youth entrepreneurship and empowerment

7/28/2019 Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment

1/24

entrepreneurship

& empowerment

Youth

U N I T E D N A T I O N S H U M A N S E T T L E M E N T S P R O G R A M M E


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ContentsForeword .......................................................................................................................... 3

Section 1 .......................................................................................................................... 5

UN-HABIAs Philosophy ............................................................................................... 5

Section 2 .......................................................................................................................... 7

UN-HABIAs Strategies .................................................................................................. 7

Section 3 .......................................................................................................................... 8

What is Youth Entrepreneurship? ........................................................................................ 8Section 4 ........................................................................................................................ 18

UN-HABIAs argeted Measures in Youth Employment and Urban Renewal ............... 18

Section 5 ........................................................................................................................ 20

Resources .......................................................................................................................... 20

Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship .................................................................................. 20

Presenters List ................................................................................................................... 23


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ForewordAt the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world

leaders agreed on a set o eight objectives called theMillennium Development Goals. Goal 8, arget 16,

stipulates that governments develop and implementstrategies or decent and productive work or youth in

developing countries. UN-HABIA believes thatostering entrepreneurship is a good way o meeting this

target, as well as those related to sustainable develop-

ment and employment. However, entrepreneurship isa useul way to promote sel-employment among theyoung only i they get help with access to inrastructure,

seed money, advice and other services that can be usedset up micro enterprises.

Between now and 2010, 700 million young people aged15-24 will enter the labour market in developing coun-

tries. According to the International Labour Organisa-tion, more than 1 billion new jobs must be created to

reduce unemployment. Without a concerted eort, anew generation will grow up eeling it has no stake in

society. Conversely, we in the UN system passionately

believe that by harnessing the potential o the young,the world can benet enormously rom a new wave o

participation and intellectual creativity and help achievethe goals by the 2015 target date.

Mrs. Anna ibaijuka,Under-Secretary-General o the United Nations,

Executive Director,UN-HABIA


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Te year 2007 has gone down in history

as the year, when or the rst time hal ohumanity was living in towns and cities. Injust a generation to come, this gure will

rise to two-thirds o all human beings as theworld witnesses the astest rate o urbanisa-

tion yet recorded. Coincidentally, 2007 wasalso the year in which the global number

o slum dwellers reached 1 billion. Howwill we cope with urban centres growing in

size and growing in poverty? How will wecope with what has come to be called in

United Nations parlance, the urbanisationo poverty?Sub-Sahara Arica has the worldsastest growing cities and slums. Its slumpopulation today tops 200 million. It is a

continent where over 70 percent o urbanAricans live in slums. So how will Aricas

youth develop as leaders when aced withthe highest rates o unemployment and the

highest levels o social exclusion?

Te rationale or UN-HABIAs intensi-

ed ocus on youth is the act that a highproportion o the developing worlds popu-

lation is young, and this segment o societyis inordinately aected by the problems o

unsustainable development. At the same

time, the target group o UN-HABIAsstrategy, urban 15-24 year-olds in develop-

ing countries, possess immense potential to

contribute to social development i aordedthe right opportunities. Tese young peopleare the promise o the uture, and ailure to

invest in the young generation will imposegreat constraints on the potential or uture

development, and pose great dangers.

UN-HABIA recognizes that youth em-

ployment is vital or better living standardsand a sense o sel worth. Sustained unem-

ployment can make the young vulnerableto social exclusion and turn to crime. Tose

who enter the workorce with limited jobprospects, underdeveloped skills and inad-

equate education are most at risk or long-term unemployment, intermittent spells o

unemployment, and low-wage employmentthroughout their working lives.

Section 1

UN-HABITAT philosophy


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Young participants at the YED. Photo UN-HABITAT


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Young people require the best inormation

resources they can get when it comes to em-ployment, health, crime prevention, govern-ance, gender equality, empowerment, rights

and responsibilities. UN-HABIAs Glo-

bal Partnership Initiative or Urban YouthDevelopment is one o these resources. It

regards young people as a major orce ora better world. Tus, their empowerment

through eective and meaningul partici-pation in decision-making is crucial. Te

Global Partnership Initiative is based oninnovative partnerships rom neighbour-

hood level all the way through to the privatesector, schools and universities, the national

and international levels.

