SA4D is part of the SDG Youth Programme, an initiative launched by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland and CINFO (Swiss Competence Centre for International Cooperation) to facilitate the entry of young talents into the professional field of international cooperation. The initiative aims to address the lack of entry opportunities in the sector. The focus is on activities directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2023, the SDG Youth Programme offered five one-year trainee positions, with half of the time spent at the headquarters in Switzerland and half at a project location abroad. One of them is with SA4D, starting in September and partly based in Uganda.
Since spring 2023, an SA4D project staff member has been in Uganda, working with our local partner organisation Action for Child Social and Economic Transformation (ACSET) on the field work of the Moving Youth! project. This fieldwork is part of her training for the Centre for Development and Cooperation (NADEL) at the ETH Zurich and is made possible by the support of the SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation).
The funding of these posts is an excellent opportunity for both the post-holders and SA4D to develop, as Connor Spreng, Executive Director of SA4D, points out: “We are very grateful for the confidence these important institutions have in SA4D. It shows us that our work and approach to international cooperation is perceived as effective. Moreover, despite modest resources, the support enables us to nurture young talent while strengthening our organisation, our approach and thus our impact in favour of disadvantaged children and young people.”
Published 28.09.2023