Best_practices_Final_2015

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Best Practices
Snapshot of best case practices, by USTADI
Foundation, through ILO’s Youth-to-Youth Fund
model in Kenya

ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Uganda,
Kenya and Rwanda
P. O. Box 9212, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: +255 22 2196700
Cell: +255 786 110060
Fax: +255 22 2126627
Email: daressalaam@ilodar.or.tz
USTADI Offices
Nine Planets Apartments, Block Jupiter Apt J3,
Kabarnet Road
P. O. Box 38344-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Cell: +254 712 177942
Reviewers: Ekanath Khatiwada, Anne-Marie Jamin,
George Mazuri, Lilian Mabonga, Marvin Kangugi
Consultants: George Obanyi
Layaout & Design: Catherine Njeri
Copyright: © 2015, USTADI Foundation

Best Practices
Snapshot of best case practices, by
USTADI Foundation, through ILO’s
Youth-to-Youth Fund model in Kenya

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Preface
The Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) Fund is a competitive
grant scheme for youth-led organisations to
propose innovative project ideas on how to create
entrepreneurship and business opportunities for
their peers. Organisations with the most innovative
and sound project ideas receive a grant and
complementary capacity building to help them
implement their projects and test the viability of their
ideas.The Y2Y Fund Model has been implemented in
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) since 2010.
The Y2Y Fund model is complemented by four other
components of the Youth Entrepreneurship Facility
(YEF), a program which is implemented by the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and funded by
the Danish government. The ultimate goal of YEF is
to enable African youth to turn their energy and ideas
into business opportunities, to increase their income
and to create decent work for themselves and others.
More specifically, the four complimentary components
of YEF aim to i) foster a culture of entrepreneurship
among young people, ii) introduce entrepreneurship
education in schools, iii) ensure that potential and
existing young entrepreneurs have access to business
development services and finance and iv) promote
evidence –based advocacy to better understand what
works in youth entrepreneurship development. As the
fifth component, the Y2Y Fund offers local youth-led
organizations an opportunity to actively engage in
the development of youth entrepreneurship in their
communities. To increase efficiency and build local
capacity, the Y2Y Fund is managed by a national
implementing partner in each country of operation. In
Kenya, the USTADI Foundation was selected as an
ideal partner to manage the Fund at a national level.
The Y2Y Fund in Kenya has thus far supported 34
youth-led organizations, with an additional 5 grants
awarded for scaling up successful initiatives. Through
these youth-led organizations, the model has reached
a total of 2,558 beneficiaries directly.
This publication provides a snapshot of best case
practices, as implemented through the Y2Y Fund
model in Kenya. It explores how best practices of
youth engaged as active development partners have
led to the creation of sustainable jobs and businesses
among their peers. It is my sincere hope that this
publication provides a sound testimony in regards
to the efficacy and impact of the Y2Y Fund model;
and that it encourages stakeholders to support this
model of identifying, testing and promoting innovative
entrepreneurship solutions to address youth
employment challenges.
More information on the Y2Y Fund can be found at
the following website link: http://y2ytoolkit.org
Alexio Musindo
Director
ILO Office for United Republic of Tanzania,
Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

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USTADI Foundation has continued to work
tirelessly towards realizing its vision of empowering
communities’ especially rural women and youth
through optimally functional local capacity
development markets. The impetus and drive has
been embedded in the USTADI’s slogan
Empower - Connect - Prosper as well as in its core
values EQUIP
Empowering: Strengthening community members
to articulate CD they need and demand quality for
the same, while at the same time strengthening
the suppliers of CDS to adequately respond to the
needs.
Quality (excellence): Facilitating the development
and practice of quality standards for service providers
to improve products and enhance income.
Uniting (connect): Providing physical and virtual
forums for capacity development actors (demand,
supply and support services) to freely interact.
Innovation: Encouraging and nurturing new and
appropriate technologies that are sensitive to the local
context.
Partnership: Working through a strong network of
partners at all levels for sustainability and synergy.
The USTADI Foundation was competitively
selected by ILO to be the implementing partner
of Y2Y Fund in Kenya between 2014 and part
of 2015. Passionately, USTADI has managed
the implementation of Y2Y Fund across various
regions within the country. Ultimately the initiative
was meant to give the youth a voice to design and
implement innovative solutions to employment
challenges in Kenya.
In Kenya, a total of 34 organizations were
supported as Y2YF grantees with an additional
5 receiving scale-up support, and reaching a
total of 2,558 direct beneficiaries. A total of 681
businesses were created and 1,171 jobs were
created.
This document has been prepared by USTADI and
ILO to provide insights on some of the best practice
cases during the period of implementation under
this fund as well as achievements and challenges.
We do hope that the cases highlighted will provide
good learning.
George Mazuri Yaa
Chief Executive Officer
USTADI Foundation, Kenya
USTADI Foundation

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Table of Contents
Moving the Goalposts 1
Link the Hidden Treasure, Korogocho, Nairobi 5
Foundation for Young Farmers 9
Pamoja Women Group 12
Uwezo Awareness organization 15
Wholistic Empowerment and Development Youth Group (WEYO) 19
Jesus is Lord Community-Based Organization 23
Grantee Best Practices in selected thematic areas 27

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Grantee: Moving the Goalposts
Moving the Goal Posts (MTG) is a community based organization that uses
football as a unique entry point to provide opportunities for girls and women
to achieve their full potential. The organization uses the sport to engage
youth in reproductive health and rights sessions, leadership and economic
empowerment initiatives. MTG works with over 5,000 vulnerable girls and
young women and their communities in Kilifi and Kwale counties.
Through USTADI Foundation, MTG received a grant from ILO’s Youth to
Youth Fund to replicate an apprenticeship project that had been successfully
implemented by another organization in Eastleigh area of Nairobi.
MTG implemented the Community Based Apprenticeship Program for
Entrepreneurship Development, also known as “Nielimishe Nijisaidie Project”
in July-December 2014, in Kilifi County.
Nielimishe Nijisaidie Project:
Apprenticeship as a gateway to new
businesses, Kilifi County, Kenya

