Kenya

Young Africa Works

Our public-private partnerships support growing industries and identify work opportunities for young Kenyans, in alignment with the Kenyan government’s Vision 2030 agenda and focus on the digital economy.  

The Goal: Five million young people in dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.

Context: Over the next five years, there will be an estimated six million un- and underemployed Kenyans—the majority of whom will be young people. Underemployed young Kenyans earn an average of US$0.2 per day, compared to the rest of the workforce earning an average of US$1.95 per day.

Our Approach: Support micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with access to finance, business development services, and entrepreneurship training. Link youth aged 18-35 to digital and online work opportunities, with emphasis on making digital skills programs more accessible to young women. Offer scholarships for young women to enable access to manufacturing and construction work, and help sharpen offerings from technical training institutions for highly skilled, in-demand grads.  

Priority sectors: Agriculture, manufacturing, housing, and health care.

 

 

Connecting Young Kenyans to Dignified Work

Young Change-Makers in Kenya

Influencer Marketing Turned COVID-19 Public Education Platform

Originally launched as a way for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access influencer marketers, Esther Kimani and Peter Kironji’s Twiva platform responded to the pandemic by becoming a public health education platform. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars worked closely with health officials to identify COVID-19 hot spots, leveraged geo-targeting tools, and activated local micro-influencers through Twiva to educate residents on COVID-19 precautions and social distancing protocols.  

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2020 Social Venture Challenge Winners on Their Project: Kibera Caanan Library and Youth Empowerment Center

Grace Bako and Dorris Mwangi first saw a need for quality educational resources for children in Kibera, Kenya. Then they noticed the libraries were underresourced and lacking in quality books. Working further, they identified a need for mentorship programs in local high schools. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars’ dedicated work has culminated into a resource centre accessible to more than 600 children, where they can safely access books, mentorships, and skills-based training.

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Leveraging Social Enterprise to Inform Rural Communities About COVID-19

The Anzisha Program supports young entrepreneurs 15 to 22 years old, such as Ifrah Arab Mohamed, founder and CEO of SuperMom. Mohamed’s Kenyan-based social enterprise works with women in marginalized communities, helping them sell fast-moving consumer goods such as rice, flour, and sugar. Having earned the respect and trust of these communities, Mohamed was also able to leverage her SuperMom network to share reliable information about COVID-19 health and safety protocols.  

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Listening to Young People

“Africa’s young people are its greatest resource. And it’s because this is where the innovation lies; this is where the energy lies, and the only way the continent can actually move forward is by tapping into that resource.” – Roselyn Mugo, Law Student, Kenya

Young people want to drive change. More than just beneficiaries of programs, this generation wants to create work opportunities for others. Their voices and ambitions have helped shape Young Africa Works in Kenya and will continue to play a central role as we move forward.

Related Content

Young People Share Their Truths About Employment in Kenya

Of the estimated six million underemployed Kenyans expected by 2025, an overwhelming majority will be young people. Hosted by Young Africa Works, this live panel discussion addressed the needs of this demographic, featuring the insights of four young entrepreneurs from different sectors of the Kenyan economy, plus a Q&A with His Excellency the President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, and Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation.  

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Young Woman Entrepreneur from Africa is Keeping Business Afloat During COVID-19

​Urban economies in growing cities, such as Nairobi, rely partly on the contribution of tradespeople like plumbers, electricians, and painters. Many live in informal, low-income settlements, far from the rest of the city’s economy, giving rise to an opportunity mismatch for customers interested in hiring these talented artisans. 

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Five Social Venture Challenge Winners Share Their COVID-19 Pivots

From education support for refugee teens to mobile apps that connect farmers with marketers, these 2020 winners of the Social Venture Challenge share how they’ve reimagined their ventures in the face of COVID-19, and how resilience has played a major part of their entrepreneurial journey.  

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Introducing the Mastercard Foundation Alumni Network

Any graduate knows the advantages of belonging to an alumni association. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars deserve these same advantages by being linked together, along with recipients from our partner programs: Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Ashoka, the Youth Think Tank (YTT), the Scholars Program, the Anzisha Prize, and Youth Forward. A culmination of our vision to mobilize the alumni from our programs, the support of the Alumni Network will further mobilize these dynamic young people as a force for change. 

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Young People in Rural Areas Gain Security Through STRYDE

A commitment of US$60 million for the “Wings to Fly Scholars Program” was announced in 2016, bringing the Foundation’s total support of the program to US$100 million. The program is run by Equity Group Foundation and will enable 20,000 students to pursue quality secondary school studies.

Press Release