The note identifies the essentialingredients - employment, meaning, and self-direction -through examples that represent efforts to fill the void inapprenticeship of adult roles, for impoverished young peoplethrown out of a traditional framework, and into the vortexof African cities. And seemingly, they succeed best wherethey manage to "recreate tradition", infusing thecustomary categories of apprenticeship, and age-groupassociation with new economic direction, and increasedself-direction, and definition by the participants. Fromthis brief overview of efforts to assist Africa'simpoverished youth in building new identities, the followinglessons emerged: An adult education approach works best,insofar as it involves building on the experience, andskills that young people carry, and giving them adetermining role in guiding the program. Gainful, andmeaningful employment is a cornerstone of new identities,but a vision of the future, be it religious, cultural, orpolitical, and the opportunity to apply it to one's ownlife, is what forms an enduring perseverance in life. Peercounseling is thus a frequent element of successfulprograms. Traditional apprenticeship, and youth associationsshould be utilized as repertoire and resource, based on acontinual critique. Discovery of one's environment, andadvocacy for change, are critical complements to any effort.
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