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Selection criteria included interest in starting a
business and level of vulnerability.
A baseline survey of beneficiaries was done to
obtain information such as level of business knowledge
and skills to enable the program to measure success.
Meetings with families of beneficiaries were held
to introduce the project and get their commitment to
cost-share and support the young women through
training and apprenticeship.
Mentors were engaged and taken through an
orientation process to ensure they were suited and
willing to be coaches.
Mentorship plans were developed by project staff
and mentors to ensure apprenticeships were well
structured and tailored to each type of business and
the needs of beneficiaries.
Recruitment and training of older girls who had gone
through empowerment programs as project volunteers
was done to follow up the progress of apprentices in
the field.
Entrepreneurship training was offered to the selected
beneficiaries through ILO’s start and Improve Your
Business (SIYB) curriculum.
Work placement started immediately after training.
The mentorship plans ensured all beneficiaries were
exposed to business operations such as budgeting,
record-keeping, dealing with suppliers and handling
customers.
Regular feedback was obtained from apprentices
during weekly review meetings and monthly peer
learning sessions.
A stakeholders’ briefing session was organized at
the end of the apprenticeship period to create
awareness about the project’s successes and
challenges.
A graduation was organized for beneficiaries
and attended by their families, mentors and key
stakeholders.
Context
Kilifi County has one of the highest poverty levels in
Kenya and a big unemployment burden. According
to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 29%
and 9.4% per cent of the adult population are
self-employed in rural areas and urban areas
respectively while 8.8% are in wage employment.
Lack of education and economic opportunities
leaves girls vulnerable to early marriages and other
forms of exploitation.
MTG works to keep girls in school by giving them
life skills, providing opportunities for confidence-
building. The project also links girls out of school
to opportunities for vocational training to increase
their chances of getting jobs or starting business.
Project Idea
Over the years, MTG has supported young women
acquire vocational training and entrepreneurial
skills. Youth have undertaken courses in tailoring,
hairdressing, mechanical engineering, among other
courses. MTG has also facilitated training in baking,
soap making and crafting of eco-produces from
recycled materials such as polythene.
Despite being well-trained, many of the young
women could not get jobs or start their own
businesses because of gaps in soft skills and
hands-on experience.
Nielimishe Nijisaidie project enabled young
women with vocational skills to apprentice with
experienced mentors as a pathway to starting their
own businesses.
Activities Undertaken
Beneficiaries were selected from the pool
of unemployed girls that MTG had supported
to acquire vocational skills in areas such as
hairdressing and mechanical engineering.

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Achievements
• A post-placement assessment found that all
beneficiaries scored higher after apprenticeship
in life skills and understanding of business
operations.
• Three girls started their own tailoring and
hairdressing businesses and five more had
secured jobs within a short period of completing
apprenticeships.
• Beneficiaries’ self-esteem and status increased in
their families and community.
• Beneficiaries have been linked to financial
institutions and opened bank accounts.
• Mentors better appreciate their role in coaching
young entrepreneurs and some continued to
support mentees after the apprenticeship period
• Tools and processes have been developed that,
together with lessons learned, will make scale-up
and replication easy.
Challenges
• Lack of access to start-up capital.
• Most of the mentors had not coached young
professionals before and at first felt that the formal
approach slowed down their activities.
• Some families could not afford upkeep for the
girls. As a result three of them were placed with
mentors closer to home not as good as those in
established businesses in town.
• Some family members had unrealistic
expectations. They thought the young women
had jobs and wanted financial support from them.
Lesson learned
• Their quality of mentor-apprentice relationship is
critical to the success of the project. It therefore
important to prepare mentors well for their role
and formally engage them by signing agreements
and drawing work plans that have clear
indicators.
• Parents and husbands should be involved in the
program to encourage young girls to complete
their apprenticeship uninterrupted by family
responsibilities.
• Cost-sharing encourages families to invest in
supporting young women to get into business.
• Lack of creativity is a big challenge for new
entrepreneurs. Apprenticeship helps young
women appreciate how to innovatively respond to
changing customer needs.
• Potential entrepreneurs should not be
discouraged from employment because it is a
learning experience and gateway to starting their
own businesses.

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Jane Sulubu, 30, trained as hairdresser and beauty therapy but was unable to
open a salon. The mother of two settled for life as a housewife, occasionally
pleating neighbours and relatives. Jane was selected for an apprenticeship
scheme by Moving the Goal Posts. Together with 18 other beneficiaries, she
underwent a weeklong entrepreneurship training.
She was placed under a mentor at a salon in Kilifi town for a three-month
internship.
The apprenticeship gave an opportunity to learn how to run a salon and to
refine her hairdressing skills.
When she completed the course, Jane returned to her home in Vitengeni, two
hours’ drive from Kilifi, determined to set up her own salon. Her husband liked
the idea and topped her savings to make the initial sh15,000 she used to open
her salon. Her mentor continued to provide valuable advice.
Jane’s salon has grown steadily, wining customers who previously travelled to
Kilifi for services.
To meet rising demand, Jane hired two girls to help her. She sent one of the
girls to apprentice with her mentor.
Name: Jane Sulubu
Age: 30 years
Before: Housewife
After: Salon owner
Apprenticeship drive young
hairdresser to start her own salon
Success Story

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Recycling waste into sustainable
businesses in Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya
Grantee: Link the Hidden Treasure, Korogocho,
Nairobi
Link the Hidden Treasure is a network of young women that collectively
addresses issues affecting their peers at the grassroots level. The group was
established by young women in Korogocho slums to reform youth engaged
in commercial sex work, trafficking of drugs, small arms and illicit brew
selling.
“Hidden Treasure” refers to these young women as a skills and talents that
are unutilized and which need to be linked for personal and community
development. The group’s mission is to empower, inspire, and assist young
women to achieve their full potential.
The organization received a grant from ILO’s Youth to Youth Fund for its
Korogocho Young Mothers Support Programme.
Image: Lady holding school bag made from
clean waste textile pieces from an export plant.

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Context
Korogocho is a sprawling low-income settlement in
Nairobi, with an estimated population of 150,000 in a
just 1.5 square kilometres. Like in many urban slums,
sex trade, HIV, drug abuse and trafficking in small
arms and forms of crime thrive.
Young girls and women as a high risk of being sucked
into this violent sub-culture. Many of them drop out
of school and get sucked into this violent sub-culture
and a vicious cycle of poverty.
With few opportunities for formal employment,
real hope for youth in areas such to earn a decent
living often comes from informal rehabilitation
and economic empowerment programs run by
government, non-governmental and community
organizations.
Given the right training through such programs, young
people can turn to small businesses for livelihoods,
taking advantage of a ready market provided by
the fast-growing population in the city and beyond.
Link the Hidden Treasure is one of the organizations
helping young women to quit crime by training them
to channel their talents into thriving businesses.
Project Idea
Link to the Hidden Treasure uses a unique outreach
strategy experience to train, empower, and expose
young mothers from Korogocho slum to various
income generating activities.
The Y2Y-funded project is targeted at young mothers
who were previously engaged in sex work, trafficking
of small arms, drug dealing and illicit brew selling.
Young women are trained how to make quality
fashion accessories such as necklaces, bangles,
bags and earrings from waste paper and given
business skills. Products are collectively marketed but
individuals also have also started businesses selling
items they make or buy and providing services such
as hairdressing and catering.
Product development and marketing was done
by improving group business though refining of the
business idea.This was made possible by using the
first round funding of the two grants received from
ILO’s Youth to Youth Fund.
The organization organized training for members
on how to make beads from recycled papers and
plastics, recondition used hair extensions and make
liquid soap. Group leaders were offered business
development skills to improve in areas such as
product pricing and marketing.
Scaling up entrepreneurship training was done to
benefit 200 young women to start new businesses or
improve new ones. This was done using the second
grant received. Support during this phase helped the
group to diversify their product range to include more
accessories.

