Upshift Somali Youth

Gather with us to show support for the young people of Somalia and UPSHIFT Program implemented by

UNICEF, which empowers youth by building skills, community and opportunity through social innovation

and social entrepreneurship.

With 45% of Somalia’s population younger than fifteen, it is important to recognize the leading role

young adolescents can play in finding alternatives to crime, armed gangs and migration. These

marginalized youth can create a new future for themselves and their families to address economic

insecurity and poverty due to unemployment. Come and hear about how the UPSHIFT Program

provides resources through training, expertise, mentorship and seed funding to empower disadvantaged

youth and adolescents.

UPSHIFT’s youth-led approach promotes the identification and design of solutions that improve the

livelihood of hundreds of “entrepreneurs-in-the making” based on private sector best practices.

Resources such as bootcamps and mentorships are central to ensuring that young participants thrive

after the program. We will share success stories about how UPSHIFT’s programs in Somalia recognize

talents, teach life skills, and support future employment and entrepreneurship through innovation.

The program will feature representatives from the Somalia Diaspora from the private sector and UNICEF

USA who will share practical ways that communities in Minnesota can support young people in Somalia.