Empowered Youth Program

Despite billions in resources invested in Kenyan youth empowerment initiatives, youth still face significant rates of unemployment, limited social and economic opportunities, and major challenges surrounding their livelihoods and well-being. This is due to micro and macro-level challenges that render youth empowerment initiatives ineffective.

Appreciating these challenges and acknowledging the strategic role played by youth in development informed the need for interventions targeted at connecting youth through social and economic opportunities. Therefore, the USAID Empowered Youth Program targets youth between ages 18 -24 and adolescent girls (aged 15-19) in the 5-year Program as the primary focus of empowerment initiatives aimed at connecting them with social and economic opportunities.

DigiFarm

DigiFarm is a FREE Safaricom service that offers farmers convenient, one-stop access to quality farm inputs at discounted prices, input loans, learning content on farming as well as access to market. Other value-add services provided through DigiFarm include insurance yield cover and extension services through remote agronomists located at the DigiFarm call center or on ground DigiFarm Village Advisors (DVA).

Egerton University through CoELIB is an implementing partner for Riftvalley and Nyanza regions on crops and Dairy Value Chain. CoELIB ensures day to day interaction with farmers at ground level and timely delivery of farm inputs and feedback/recommendations are considered for continuous improvement.

The JOY Project

The Project, which is implemented by PROCASUR in alliance with the International Labour Organization (ILO), USTADI (Kenya) and AGRO-PME (Cameroon), will boost rural youth empowerment through decent employment opportunities in Kenya and Cameroon. In Kenya, this will be attained through the provision of innovative financial and non-financial services through Integrated Agribusiness Hubs in Nakuru, Kakamega, and Kilifi Counties.

The 3-year Project appreciates the challenges that inhibit access to innovative financial and non-financial services by youth in Kenya and Cameroon. These challenges include youth unemployment, limited access to resources, lack of knowledge and technical skills by youth and service providers, and the negative perception of agriculture as an unattractive venture by the youth.

Orange Knowledge Programme

CoELIB Centre continues to build on existing capacity and training in Africa through its latest partnership venture with MDF Training and Consultancy and the University of Juba in the “Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) - New Horizons for Food Security & Agri-Education South Sudan” project. The Tailor-Made Training (TMT+) program that is projected to run from July 2020 – December 2021 aims at enhancing the capacity of higher education, training, and research and strengthening Africa’s regional capacity for sustainable agriculture, agribusiness, and research.