Promoting youth employment in Western Kenya’s Agri-Food Sector

Project description

Title: Youth employment in the agri-food sector in Western Kenya
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Kenya
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, MoALFC
Overall term: 2020 to 2022

Context

Agriculture is the mainstay of Kenya's economy. Approximately 70 per cent of all Kenyans live in rural areas and depend on the sector for both food and employment. Kenya has a very young population, three-quarters of which are under 35 years of age. However, youth unemployment is around 25 per cent or more, compared to the overall rate of around 10 per cent.

While the agri-food sector bears great potential in terms of income and employment, it is an unpopular work choice among rural youth. The challenge facing Kenyan government, therefore, is to exploit the existing potentials and bring young people into the agri-food sector. However, the country still lacks a sufficiently supportive environment to make this happen. Young people therefore need access to skills-based education and vocational training to equip them with skills sought-after by the private sector.

Objective

Rural youth are benefiting from improved training and employment opportunities in selected value chains of the agri-food sector.

Approach

The project aims to improve the qualification and employment situation of small-scale producers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agri-food sector, especially for young men and women (18-35 years).

Together with the global project "Rural Employment with a Focus on Youth (RYE)", funded by the special initiative ONE WORLD - No Hunger (SEWOH) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), it forms the "Agri-Jobs 4 Youth" initiative. Their joint integrated approach looks to enhance youth employment prospects by better equipping them for the labour market and at the same time increasing the demand for labour and improving labour market functioning and matching mechanisms.

Enhancing the capacities of governmental and non-governmental actors and the private sector means they can better respond to the needs of unemployed or underemployed rural youth. Supporting sustainable youth organisations and networks provides rural youth with important access to information, inputs, land or financing. Special attention is given to the needs of women and young adults (18-23).

The project also promotes good governance in county institutions and youth organisations to improve service delivery. It also addresses climate-related problems by promoting climate-smart agricultural technologies, innovations and green jobs for sustainable livelihoods, thus contributing to the objectives of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

Last update: March 2021