During the replication phase, individual members
started their own businesses. These included
the initial idea of producing eco-friendly fashion
accessories and other unrelated business enterprises
including making of school bags, hair salons and food
vending.
Key components in the process of consolidating
the group business included the following:
Group Market Research: Group members visited
groups engaged income-generating projects similar
to their idea of making beans and other products
from recycled waste. The objective was to network
and learn how the groups market their products and
strengthen networking.
Training in business start-up: Four selected group
members, who later served as in-house trainers,
were trained to use the business canvass model
for building business plans. This approach enables
individuals to visualize their businesses by describing
key elements such as partners, activities, value
prepositions, customers, resources, costing and
revenue.

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The leaders trained worked with the rest of the group
members to apply the canvas model to the group
business. Through the process, they were able to
Skills training: 30 beneficiaries were trained to make
beads from waste paper and plastic for the group
project.
Marketing: Following the training, group members
split into teams that visited markets, exhibitions and
potential partners who would help secure markets for
their products.

Activities in the replication phase focused
on empowering individuals to start their own
businesses in addition to the group project. Key
steps included the following:
Training of trainers: An ILO-certified trainer was
contracted to train an initial 30 beneficiaries on
entrepreneurial skills using ILO’s Start and Improve Your
Own (SIYB) curriculum. The training covered basics of
business operations including costing, record keeping,
sales and marketing. This initial groups became peer
educators for a larger group of potential entrepreneurs.
Skills transfer: The beneficiaries passed on the
knowledge and skills gained by training 200 more
young women from the local community on how they
could start their own businesses.
On-site mentorship: The 30 beneficiaries of
entrepreneurial skills became coaches, visiting
individuals who had started new business to offer
advice and encouragement.
Exposure visits: A better understanding of the market
drove the organization to benchmark with successful
producers in Uganda for valuable lessons in product
improvement.
Establishing a savings culture: The organization
started a savings scheme that had 16 active members
by the end of 2014.
Links to financial institutions: Lack of capital is a
challenge for new and growing businesses. Link the
Hidden Treasure reached out to local microfinance
organizations to offer members financial literacy training
and loans.
Inspirational talks: Successful business people
raised in the community were contacted to give
a series of inspirational talks to encourage new
entrepreneurs.
Achievements
• Product diversification from a single product
(necklaces) to a wide range of accessories
including bags, belts and earrings that respond to
market trends.
• Recycle paper products certified by Kenya
Bureau of Standards.
• Tailor-made product training has been developed
for young women involved in making beads, mats
and bags.
• 56 new business started, creating 86 new jobs.
These business include making beads, mats and
bags. Other are hair salons and beauty therapy,
grocery stalls and food vending businesses.
• 40 members accessed loans to start or expand
their businesses.
• The group has developed a website but lacks
skills to use it to market products.
Lessons learned
• The group business provides an opportunity
for individuals to pool products for collective
marketing while allowing them to produce for
their own customers. For instance, some group
members have stalls selling beads and mats, but
come together with others to make products for
the group’s orders.
• Training of trainers creates a pool or local
resource people readily available to mentor to
potential and new entrepreneurs.
• Group membership increases individuals’ access
to credit because it reduces risks for lenders.

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Successes
The group has diversified its accessory products and catalyzed individuals to
start similar ventures of their own. They use income from pieces made from
group projects to improve their own businesses.
For some group members, another type of business is that of reconditioning
used hair extensions, and making of school bags using clean waste textile
pieces from an export plant.

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Beekeeping, a Profitable Enterprise for
Rural Youth in Central Kenya
Grantee: Foundation for Young Farmers
Foundation for Young Farmers (F4YF) was started to attract the younger
generation to farming. The organization is defining issues that young farmers
face, fighting for policy changes that are needed, and bringing young
farmers together in person and online to learn, share and build a stronger
young farmers community.
The organization’s mission is to inform, educate and promote young people
in the agriculture industry with a vision of a country where young people
who are willing to work, get trained and mentored to support themselves
and their families in farming.
Foundation for Young Farmers (F4YFKenya) aims at creating sustainable
programs to nurture and develop young agriculture entrepreneurs. Having
recognized the potential role of youth in contributing to agricultural
revolution, it became imperative to develop a long-term comprehensive
program that would attract and inspire the youth to actively participate in
agriculture as a career. F4Y Kenya serves as platform through which young
people can realize their full potential in agriculture.

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Context
Beekeeping in Kenya has been practised for years but
only 20% of the country’s honey production potential,
estimated at 100,000 metric tonnes, has been
tapped. Modern beekeeping in Kenya started towards
the end of 1960s and has since become an important
enterprise in the livestock sub-sector.
While communities living around Mt Kenya have been
living in poverty because of unsustainable methods of
farming which have caused massive soil erosion and
infertility, bee keeping has been a preserve of older
men who keep bees for the sake of paying dowry
for their children and not as an enterprise. Most of
the rural youths though jobless, were not allowed
to go into the forest to harvest honey and for that
reason, they have not considered bee-keeping as an
enterprise that pays. Most preferred to work in other
sectors until Foundation for Young Farmers (F4YF)
came up with its Beekeeping Technology and Eco-
honey Production project to encourage youths to
keep bees as an enterprise.
Project Idea
Foundation for Young Famers has scaled up
beekeeping technology to improve the livelihoods of
the rural youth through diversified income-generation
from the sale of quality honey and honey products.
The project was implemented through youth training
on beehives production, apiary management and
business skills to enable them become entrepreneurs.
The trained youths have ventured into bee keeping
forming sustainable business entities.
The project has empowered the beneficiaries with
skills, knowledge, technology, beekeeping equipment
and protective materials. To ensure value addition
of the honey, F4YF has partnered with institutions in
processing, labeling, packaging and marketing honey.
The project was launched by bringing all the
stakeholders together to encourage project
acceptance within the community and partnerships.
Selection of bee keeping and bee hive making
trainers was conducted. An advert to announce the
vacancy for the trainers and selection was done to
ensure the best trainers were selected to offer proper
training to equip the 30 beneficiaries with necessary
skills to venture into modern profitable beekeeping. A
carpenter experienced in making hives trained three
other artisans in the craft.
Entrepreneurship training was conducted. The
beneficiaries were taken through business training
sessions by ILO-certified trainers. The goal was to
equip the beneficiaries with skills to take up various
positions in the beekeeping value chain.
Training in honey processing and value addition was
given to the beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries were linked to different financing
partners including the county government, which
offered start up kits to 12 beneficiaries.
Achievements
• 12 youths have started processing and selling
honey.
• The youths have also been licensed by the forest
department and have put the first lot of the hives
in a government forest.
• The youths have processed over three tonnes of
honey in partnership with the International Centre
for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) Bairunyi
Centre, whose Trade Mark they use.
• Another group of youth have registered another
trade mark, Mt Kenya Honey, and are selling
their honey under the brand name. They have
processed over 1 tonne of honey.