In partnership with cities and their young

residents across East Arica, UN-HABIAis trying out a programme to help young

people, especially those living in poverty, toget the inormation and skills they need or

the job market. And it is with this in mindthat One Stop Youth Centreshave been setup in our cities complete with computersprovided by organizations such as Compu-

ter Aid. Tese centres bring the world o thecyber ca to those least able to aord it, and

oer training. Plans are being made to setup more such centres.

Te Global Partnerships Initiative has been

launched in Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali andDar es Salaam. In February, 2007, a regionalplanning meeting in Kampala, Uganda,

produced various recommendations or the

uture o the programme and identied themain principles o youth led development.

Five Principles o Youth Led

Development Developed by GPI

Partner Cities

n Youth should defne their own develop-ment goals and objectives.

n Youth should be given a social andphysical space to participate in develop-

ment and to be regularly consulted.n Adult mentorship and peer-to-peer

mentorship should be encouraged.n Youth should be role models in or-

der to help other youth to engage indevelopment.

n Youth should be integrated into all lo-

cal and national development pro-grammes and rameworks.

UN-HABITAT strategies

Section 2


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Youth entrepreneurship is a source o job

creation, empowerment and economicdynamism in a rapidly globalizing world1.Eective youth entrepreneurship education

prepares young people to be responsible,

enterprising individuals who become en-trepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and

contribute to economic development andsustainable communities. UN-HABIAs

Young Entrepreneurs Day in Nairobi, April2007, welcomed young entrepreneurs and

a broad range o partners to deliberate on aconcept o entrepreneurship that stimulates

both personal initiative, as well as initiativesin a broad variety o organizations including

the private sector and beyond.

Following is a summary o stories o many

o the young entrepreneurs who participatedin the event.

Criteria or youth entrepreneurship education,Consortium or Entrepreneurship Education

http://www.entre-ed.org/entre/criteria.htm

Section 3

What is youth entrepreneurship?

Participants at the YED UN-HABITAT


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Knowing what government schemes

are available to you and how to accessthem.

Emilie Shuuya - Namibia - Planting, Poul-

try and Weaving

Although born in a poor amily, I alwayshad big dreams.

Emilie Shuuya, 23, grew up in the Omu-sati Region o northern Namibia and knew

rom an early age that her amily wouldnot be able to aord to send her to college.

Motivated by her dream o being sel-su-cient and educating hersel, she decided

to start up a business rom home, rom hairbraiding to weaving to selling marula nuts.

Te Namibia Youth Credit Scheme soonoered Emilie a place in a business-training

programme where she learned management,market research, stocktaking skills, and

how to prepare budgets and business plans.Te programme also provided her with a

70USD loan, with which she invested in herbusiness and was able to pay back within six

months. Since last year, Emilies business hasexpanded along with her objectives; she is

now interested in creating employment andincome, and promoting Namibian art in the

name o alleviating poverty. o date, Emiliehas been able to supply crats or local andnational markets, has created two jobs or

other youth, and has contributed to herown amilys income. In some lasting and

important words, Emilie is condent in ex-claiming, I make sure to pay mysel a salary

every month!

Reaching out to your community or

help - rom sot loans to experiencedadvice.

Chifundo Mikaya - Malawi - Awoneji

Samosas

With approximately 70% o the Malawian

population below the age o 30, it is not sur-prising that the absence o economic growth

and job creation strategies or youth poses a

major challenge to the development o thecountry, let alone its youth. Chiundos ownexperience motivated her to appeal to the

Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative -through the Malawi Rural Finance Company

- to start her samosa business. She was grant-ed a 107USD loan and through a series o

training session, was able to learn credit man-

agement skills, basic rules o economics, andthe intricacies o group dynamics in business.

wo years into her business, 23 year-old Chi-undo is able to pay or school ees or both

hersel and her siblings, and has opened up abank account. Some o her strategies were to

oer promotional prices, charge interest tolate debt payers, collaborate in joint ventures,

and minimize drawings rom her businessunds beore knowing her proft levels. In

her advice to others, Chiundo says, When

there is something important happening, wealways try to get eedback rom our commu-nity; the elders come and visit us and discuss

our problems with us.


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Adelina Ampilla - Tanzania - Kiroyera

Tours

When starting a new business a strongeort needs to be made in marketing, link-ing and networking with various localstakeholders and community members. Tisway, the community will be more likely toeventually accept the new service.

