The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in collaboration with Tanzania Foundation for Civil Society plans to create more than 800,000 new jobs to cut youth unemployment in East Africa.
The jobs will come through a strategic grant offered under the Youth to Youth Fund (Y2YF) programme to various youth groups, Ekanath Khatiwada, Regional Youth to Youth Coordinator said yesterday in Dar es Salaam.
The coordinator was speaking at a sideline of the ongoing national youth to youth fund learning event and policy advocacy forum organised by the foundation. It has brought together youth from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
He said ILO is funding innovative ideas, generated by both girls and boys across the country to start-up or improve their business projects.
Francis Kiwanga, Executive Director for the Foundation of Civil Society said the Y2YF programme has run for three years; “at the foundation we offer grants ranging between 15m/- and 20m/- to implement various projects,” he said.
“We’re flexible depending on the context of the project,” he added.
He also said that as of yesterday, ILO has released at least 600m/- to implement the various wining projects,” he said.
“Over 13.4 per cent of youth in Tanzania have no jobs,” he noted “…we are optimistic that the new approach will help reduce mass unemployment in the country,” he went on to say.
Under the scheme, he said, the funded projects are mainly those that will potentially create more jobs, increase productivity and improve business management skills for small scale entrepreneurs.
Jealous Chirove, ILO Chief Technical Advisor lauded the Y2YF initiative saying it has resulted in quality jobs and business creation across the region.
According to him, 34 organisations received funding grantee and 5 more received scale-up support and together they have benefitted more than 2500 youth in Kenya, at least 5591 in Uganda and 1,600 in Tanzania.
Jamila Tosha, a coordinator for Bagamoyo Girls Education Association (BAGEA) one of the beneficiary organisations expressed gratitude saying the fund has helped them reach more unemployed youth in Bagamoyo.
She said at least 51 girls have benefited from various training they offer at Bagamoyo Girls Education Association and improved their monthly earnings to 150,000/- from 30,000/- per month.
Among other trainings, Jamila shared her testimony that after receiving funding from Y2YF, several girls who had dropped out of school and those who were victims of early or forced marriages, have all benefited and many have opened up their own businesses.
“As we speak some of our beneficiaries have recruited others in their businesses and their lives have changed,” she attested.
Everisto Peter of FASO in Kilimanjaro, another beneficiary, also testified as to the success achieved thanks to capacity building training from the project.
He said their organisation offers entrepreneurial skills, agro-business and market tips to small scale organisations and thanks to the support from the project, several youth have become self employed and employed others, he said.
BY SYLIVESTER DOMASA
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