CONCERNS
Unemployment is only a small part of Africa’s employment problem. Equally critical are the too few well-paying jobs, low average earnings for those who do work, irregular and casual employment, the uncertainty of work time, and jobs without labor regulations or workplace protections. Specific to the youth is the significantly high number of youths entering the job market each year that outpaces the new jobs created, a high number of youth unemployment and underemployment which disproportionately affects young women, youth skills gaps, limited access to opportunities, poor youth organization and lack of deliberate and systematic linkages between the youth and ongoing government programs. Affecting both youth and adults, together these employment related problems merge to put significant pressures on people’s abilities to meet even the most basic needs of life at individual and household levels.
SOLUTIONS
Our solutions to livelihood challenges have been multi-faceted, and youth have been our highest priority. They have so far ranged from offering Entrepreneurship and business management skills training courses, business coaching and mentorship, support to develop business plans, offering start-up capital, and supporting industrial skills training. Additional initiatives have supported local economic organizing, strengthened local economic organization structures, and also sought to enhance engagement between local government livelihood development departments and minority groups.
OUR GOALS
To increase employability and decent employment opportunities for adults and youth from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds through employment linkages, job shadowing, career education, and career mentorship.
To promote safer and more secure working environments.
To provide support to entrepreneurs and small businesses to plan, start, and grow their businesses.
To support increased access to micro-financing by aiding the establishment of family & community group-based revolving funds, savings, and loan schemes.
To support income diversification for rural communities to build resilience to climate-related risks.
Support the strengthening of local systems and partnerships that are crucial to production, value addition, and markets.
Support the strengthening of social protection lifelines for poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized people to build their resilience against life shocks and help them make the most of tomorrow.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
740 female and male youth equipped through 3 months of training courses in entrepreneurship and business management skills.
We have supported industrial skills training for 690 young men and women at various local enterprises to enhance their employability.
Over 640 beneficiaries have been offered group and individual career guidance and counseling services to accelerate their transition from education to work.
490 beneficiaries have been capacitated to develop viable business plans and offered start-up kits to launch business ventures.
Over 440 beneficiaries have received business coaching and mentorship support- providing essential fuel and motivation that has propelled their business growth.
We have facilitated dialogues between marginalized groups and local government livelihood development departments to spur local government understanding of the needs of these communities and accelerate their uptake of government livelihood development programs.
Youth have been supported to organize livelihood development groups in the form of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) and liked to government youth livelihood development programs.