Te high poverty rate o Kagera region inanzania prompted Adelina to consider

tourism as a way to alleviate some o theproblems her community was acing. She

carried out research within her communityand approached local leaders, appealing

or their support. She also networked with

service providers such as hoteliers, bankers,transporters and other existing tour opera-

tors. Challenges aced rom the outset, how-

ever were; low levels o literacy within thecommunity, little knowledge about touristsource markets, and poorly developed inra-

structure in the Kagera region as a whole.Adelina and her partners attempted to solve

the problems through public tourism aware-ness campaigns and vigorous marketing

strategies at national and international tour-ism airs. Te results have been outstanding.

ourism rates have increased every year, andthe programme remains in the hands o lo-

cal people or their own prot. Adelina be-lieves that, Te local community is a very

important asset in developing tourism. Onehas to keep close links and continually listen

to their ideas.

Albert Nashon Odhoji - Kenya

- Slumcode

You have to try to link community, govern-ment and support agencies to urther yourgoals, and youve got to strive to see a long-term employment vision instead o gettingdistracted by insubstantial, short-termreturns.

Having grown up in heart o Starehe slumin the outskirts o Nairobi, Albert and his

peers saw how economic hardships causedmost youth to rally behind initiatives that

delivered quick returns, and to avoid po-tentially risky long-term projects. Albert,

however, wanted to use his personal poten-

tial through positive means, or the beneto his community. Tis empowerment, ex-

plains Albert, Leads to youthul participa-

tion in eective leadership, governance anddecision-making. oday, Slumcode sup-ports and supplements government initia-

tives through resource mobilization and a-cilitation o community development agen-

das. Resources have been collected directlyrom Slumcode members themselves, as the

group has never relied on donor agencies.Even with eeting amounts which come and

go, however, the group has been able to sup-port income-generating initiatives carried

out by garbage collection groups, environ-mental conservation campaigners, HIV/

AIDS support groups and perorming andvisual artists. As Albert explains, We never

wanted to start an organization based onthe availability o unds, but instead, build

a personal prole which can later be used tosolicit unding. Tis ensures an organization


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is made up o a strong and dedicated start-

up team.

Ogola Oluoch Japheth - Kenya - PeopleUnited for a New Korogocho

Rich is he who has a dream, even withoutcoins in his pocket.

Japheth is proud to exclaim that his project,People United or a New Korogocho, is a

winner o the Milgap Award, a UN-HABI-

A award programme or local projectsthat have contributed to leadership within

communities. He emphasizes, however, thatall the youth are partners in the process o

winning.

In the past, says Japheth, Korogocho

slum was known as a place o criminals,

and at the bad end o a lot o media stories.Now it is ull o good stories. Tis changeis in due thanks to a lot o hard work by

Japheth and his ellow youth, as well as thededicated sponsorship o St. Johns Catholic

Church. Japheth explains that the projectbelieves in a reintegration strategy, which

targets those young people who are lookingto get back to the ordinary market economy.

Te project is housed in Korogocho itsel,

run by volunteers, made up o both youthrom the community and members o St.Johns church. No one is making a salary

yet, but as increased eorts are put into thedierent income generation programmes,

there is a likely potential or youth to prot.

People United or a New Korogocho

is lead by a Baraza, a body consisting oelected representatives rom 26 smaller

communities spread across the Korogocho

territory. Out o this group, an executivebody o 10 people holds the ofce or 3

years. Tere are also working groups calledthe Huduma, comprised o another set o

representative members, who render speciccharitable services to the whole community.

At the moment, People United or a New

Korogocho has 20 projects targeting streetchildren, women, and schools in the slum.

o name a ew: the Boma Rescue Centre is aday centre or the recovery and re-education

o street children who work in the rub-bish dump; the Korogocho Street Children

Programme is a street work and commu-nity centre or 40 children who sni glue;

St. Johns Sports Society uses ten dierentgames to help young talents to emerge and

to prevent crime, drugs and alcohol abuse;Bega Kwa Bega is a womens cooperative

that produces wonderul ethnic artisanship;and nally, Mukuru Recycling Centre is

a co-operative that sees 40 young peoplerecycling materials rom the rubbish dump

daily. We believe that the uture o ourcommunity is in the hands o women and

youths. Tereore they are the main ocus oour projects. Japheth urther explains that

the Sustainability o their programme lays

in the act that the ideas or projects comerom the community itsel, thereby instill-ing a sense o ownership amongst the resi-

dents, ensuring the long-term success o theprojects, and their ability to be replicated.