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• The youths have learned to use wax discarded by
traditional honey harvesters to make value-added
products such as candles and soap.
Challenges
• The short time (6 months) for implementing the
project was not enough to evaluate its success.
• The group’s budget was more than the grant
given but they got personnel from training from
the county government.
Lessons learned
• It is important to work with people with
experience in beekeeping.
• Linkages with local partners can ensure success
of enterprises run by youth.

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Livelihoods from Poultry Keeping for
Young Rural Women
Grantee: Pamoja Women Group
Pamoja Women Group was started in 2009 to economically empower
women in rural areas with entrepreneurship skills and knowledge. The group
got concerned because many young girls ended up getting married and
remained jobless because they lacked skills to enable them earn a living.
The group is also involved in advocating for effective participation of young
women in the development process.
The group is based in Busia County and has 22 members who are keeping
poultry in a demonstration project holding over 5,000 birds. The group’s
mission is grounded in a rights-based approach designed to address the
social-economic hardships and issues such as gender-based violence
against rural women.

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Context
The main economic activity is trade with neighbouring
Uganda, with Busia town - the county headquarters
and largest town - being a cross-border centre. Away
from town, the county economy is heavily reliant on
fishing and agriculture, with cassava, millet, sweet
potatoes, beans, and maize being the principal cash
crops.
Keeping of poultry can help diversify sources of
income for smallholder farmers and also improve
nutrition for their households. Many families already
keep a few chicken, but targeted interventions
can build their knowledge and skills for improved
production.
Project Idea
Concerned by the joblessness of the young women in
Busia, Pamoja Women Group decided to engage the
women in poultry farming to enable them earn a living.
Unfortunately, almost all the youth had little education
and no income or entrepreneur skills.
Entrepreneurship training was offered to 20 young
women to build their business skills.
Practical skills in poultry farming equipped the
women with essential skills, including in managing
construction of chicken houses, feeding and
managing common diseases.
A demonstration farm was established to raise
group income and serve as a training site for
members.
An incubator was bought by the group to scale up
production.
Achievements
• The group had tried poultry farming before
receiving the grant but the business was not
doing well. After training, production at the
demonstration farm improved from 20 to 60 eggs
a day, attracting buyers with big orders.
• Encouraged by the demand, individual members
started increasing their flocks.
• Feed formulator bought by the group has reduced
production costs.
• The group has developed a biogas-fired warmer
for chicks, significantly cutting loses due to death
of young birds.
Challenge
• Power outages caused loses in the incubator,
which at one time hatched only 80 of 480 eggs.
• High cost of commercial feeds.

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When Pamoja Women’s group decided to venture into poultry farming to
improve the well-being of the young women group members, they expected
that it will be a smooth ride. But no sooner had they started the farming than
reality downed on them that it was no mean task to rear poultry.
“When we started, we had a number of short comings ranging from high cost
of feeds, sickness and low egg production. USTADI accepted to help us boost
the business, says Project Manager Letecia Narotso.
USTADI came into the picture as the group struggled with the poultry
business and trained the members on entrepreneurship. Beneficiaries were
also mentored on poultry keeping and assisted to buy an incubator and
feed-making machine. “USTADI has moved us notch higher,” says Zackayo
Kubasu, the coordinator of the project. “Once we went through the training,
we expanded our business and created a demand for our products.”
The training encouraged the group to be innovative. “We invest in a feed
producing machine. We are now able to produce our own feeds using locally
available materials. This has brought down the cost of feeds to almost
half from from Ksh 45 per kilo to Ksh 22 per kilo. Our problem is no longer
production but meeting the market demand,” says Narotso.
Traditional feeds, training boosts
women group’s chick production
Success Story

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Imekubaliwa initiative: Helping Youth
Develop Performing Arts into Showbiz
Enterprises
Grantee: Uwezo Awareness organization
Uwezo Awareness Organization (UAO) is a Kenyan national NGO formed
in 2006 working to encourage appreciation by people and mainly youth
at all levels of society for the role of the performing arts & IT as a tool for
development, economic development, an investment opportunity, and
use of interactive mass media in alleviation of poverty in urban and poor
communities.
Through funding from the Swedish Foreign Ministry and Embassy in Kenya,
and International Labor Organization (ILO), UAO has developed competence
in employing art for development, particularly nurturing musical and
performing arts talents amongst the poor youth.
By harnessing the infrastructural, human and financial resources of like-
minded partners, Uwezo aims t creating a resource centre, a tailored life
skills and entrepreneurship curriculum, educational materials, on-site
training for under privileged youth, interactive website and e-learning
software for sustainability and scaling up of the programme into the future.

