Building Youth-Led Enterprises in Kenya

Background

Across Africa, millions of young people face limited formal employment opportunities. In Kenya, youth unemployment remains high, but the country also has one of the most vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems on the continent.

In 2021, our organization launched the Youth Enterprise Accelerator (YEA) to help young people not just find jobs — but create them.

The Challenge

Young aspiring entrepreneurs faced:

• Limited access to startup capital
• Lack of business development knowledge
• Poor financial management skills
• Limited access to markets
• Fear of failure and lack of mentorship

Many youth had business ideas but lacked the structure and support to turn them into sustainable enterprises.