People United or a New Korogocho are

ounders and promoters o a network oslum communities where ideas and chal-

lenges are shared to help others with similarprojects in their own environments.


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Approaching fnancial institutions

or a start-up loan, using targetedmarketing devices and building a

solid working team.

Ndanga Levy Michel Shirishize - Burundi- InfoMarket

My experience in business is that it is notan easy thing. You have to be careul and

work hard or otherwise you can lose every-thing.

While working at a brewery in internet

technology support, Shirishize looked or away he could use his skills to employ him-

sel, as well as help other young people de-velop their own computer skills. With a loan

rom the Banque de Gestion et de Finance-ment, he was able to start a cyber ca with-

in his community in 2004. Proting romthis venture alone, however, was not enough

or Shirishize - he wanted to contribute tothe much-needed capacity building o his

ellow Burundian peers. Tus, Shirishizecommitted himsel to his vision, and now

three years on, he owns two cyber caes with13 computers each, as well as one training

room where he instructs ellow youth ininternet technology. Shirishize believes he

has such a strong customer base because ohis low ees, regular radio advertisements,and his pure hard work -oten putting in

more than 12 hours a day. My workplaceenvironment is encouraging and upbeat.

Every Monday we have a meeting with allthe employees to assess how the work went

the last week.

Spotting a niche market or a product

where there is an absence o a locallymade alternative.

Juliet Nakibuule - Uganda - MakaPads

Just a ew years ago, little did Juliet knowthat she would play a large role in the pro-

duction and distribution o the rst Arican-made sanitary pad. Indeed, upon graduating

rom university, Juliet had joined the ranks

o many youth who could not nd a job. A-ter applying or training with the innovatoro the *MakaPads technology Dr. Musaazi

Moses, however, Juliet was intrigued somuch that she oered to train other girls

on how to seal the pads, soon realizing thatthere existed a large business potential in

the their production. As she explains, Allprocesses are decentralized so that process-

ing the papyrus and waste paper, making the

absorbent, sotening and sizing the paper,sterilizing, and packing the pads all allow or

dierent people to be gainully employed.Juliet now supplies pads to NGOs, as well

as United Nations High Commission orReugees, and the Government o Uganda

has also recently ordered thirty thousandpads, to be distributed in school across the

country. Juliet is now 26 years old and has

17 employees working or her; the rst threewho were previously unemployed, are nowmaking 600USD a month. Meanwhile, the

actual papyrus plants stay intact, the com-munity is engaged in production without

the use o any chemicals, the pads are avail-able at 27US cents or a packet o ten, and

the girl-child stays in school no matter whatthe time o month.

*MakaPads was shortlisted or the BBCs World

Challenge Awards - 2007


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Finding a way to inspire and

empower others in a way you havebeen motivated yoursel. Become a

mentor who promotes other youthentrepreneurs!

Olafyinfoluwa Oluwatosin Taiwo - Nigeria

- Echoes

I have had the rare privilege o translatingmy vision into reality.

As a student at the University o Ibadan,aiwo saw how the institution was becom-

ing inamous or the growing increase oprostitution, as well as the levels o dis-

crimination and molestation against emalestudents. Ater she discovered there was

not a single emale-ocused organizationin the university, nor a orum or exchang-

ing inormation, aiwo was motivated in

September 2000, to nd likeminded peo-

ple, mobilize resources, and establish theNGO, Echoes. Te objective o Echoes

is to train and empower emale students sothat they build their sel-condence and

are enabled to take active leadership rolesin the development o their communities.

Echoes also trains emale students toacquire vocational skills like hairdressing,

dressmaking, bead production, shoe and

bag production rom local hides and skin,interior decoration, pottery, and portraitproduction. Female students are also taught

business and management strategies, com-munication skills and inormation technol-

ogy. Echoes has contributed immensely to

youth employment as emale students arenow gainully employed, and there has been

a sharp decline in emale prostitution ratesaround campus.


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Researching what youth can directly

produce or their communities, usinga peer-to-peer skill that ensures

transerability.