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Context
According to Oxfam GB’s urban poverty analysis
urban poverty will represent almost half of the total
poverty in Kenya by 2020. In Nairobi, the capital
city, 60% of the population live in slums and levels
of inequality are dangerously high, with negative
implications for both human security and economic
development.
While many people in the slums receive basic
education, the drop in students at the secondary level
and particularly over the age of 15, means that most
youths lack the skills and experience to successfully
compete for jobs or start their own businesses.
Kariobangi is a shantytown in the middle of the
Kenyan capital Nairobi. Like other African slums, it
consists of tons of garbage, worn down sheds and
very bad sanitation. Employment opportunities for
youths are scarce pushing many to a life of crime,
drugs and prostitution.
It is against this background that Uwezo Awareness
Organization (UAO) in recognition of inherent youth
talent and potential in Kariobangi has been providing
a nurturing environment in form of a creative centre to
realize the youth social and economic development.
Project Idea
UWEZO has been working with youths in Kariobangi
since its inception in 2006. The inherent youth
talent and potential in Kariobangi has encouraged
the UWEZO to nurture musical and performing arts
talents among the youths into a business enterprise.
The Imekubaliwa initiative has nurtured performing
arts among youths residing in urban informal
settlements through the use of their potential and
commercializing it. It has established a platform for
mentorship with successful music and performing art
industry players.
Talent search was done in Kariobangi.Thirty youths
were selected to take part in the project.
The beneficiaries were registered with the Music
Copyright of Kenya (MSCK) and Kenya Copyright
Board (KECOBO). This was done to enable artists
protect their intellectual property and earn royalties
from their work.
The beneficiaries were trained on basic financial
literacy and offered a chance to open bank accounts.
A few who were under 18 years and not eligible
due lack of identity cards used their relatives mobile
banking instead. The goal was to enable the artists
improve their money management skills and also
formalize their business dealings and access credit
whenever necessary.
Entrepreneurship training was given. The
beneficiaries were taken through six Start Your
Business training sessions by ILO certified trainers.
The goal was to equip the artists with knowledge
and skills on how to develop an enterprise and
run it profitably. They were expected to be better
entrepreneurs after this training.
Three radio interviews were done with some of
the artists being present. The goal was to market the
artists and their products and to network with media.
Uwezo identified mentors to help share
experiences, knowledge and network beneficiaries
with the mainstream media industry. The mentors held
a total of 15 sessions with the 30 beneficiaries.
A live performance was conducted. An
entertainment company was contracted to organize a
public performance event and to carry out branding,
publicity and promotion. One live performance event
was carried out in Korogocho. Some of the Uwezo
beneficiaries plugged into Citizen Radio event and
performed at KOCH 2014 Music Awards where they
won Artist of the Year Award.

17
• Artists have entered into partnership with a
number of hotels and entertainment spots to
perform during theme nights as well as do paid
gigs and also fundraise for UAO projects.
• UAO has signed contracts with its artists to
receive 15% of their royalties and income as a
give back mechanism towards sustaining the
project to impact more beneficiaries
Challenges
• Some of the beneficiaries were young and
dynamic and did not have the patience and were
distracted by the daily hustles of life and left to
look for ready money.
• Some of the beneficiaries went back to school
and did not proceed with the project.
• Most of the beneficiary girls did not see
performing arts as an income generating venture
and ended up getting married.
• The budget provided was not enough for
marketing.
• Project duration was too short for the project
(performing arts required more time to bear fruits).
Lessons learned
• Target younger girls who are not under pressure
to get married.
• Mentorship should be long term and geared
towards an incremental approach with emphasis
on networking and marketing support.
• More resources are needed for publicity and
promotion of the artists brand and products to
achieve job creation.
Achievements
• Registration of beneficiaries with copyright bodies
KECOBO and MCSK to enable the artists to earn
royalties.
• Training and certification on enterprise
development.
• Partnerships and financial training workshops with
Equity and Family banks.
• Marketing of the beneficiaries’ songs through
radio programs.
• Artists like Teardrops and GINX have
commercialized their poems and performance
and songs respectively.
• Registration of beneficiaries with copyright bodies
KECOBO and MCSK to enable the artists to earn
royalties.
• Training and certification on enterprise
development.
• Partnerships and financial training workshops with
Equity and Family banks.
• Marketing of the beneficiaries’ songs through
radio programs.
• Artists like Teardrops and GINX have
commercialized their poems and performance
and songs respectively.
• Others artists have started their own enterprises
and are forging ahead using the enterprise
development skills and mentorship that was
offered.
• UAO has used its networks to ensure that its
artists can get favorable media coverage and
performance platforms towards ensuring they
earn a sustainable livelihood and create jobs.

18
Having lived in poverty, one would think their songs would shy away from the
life they would want to forget—that of struggle. But not for Ali Roba, 25 and
Anthony Kigeria, 24. The artists from Kariobangi choose to sing some of the
struggles their peers go through in the slums to create awareness.
GINX, as they are called, was spotted by UWEZO when scouting for talented
youths in the slums to nurture their talent and transform their talents into a
business enterprise.
“We had no mentor, no money and our music was of poor quality because of
the kind of studios we could afford.Without a market for our songs we were
going nowhere”, says Ali.
The duo were among the 30 youths who were selected and trained by UWEZO
on business and attached to mentors. “We have come from far because our
music was all for fun and not for business,” says Anthony.
Since being trained, the group’s fortunes have changed. They won the KOCH
Music Festival Award organized by KOCH FM, a radio station serving the
populous Kariobangi slums. “We have realized that music can get us out of
poverty,”says Ali referring to the cash award that they were given after their
starling performance and their CDs which they were able to sell.
But the KOCH Music Festival was just the beginning. They now have a fun
base and have been organizing performance shows where they will be paid for
sustainability.
Earning livelihood from our performance was never a dream the duo ever
dreamed of. “The training, mentorship and exposure that we have been given
has changed our fortune,” says Ali adding that, “We would like to give back
to our society. Many of our friends are now looking at us because they know
where we came from and we would like them to earn a living from their talents
and never go to crime,” says Ali.
Group Name: GINX
Name: Ali Roba
Age: 25 years
Name: Anthony Kigera
Age: 24 years
From: Kariobangi
Singing their way out of poverty
Success Story
Group Name: Ziqki

19
Poultry Rearing Capacity Strengthening
Youth Project, Kisumu, Kenya
Grantee: Wholistic Empowerment and Development
Youth Group (WEYO)
Wholistic Empowerment and Development Youth Group (WEYO), is a
community-based Organization operating in Nyakach, Kisumu County. The
group was started in 2011 primarily to create jobs for young people.
WEYO is centered on a comprehensive youth empowerment model where
youth people are encouraged to engage in work that challenges them to
develop skills, gain critical awareness and participate in opportunities for
creating positive social change.

