This Facilitator’s Guide prepared by UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance accompanies the Quick Guides for Policy Makers: Housing the Poor in African Cities series. The Facilitator’s Guide comes with a USB flash drive containing the Quick Guides series, PowerPoint presentations on each Quick Guide, and videos that can be used in training activities.

The increasing prominence of the youth bulge in most urban areas presents a unique opportunity, as they represent the most dynamic human resource available. Their numbers today are larger than at any point in human history. Yet this group suffers the most from urban unemployment and often feels that they lack equal access to opportunities.

This is especially acute in developing countries, which have a relatively youthful population that must be mobilised to realise greater economic and social development goals.

Youth are key to the prosperity of cities in the developing world, yet many barriers prevent them from fulfilling this role - most notably access to education, vocational training, and employment. It is crucial that governments and institutions assist youth to overcome these barriers by facilitating equitable access to education and employment.