Reuben Mtitu - Tanzania - KisanganiSmith Group

en years ago, Reuben conducted researchinto possible simple agricultural tools which

could be used by smallholder armers in

anzania. Te product o this investigationis the now widely known and hugely suc-cessul Kisangani Smith Group. Reuben,

29, explains that his group started simply asa vendor, and activities were being done in

an open space because they could not meetthe cost o owning a workshop. When they

achieved nancial sustainability and ormalregistration in 2000, they were nally able

to buy a plot o land where their workshop

is now based. Reuben and his partners have

since trained 120 youth at the Blacksmith

raining Center in technologies that willenable the youth to establish their own

blacksmith ventures in their respective com-munities. Youth rom the street can use

the technologies theyve learned to sustainthemselves, thus reducing the rate o crime

that would otherwise be brought about bythese idle people in our society. As a young

entrepreneur, Reuben has noted that i one

wants to succeed in business, he or she hasto observe certain actors such as undertak-

ing persistent market research, producingquality products at all times, and advertising

the business through the media. Reubeneels the ruits o his eorts has have been

realized as he now collects a xed salary o95USD every month, and at the same time,

sees his peers opening their own businessesin their rural homes.

Photo UN-HABITAT


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Localizing action - initiating and

lobbying or support o a regionalyouth programming network based

on others existing internationally.

Patrick Dueme Saf - Democratic Republic

o Congo - AEO or Youth & - Green TV

Ater the creation o UNEPs (United Na-tions Environment Programmes) - Arican

Environment Outlook in Uganda in 2002,

explains Patrick, Arican experts realizedthey needed to associate with youth. Tiswas the genesis or what is now AEO or

Youth, created under the auspice o theUNEP, and or the benet o hundreds o

enthusiastic youth like Patrick. Recognizingboth a local gap and opportunity, Patrick

was part o an initial team that helped increating networks o this programme at the

local levels in the Democratic Republic o

Congo. Realizing it was, indeed, a job crea-tion opportunity, over 2500 youth rom all

over the country signed up. It was preciselythis overwhelming response that encour-

aged Patrick and his peers to come up withdierent environmental projects and initia-

tives or these youth. Tis prompted visitsto several V channels in the Democratic

Republic o Congo in hopes o creating

opportunities and experiences or youthinterested in reporting on the environment.Green V was born. Four years on, this

environmental education reality programmeregularly instills its young reporters with

practical production and reporting skills andprepares them or the job market. Along the

way, it has become the Democratic Republico Congos most popular youth programme

on the air.

Identiying what your city or

government is not providing or yourneighbourhood, and approaching

the authorities to fnd a way to fll thegap.

Claire Tembo - Zambia - Helen Kaun-

da Community Enterprise GarbageCollection

Tere were so many youth doing absolutelynothing in the neighbourhood.

Just over a year ago, Claire realized that due

to an obvious lack o capacity in the LusakaCity Council to collect garbage in the city,

she was going to have to beautiy her neigh-bourhood hersel. Within a ew months, she

had established a Community Based Enter-prise, which would eventually be incorpo-

rated in 2006, and initiated a partnershipwith the Lusaka City Council by way o a

1000USD loan. Tis money went primarilyto the procurement o tools and renting

a shop at the market. As or human re-sources, all Claire had to do was look at the

idle youth around her community and shequickly had a committed and enthusiastic

crew. Her teams objective was to provide aneective and efcient solid waste collection

service or the residents o Helen Kaundalocality, and to collect revenue rom everyhousehold being serviced. At present, the

Helen Kaunda Community Garbage Collec-tion team has managed to bring 420 clients

on board and has created employment orabout 8 youth, with a strong likelihood or

growth. Claire explains that with the highlevels o unemployment in Zambia, youths

are ready to do anything to make ends meet.


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Although only able to provide themselves

with about 20USD a month, members othe Helen Kaunda Community Enterprise

Garbage Collection team are now able tosupport their siblings and sponsor them-

selves in tertiary education.

Ogunbanke Aduragbemi - Nigeria - LesMediques Francais

We await the dawn o the day when LesMediques Francais will be a world re-nowned non-proft organization that haseectively used language to heal the sick.