20
Context
Communities around Lake Victoria are heavily
dependent on fishing for their livelihood. A lot of the
rich agricultural land in the immediate hinterland lies
largely uncultivated. Yet farming can help supplement
income from fast declining yield and buttress the local
economy.
Pollution, destruction of wetlands, the invasive water
hyacinth and illegal fishing practices have combined
to reduce the amount of fish in the lake. One survey
published by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
(LVFO) published in 2012, found that the catch of Nile
perch, the dominant species in the Lake, dropped
from 750,000 tonnes in 2005 to 337,000 tonnes in
2008. Similarly, the tilapia catch dropped from 27,100
tonnes to 24,800 tonnes over the same period.
Furthermore, only a limited number of people can be
directly employed in fishing. Communities have to
find livelihoods in other areas. For many, smallholder
farming, including poultry, is the most feasible option.
Project Idea
Concerned by the rampant rates of youth
unemployment in Nyakach, WEYO zeroed in on
youths who were already involved in small-scale
poultry farming to help them improve their capacity
through training and mentorship.
In 2014, WEYO received a grant from ILO’s Y2YF for
an initiative to strengthen the capacity of unemployed
youth aged between 18 and 35 already engaged in
poultry rearing to upscale and commercialize their
farming enterprises and increase youth income.
The grant enabled the youths to be trained in poultry
keeping and marketing. This has fostered a culture
of entrepreneurship among the youth, some of
who have started their own businesses. The group
has bought an incubator and started a cooperative
society to assist in marketing chickens and eggs.
An implementation committee was formed by
group members.
A stakeholders’ sensitization meeting was held to
enable all those involved to understand and support
the project.
Selection of beneficiaries started with advertising to
participate in the project. A total of 47 young people
applied and 30 were selected.
Selection of mentor was competitively done and one
of four qualified applicants.
Entrepreneurship training was done. The 30
selected youths were taken through training
conducted by satisfied ILO-certified facilitators to
prepare them turn poultry keeping into a business.
Formation of clusters was conducted. After
training, the 30 beneficiaries were organized into
clusters and helped to form a cooperative society
leadership team.
87 mentorship sessions were organized in the
three clusters to give young people practical
skills in indigenous poultry farming. They learnt
about hatching, brooding, incubation and disease
management as well as formulation, packaging and
storage of feeds.
Exposure visits were organized for 47 youth to
Gem, Siaya County, to learn from experienced poultry
farmers.
Registration of business was conducted. The
project coordinated the youth to register five business
names to enable them bid for the 30 percent public
tenders reserved for youth, women and people with
disability.
The project coordinated the development of
Nyakatich Cooperative Society. The cooperative will
enable members to access credit for business start-
up and expansion beyond Y2Y funding.

21
Achievements
• 30 youths trained in poultry, entrepreneurship,
bookkeeping, marketing, value addition strategies
and development innovations.
• Each beneficiary has a minimum of 10 chickens
and one cock, with one already keeping 150
chickens and 10 cocks.
• Nyakatich Cooperative Society formed by 30
beneficiaries had attracted 50 other members by
December 2014.
• A 120-egg capacity incubator bought to hatch
eggs for members at a fee and generate income
for the group.
• 30 youths mentored in poultry rearing and
entrepreneurship.
• 10 new businesses registered.
• Facebook and 5 websites are being used to
market the organization, the cooperative as well
as poultry and eggs.
• One group member formulated chicken feed,
which has turned out to be much cheaper
option for farmers. He is now working on how to
increase production and further improve quality.

22
Twenty two-year-old Evaline Ong’ore has been involved in small-scale chicken
rearing as a hobby but without any skills. The returns were dismal and
frustrating since she needed to make money to supplement the horticulture
farming she was involved in to help pay her school fees.
When she saw an advertisement about young farmers recruitment capacity
building, she did not waste any time but applied for consideration. When the
results of the recruitment came out, she was among the lucky 30 youths who
had been selected to participate in the Poultry Rearing Capacity Strengthening
Youth Project.
The poultry mentorship sessions did not only give her technical skills on
poultry rearing and management but also taught her how to develop and
implement business plans.
“The mentoring project has been useful. I used to rear chicken Kienyeji
(without any skills) but the training opened up my eyes and enabled me to
upscale my poultry. My income from poultry has increased and I can use the
money to pay my school fees,” says the agribusiness student at the Great
Lakes University.
Using the skills that she attained in the training, she has put up a house for the
chicken where she is keeping over 30 birds. She is now well versed in poultry
diseases and also vaccinates her neighbors’ chicken.
“I am grateful for the training because my poultry is now a viable business
earning me money,” boasts Evaline.
Name: Evaline Ong’ore
Age: 22 years
Success Story
My income from poultry has increased and I
can use the money to pay my school fees

23
Grantee: Jesus is Lord Community-Based
Organization
Jesus is Lord Community based organization (JIL CBO) is an umbrella
body that started as church group before being registered as a self-help
group in 2003. The group addresses development challenges affecting the
community in Busia. In 2008, the self-help group was registered as a CBO.
JIL’s main goal is to mitigate social economic problems afflicting the
communities through viable interventions in governance, advocacy, climate
change, environment, livelihoods and sustainable agriculture.
Through ILO grants, JIL worked with youths in Busia to implement the Youth
Empowerment through Commercial Farming project.
in July-December 2014, in Kilifi County.
New Farming Skills Open Up Livelihood
Options for Youth in Busia County, Kenya

24
Context
Kenya’s prospects for long-term growth are among
the most favourable in East Africa. According to
the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD), more than three quarters of the Kenyan
population lives in rural areas, and rural households
rely on agriculture for most of their income. The rural
economy, in turn, depends mainly on smallholder
farming, which produces the majority of Kenya’s
agricultural output.
The history of farming in the western Kenya is
characterized by low-input, low-output farming.
Studies have found that crop productivity is very low
(less than 1 tonne of maize per hectare per year) and
that nutrient balances are seriously in deficit. Amidst
the poor yields, unemployment and poverty rates
remain high, with 35 percent of Kenyans living on less
than a dollar a day, and a looming food insecurity due
to poor farming methods.
Project Idea
Jesus is Lord CBO has worked with 112 youths to
improve their income through better farming methods
such as the adoption of fast-maturing crops and
improved post-harvest handling.
Often young people do not like farming and would
rather stay idle. Many of those who take interest
in farming hardly produce enough for their own
consumption due to lack of knowledge and skills in
modern agriculture.
With land as the only resource, JIL project decided
to replicate Tanzania’s commercial farming where
short crops were planted to give optimum yields. The
beneficiaries were mentored on site on post-harvest
and short season crops to help participants reduce
losses caused by poor storage and also to embrace
short season farming to increase their income.
Seven rural producer groups were formed, each
with up to 20 members. The groups were formed
to improve the bargaining power of youth through
collective input purchase and marketing of produce,
hence increasing profit.
Outreaches were organized to the producer groups
to increase their understanding of the project and
assess their needs.
A four-day entrepreneurship training workshop
was conducted for 25 selected youths from the
seven producer groups. ILO’s Start Your Own
Business module was used to equip the beneficiaries
with knowledge and skills on how to develop and run
an enterprise.
The members of the producer groups were trained
to adopt short-season crops and good post-handling
practices to reduce losses caused by poor storage.
Mentorship for producer groups was done for 16
days. During this time, they were also linked with
microfinance partners whom they could approach for
seed funding to start off their businesses.
The groups established demonstration plots
on their farms, which a mentor visited to teach
members new farming methods. Training was tailor-
made to suit each group so that they could have on-
site experience as demonstrated by the trainer.
Monitoring and Evaluation was done to ensure
that the youth delivered on the agreed terms and
target.

