant actor in their communities and territories.

Components: 1) Knowledge Management; 2) Policy dialogue; 3) Entrepreneurship through ‘Learning Fund’.

Topics of interest: business development, access to financial services, access to assets, access to land, partnership and networks.

Lessons in Knowledge Management

Importance to generate adequate knowledge about the Rural Youth regarding their context: Who are the Rural Youth in L.A and C?

Sociodemographic Studies (7 cases studies: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru and the Dominican Republic).

Research about the Youth and their Strategies of Life: needs, interest, trajectories, enabling and disabling factors and life’s expectations.

Identification and documentation of good practices/successful experiences

Thematic groups and Learning Routes: Entrepreneurship/Access to Financial Services/Access to Land…

Lessons in Entrepreneurship/Financial Access through the “Learning

Fund" Funds allocation must be complemented with capacity

building in administration/accountability/leadership/communicational skills/self confidence/life’s expectative…

Seed capital: as a pilot experience to manage resources and identify the costs/benefits of business

Risk sharing model: co-funding as counterpart (material and non-material resources)

Business Plan can be improve with the support of other rural young champions.

Support other type of non rural business: value chain/product’s transformations

Specific M&E system: including the rural youth participation

Lessons in Associativity issues

Rural business with low rentability and high number of associated: analyse the adequate type of association regarding the business characteristics (enterprises/cooperatives/NPO…)

Adapt the model of associativity to the local structures for sustainability: family businesses (5 persons)

Flexibility regarding the “formalization” of associations

Include rural youth women in associations

Lessons in Access to Land…

Create incentives for the parents to give a plot of land to their sons and daughters to starts a business of their own (Learning Fund: early inheritance)

Call for research to analyse local experiences of access to land for rural youth identifying formal and informal mechanism: learn how communities and families are dealing with land access to younger generations

Land programs with different strategies for subsidizing land to rural youth (customary practices/market/state) should:

be included in a broader strategy of rural development, focus on sub-stages of life cycle (25-35 years/couples) consider complementary financial services according to the youth needs, adapt to forms of association in the territory, involve the community, have a flexible and participatory approach.

Let’s continue this dance!