UNICEF support helps youth visions take formal shape and greater impact

Maliana, 31 October 2025 - Along the streets in Maliana’s Ritabou Suco, groups of young men gather in silence, drawn together by a shared sense of hope for their lives. They lean against their motorbikes, as they gaze into the horizon, hopeful for a brighter tomorrow.

While he sits a good distance away from the groups, Siberio sees a lot of familiar faces - his neighbourhood friends and former classmates, who bear the weight of being unemployed after finishing high school.

"Many young people don't have jobs, and their families can't afford to send them to college.  It is every young person’s dream to be either in school or employed," says Siberio, a recent high school graduate, who is determined to carve a different path for himself.

According to the national census (2022) data, 29.3 percent of the 15 – 24 years population was not in employment, education, or training, and only 16.7 percent of youths are in active employment. The situation is even more challenging for young people aged 15 to 24 years, who often face limited job prospects at a time when they are expected to contribute to their household income.

At just 17 years old, Siberio has found purpose and direction by joining Leosibe Association, an association that focuses on fish farming initiative.   This modest youth-led community fish farming initiative is helping young people in Maliana to turn away from the threat of unemployment and reignite their dreams through profitable sustainable agriculture.

“Fish is big part of families’ diet. This means there is a huge market for fish,” says an enthusiastic Siberio, who is grateful for the hands-on training in fish farming that he is getting. “Starting my own fishing project will help me to raise enough funds for my university education,” says Siberio, who is encouraged by his peers who are undertaking agricultural degrees at a local university.

With funding from UNICEF Australia, and in collaboration with a local Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO), Ba Faturu, Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Culture (MoYSAC) and UNICEF are providing support through the Mentorship Program. This initiative aims to build the capacity of young leaders and provide technical assistance to help transform their groups into formally recognized Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), this will amplify their impact in the lives of young people such as Siberio.

Thirteen (13) Youth-led associations, including the Leosibe Association, have received support to formally register their groups—a crucial step toward gaining recognition, strengthening their operations, and expanding their reach. This support is helping them grow into powerful agents of change, creating spaces where young people can connect, lead, and build brighter futures together.

Members from the youth groups go through modules in Leadership, conflict resolution, life skills, organizational management, and agricultural best practices. These sessions are designed not only to strengthen their entrepreneurship skills but also to deepen their civic engagement.

“In terms of civic engagement, we are planning to engage more with young people to address issues related to malnutrition in our municipality by enhancing fish production and consumption in our municipality,” says George, the coordinator of Leosibe Association. 

This initiative reflects how youth are applying their skills to real community challenges, positioning themselves as active contributors to local development and public well-being.

George also shared that they are happy that the benefits of being registered as a CSO can already be seen.  Since June this year, when the group formally gained CSO status, they have received seed money from UNICEF, which is helping them to expand the number of fishponds that they have. Additionally, they received over 10,000 fingerlings from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries – further boosting their production capacity and impact.

To ensure sustainability, all 13 youth-led CSOs have been linked to Youth Centres and Government Ministries, who are supporting the upgrading of their technical and organizational management, and also being linked to more markets, where their increased harvests can be sold.

“Initially, we were just a group of ten youths, but now we have more than twenty youths – both male and female.  I am happy that we provide young people such as Siberio, with mentorship so that they make better choices in life, says George, who is upbeat about the inspiration he has been to the young people of Leosibe.

During their mentorship sessions, George gives Siberio and other mentees both practical and theoretical skills about fish farming.  He takes them through the simple steps of setting up a basic pond and then guides them through the six-month cycle of rearing the fish. He also talks them through the costs for setting up a basic pond, and also the projected profits from the project. 

“Most young people are motivated by the profits they can get from this venture, which is not even labour intensive.  This is the money which will help them to pursue further studies and in turn explore employment opportunities” says George, who is proud that this humble initiative building pathways to opportunity, dignity, and self-reliance for many youths.  

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