With very systematic interventions at micro (sub county), meso (district) and macro (national) levels, the Youth Ignite Change Project empowers extremely vulnerable and marginalized adolescent’s women and youth with the necessary tools to become self-sustaining, reduce vulnerabilities, as well as take charge of their lives and those of their families. Through the project, IFRAD is equipping women and youth with entrepreneurship and life skills with the goal to; i) increase women and youth economic empowerment, as well as ii) achieving greater gender equality.

IFRAD is investing in place based skills training as opposed to mobile community trainings. Since 2020, IFRAD has supported the set-up of community based skills training and innovation center (STICs) in Arua, Nebbi and Gulu districts. Place Based STICs are community training centers that offer year-round trainings to young women and youth in cohorts. They are equipped hubs for building capacities of women and youth in various skills such as; entrepreneurship, agribusiness, vocational and other life skills. All participants enrolled at the STIC access business mentoring as well as Sexual Reproductive Health information and services. Training courses offered include; tailoring and design, cereal micro-processing, liquid soap making, sanitizer making, crafts making, conservation gardening, energy saving cooking technologies e.g. stoves and briquettes among other offerings.