25
Achievements
• The producer groups have transformed into self-
help groups and applied for funding to improve
their enterprises.
• Over 60 youths have started their own businesses
and are already making money.
• The groups have gone beyond what they set out
to do and have started merry-go rounds, table
banking and poultry farming.
• Youth trained on post-harvest and growing of
short season crops.
Challenges
• High expectations from the beneficiaries who
expected to be provided with the farming input
and cash benefits.
• Erratic weather made it difficult for those who
were planting bringing in the issue of green
house.
Lessons learned
• It is better good to build the capacity of youth
rather than give them handouts because they
work hard to utilize the skills and translate them
into money and become self-reliant.
• Working in groups enables young people to
empower, learn and compete with each other for
better results.
• Value addition increases income, thus groups
should be encouraged to package their products.
• Target out of school youths who are already in
farming for maximum impact.

26
When Peter Elusa first heard about the Youth Empowerment through
Commercial Farming project, he was excited. He looked forward to attending
training sessions and being paid for it. But he was mistaken and disappointed
at first. “I had been used to getting handouts whenever I attended workshops
and trainings but what I learned in the training is more valuable than the
handouts,” says Elusa.
But the young man changed his attitude when he realized he could make
money from farming if he applied his newly acquired skills.
Elusa and other youths are now more inclined to spending their money to seek
farming information than to be given handouts. “I no longer value the Ksh 500
I used be given, but rather the education that is going to enable me increase
earnings in my business,” says a member of Amukura Youth Group that has
also been practicing table banking.
Other than transforming the youths’ mindset, the training has changed their
fortunes as well. Before the training they never saw anything wrong with
middlemen who used to buy farm produce from them and later sell the same
to them at exorbitant prices. “We have learnt that we too can harvest, hold
our harvest and sell the same in a few months and make double the price,” he
says referring to maize which the group bought at Ksh 1,600 per bag and later
sold at Ksh 2,800 per bag making a profit of Ksh 9,600 from the eight bags
they had initially bought.
Success Story
Youths reap double profits after
mind change

27
Organizations implementing various Y2Y Fund-
supported projects generated practices that
can inform and help improve similar initiatives by
youth-led organizations. This section highlights
some of the practices from which implementing
organizations can draw lessons across a range of
thematic areas.
1. Improving access to
business development
services
Structured mentorship with
measurable objectives
Structured mentorships that have predefined goals
can ensure both mentors and mentee get the best
out of the experience.
Moving the Goal Posts (MTG), implementing
Nielimishe Njisisaidie Project, provides a good
example of a well-thought out a replicable
apprenticeship scheme that matched the needs of
apprentices and mentors’ capabilities. Key features
of MTG approach include the following: Conducting
a baseline assessment of beneficiary knowledge
and skills to identify gaps, selecting mentors best-
suited to address the needs of each mentees,
jointly developing work plans with mentors and
designing a monitoring plan to measure progress.
Another notable feature is use of trained volunteers,
regular feedback sessions with mentees’ and
mentees as well as meetings with beneficiaries’
families to obtain their support for a cost-sharing
arrangement to facilitate apprenticeships away
from home.
Grantee Best Practices in selected
thematic areas
Effective mentorship
Effective mentorship helps to reinforce
the knowledge and skills youth acquire in
entrepreneurship and the specifics of their chosen
businesses. Implementing organizations came up
with promising mentorship practices.
In its Jitegemee Chicken Enterprise project in
Gede, Kilifi County, Transforming Communities
in Kenya (TRACK), provides another promising
best practice on mentorship. The group identified
a retired government veterinary officer from the
community to mentor young poultry farmers. The
veteran not only offered training to the group and
individuals, but served as link-person to a local
research institute that beneficiaries visited for
practical lessons. To build the group’s capacity, the
mentor trained voluntary para-vets from among
group members.
Training peer mentors: Several organizations,
notably Sustainable Practical Program for Africa
(SUPPA) and Link the Hidden Treasure, used a
training of trainers (TOT) approach. A select few
representatives were trained initially trained and
went back to the group to pass on the knowledge
and skills to the rest of the group.
Clusters for expanded reach: Several groups
members into geographical clusters for that they
could be effectively reached by mentors. For
instance, Young Ladies Organization (YOLANDO)
and SUPPA used this approach to reach widely
dispersed groups involved in briquette-making and
poultry, respectively.

28
Entrepreneurship training
Advertising for ILO-certified trainers: Some groups
advertised for ILO-certified trainers, ensuring they
got the best trainers qualified to deliver the standard
training but who could also contextualize it to local
circumstances.
Selecting beneficiaries with vocational skills: Several
of the groups selected for entrepreneurship training,
youth who already had technical skills or proven
talents but had not started businesses. Such
beneficiaries are likely to apply their new knowledge
and skills to their own start businesses.
2. Addressing gender
issues
Participation of both men and women in business
is desirable for the genuine success of youth-led
projects. Various Y2Y Funded-supported projects,
especially for mixed-gender groups, deliberately made
efforts to address gender imbalance.
Involving young women in group
management
Some leadership positions were reserved or women
to ensure they had an equal says in decisions.
Gender-sensitive training
Young women may not get the full value of training
if their needs are not taken into account. Moving
the Goal Posts involved communities to ensure
they provided support to female apprentices on
attachment away from home, while Young Ladies
Organization made its training flexible to ensure
women attended all session by allowing them time to
attend to domestic chores.
Male involvement in business
training
Men support women when they understand their
needs to start and run businesses. Link the Hidden
Treasure invited men to its training program to
increase its acceptance in the community.
Creating entry points for women
in traditionally male-dominated
business
Not all roles in some businesses are suitable for
women, but there is need to find a place for women
in product value chains. For instance, Foundation for
Young Farmers realized that young women could not
go into the forest to practice beekeeping. The group
successfully encouraged women to take up roles in
process and distribution of honey.
Another group, Malindi Youth development
Association, assigned men the role of processing
raw materials for jewellery and women that of putting
finishing products.
3. Working with youth
Working with youth entrepreneurs presents specific
challenges such as the desire for quick returns, a high
drop-out rate from projects and lack of collateral for
credit.
Dealing with high expectations
To address this challenge, groups selected youth who
already had vocational skills and interest in starting
a business. After giving them business skills, they
assigned young people older mentors to walk with
them on the path to starting their own enterprises.

