As young people face challenging economic conditions around the world, an eight-year program involving 70,000 youth provides lessons in self-employment
The Mastercard Foundation and the international nonprofit organization TechnoServe announced that a large-scale program applying a new entrepreneurship training methodology with local institutions resulted in an average 84% income increase among 68,839 East African youth. The Strengthening Rural Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) program used a combination of training tools, including a unique “personal effectiveness” module, to help participants in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania create their own economic opportunities.
“The STRYDE program has shown that when young people in rural communities are equipped with the right mindset and entrepreneurship skills, they can take charge of their own futures and build successful farms, businesses, and careers,” said Chris Donohue, TechnoServe’s regional director for East Africa. “We are proud to have partnered with the Mastercard Foundation on a
project that created lasting impact on such a large scale and developed a successful model that can be sustained by local organizations.”
The program was developed in response to the critical employment challenge in Africa, home to the world’s youngest population. Every year, up to 12 million young people enter the workforce, without finding nearly enough jobs or opportunities to accommodate them. The problem is particularly acute in the rural areas that are home to more than 70% of the youth population. Read more…