29
Implementing group businesses in
parallel with individual enterprises
Young people like to do things their way. Some
groups established group businesses as a way
to maintain group cohesion and provide learning
sites, while allowing individuals to start their
own businesses. This approached worked for
Transforming Communities, Link the Hidden Treasure
and Malindi Youth Development Association.
Employment as a step to own
enterprises
Raising start-up capital is a major entry barrier
into business for young people. Moving the Goal
Posts encouraged youth with vocational skills to
go for apprenticeship and take up employment as
a stepping stone to starting their own enterprises.
Salaried employment gave youth an opportunity to
gain hands-on experience and save money to enable
them venture into new businesses.
4. Improving access to
business finance
Getting capital to start new businesses is a common
challenge for graduates of entrepreneurship
development programs. With no collateral or
proven track records in business, young people
are unattractive to financiers despite their potential.
Various groups took steps to enable young people
access business credit.
Savings and credit schemes
Group savings schemes provide an opportunity
for young people to save and borrow money for
business. Almost all groups started schemes to
encourage youth to put money aside specifically for
business.
Linkages to financial institutions
Introducing financial institutions to groups as a follow-
up to entrepreneurship training worked for most of the
groups. Banks and other lenders were more willing to
provide financial literacy training to business training
beneficiaries and offer tailored credit products.
Business plan competition
To ensure beneficiaries applied knowledge and skills
from entrepreneurship training, Kenya Muslim Youth
Alliance organized a business plan competition.
Beneficiaries were assigned mentors to help them
develop their business ideas into bankable plans
that were evaluated by an external panel. The group
supported the winners to present their plans to
financiers and secure business start-up funds.
Linkages to national and county
government-managed schemes
After entrepreneurship training, some beneficiaries
developed group and individual businesses proposals
that were funded and earmarked for support by the
national Youth Enterprise Development Fund and
Uwezo Fund.
5. Strengthening
partnerships
Y2Y Fund support enabled many of the youth-led
organizations to engage with non-traditional partners.
Groups entered into diverse partnerships to enable
young people start and grow their own businesses.
Public-private partnerships
Some groups partnered with financial institutions to
enable youth open bank accounts, get opportunities

30
for financial literacy and obtain business credit.
Groups such as Wholistic Empowerment and Youth
Development Group (WEYO) had a technical training
agreement with a local business development
company.
NGO-business collaboration
Established NGOs have the capacity and can provide
technical training to youth willing to start businesses.
For instance, Foundation for Young Farmers
partnered with the International Centre for Insect
Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) to enable beneficiaries
get training in beekeeping and honey production. The
group used the NGO’s honey processing facility and
product brand before registering their own.
Community partnerships
In central Kenya, Foundation for Young Farmers
negotiated with traditional honey gatherers to allow
young people into Mt. Kenya forest to set up beehives
for commercial honey production.
The community recognized that they can have
mutually beneficial partnerships with business-
oriented youth.
6. Strengthening marketing
Cooperatives and producer
groups
Marketing is a challenge for many new businesses.
Several groups formed producer groups for joint
marketing of their agricultural produce. Wholistic
Empowerment and Youth Development Group runs
a thriving cooperative that started with 30 project
beneficiaries but had attracted more than 50 other
members in a few months. The co-op was started to
market chickens and eggs but has expanded to offer
other services including a hatchery where members
“bank eggs and cash chickens.”
Other groups started producer cooperatives for
selling rabbits (Vihiga Horticultural Sel-Help Group),
ducks (Vihiga CBO), energy efficient stoves and
fireless cookers (Ushirikiano Self-Help Group), honey
(Foundation for Young Farmers) and cereals (Pamoja
Women’s Groups).
Online marketing
Although they lack adequate technical capability,
some youth groups market their products and
services online through websites and social media
channels. Notably, Uwezo Awareness Organization
markets musicians and other performing artistes in
its stable through and active Facebook page, while
Link the Hidden Treasure uses a modest website to
promote its jewellery.
Product Fairs
Almost all groups found market fairs useful in creating
awareness of their products and linking up with
buyers. For instance, Malindi Youth Development
Association organized a solo exhibition to show case
their fashion accessories made of bone, while Link the
Hidden Treasure identified and participated in trade
fairs to market their jewellery made from recycled
paper.
Benchmarking to respond to
market needs
Understanding the market is critical for new youth-
run business to effectively position themselves for
success. Most of the groups organized exposure
visits to learn how established enterprises market
their products. Notably, Link the Hidden Treasure
significantly expanded their product range and quality
after a visit to a successful eco-jewellery business in
Jinja, Uganda. On their return, the group diversified
from producing necklaces only into making belts,
earrings and bags from recycles waste paper.

For more information please visit the following links:
www.y2ytoolkit.org • www.yefafrica.org • www.ustadi.org
USTADI Foundation (popularly known as USTADI) is a registered Kenyan organization. USTADI is the
Kiswahili word for ‘skillful’ and the brand name chosen for Kenya Local Capacity Development Facility
(KLCDF). USTADI is part of a Global Network of initiatives that are involved in facilitating Capacity
Development Services (CDS) at the national and sub-national level.
USTADI promotes capacity development as the “CORE” and not as an “ADD-ON”.
USTADI empowers rural entrepreneurs (mostly youth and women) including CSOs by connecting
them with professional (CD) service providers in a targeted and demand driven market environment
for prosperity hence the slogan “Empower – Connect – Prosper”. It is complemented by an online
platform – www.prexkenya.com.
USTADI stimulates and supports the use of professional skills (CD) by rural entrepreneurs through
cost-sharing the initial cost of professional CD services required.
USTADI support SPs to provide quality services by working with relevant institutions that facilitate
standards setting and accreditation.
USTADI works directly with entrepreneurs as well as through local partners (hosts) to stimulate the
growth and expansion of businesses and professional capacity development services. USTADI enables
rural businesses; non-profit organizations and local governments (local actors) to build their skills and
better serve their markets. It improves the access of its clients to; Market know-how; Technical,
business and professional services; financial support and procurement and grant management.
USTADI is currently focusing in agriculture, WASH, climate change and renewable energy sectors with a
deliberate focus on women and youth enterprise development.
USTADI has a market facilitation model where demand and supply sides of CDS market are
strengthened and linked for purposes of developing businesses.
About USTADI Foundation

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