Prior to his initiation o the Les Mediques

Francais project, Ogunbanke realized thatew students had an international outlook

on health delivery. Indeed, most had verylittle exposure to oreign cultures, and were

poorly prepared to unction in a linguisti-cally diverse setting. In order to get around

this, Ogunbanke realized the need orexpanding the geographical unctionality

o uture doctors and making it possibleor doctors to reach out to communities

beyond their own locality. Ogunbanke, inessence, embarked on an initiative o break-

ing language barriers in the name o health.Les Mediques Francais has now been able

to spread their vision and have trained 12value-added bilingual doctors, established

several French language schools in variouscolleges o medicine, expanded the health-

reach o medical practitioners, and organ-ized voluntary community oriented initia-

tives to promote preventive health care prac-tices. Financial resources come rom dues

regularly paid each month by Les Mediques

Francais members, as well as grants rom

private and commercial patrons. Ogun-banke explains that Les Mediques Francais

has opened a bank account to ensure proper

monitoring o und transers, and has en-gaged in aggressive marketing/campaigning

attempts in the media and on the internet.Ogunbanke believes perseverance, innova-

tion and a division o labour will keep LesMediques Francais moving orward in leaps

and bounds. A benchmark o our success isall the lives that have been touched by our

project.

Photo Les Mediques Francais


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Discovering ways to increase the

power o your degree and yourentrepreneurial spirit through a

school-to-work strategy, allowing orpractical work experience beore you

graduate!

Jean-Blaise Adjeklakara Mossus - Senegal- Veterinary School of Dakar: Junior

Undertaken

Jean-Blaises colleagues and riends at theDakar Veterinary School decided to orm acompany o young veterinary surgeons, creat-

ing a ramework or practical work experiencethat would allow recent graduates to more

easily enter into the proessional world. Itis difcult, explains Jean-Blaise, to suc-

ceed in Arica where nothing is done to help

young graduates. Tereore, under his owninitiative, Jean-Blaise accumulated as much

experience as he could in health and livestockproduction, the designing and installation

o livestock buildings, and the setting up oquality control levels in the ood industry. He

established Junior Undertaken to reinorcethe capacities and competences o his peers

in these elds and to encourage the spreado entrepreneurial spirit. From their school,

the group received a start-up budget o about

9400USD, used or the installation andlaunch o the projects structure. In terms oits operations, sources o nances are through

services rendered, bank loans, and gits. Since2000, his team has carried out research in

the eld o health and livestock productionin over 14 countries in Arica. Jean-Blaise be-

lieves it becomes necessary to have a creativespirit and entrepreneurial instinct in order to

solve the problems o unemployment amongst

Aricas youth.

Abenet Abite and Milkias Bonke - Ethio-

pia Kindergarten Project and Tebeb Tra-ditional Cloth Producers and Distributors

Even as a student, you can come to a betterunderstanding o the current market andthe challenges aced by ellow stakeholders,thereby increasing the likelihood o yourown success in the feld.

Abenet and Milkias explain that the educa-tion level in Meketeya, Ethiopia, is suer-

ing due to the lack o qualied educationcentres. Tus, they decided they wanted

to contribute to providing education andimproving their societys capacity. Tey

asked themselves questions like, Why are

young children not attending school?, andin search o answers, collected inormation

about the current situation through ace-

to-ace interviews with members o theircommunity. Tey realized that by open-ing a good kindergarten with air ees, the

community would benet. Moreover, eventhough they were students themselves, they

saw how they could change both their livesand the lives o those around them. Abenet

and Milkias also established the ebeb ra-ditional Cloth Producers and Distributors

company, with the objectives o advertisingand promoting their products, to open a

series o good standardized shops, and tosell online through the internet. By the time

they graduate, they emphasize, they willhave had solid work experience with which

to use as proessionals entering the work-orce.


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Targeted measures in youth

employment and urban renewal

Policy instruments that are available at themacro level to ght economic downturns

and avoid higher unemployment (e.g. mon-

etary, scal, trade and exchange rate poli-cies), are not normally in the purview o lo-

cal governments, nor are they dierentiatedenough to address the problems o specic

slums or municipal areas. Tis is not to say

that macro-economic policy has no eect onurban renewal and youth employment, sincegeneral improvements in the economy and

reductions in unemployment should resultin some improvement in the livelihoods o

the urban poor as well as young people.

Te disproportionate disadvantages o

urban youth, however, calls or more tar-geted measures. Opportunities or new or

strengthened initiatives targeting urbanyouth specically can be envisioned in the

ollowing areas2:

2Youth Employment and Urban Renewal,UN-HABIA Discussion paper, drat 2,4 October

2004.

Public Sector

One role is as a direct employer, by hiring

youth in public administration or or publicworks projects. A growing area o concern

is that the construction and maintenance o

inrastructure in some countries has beentaken over by multinational public works

enterprises which use more capital intensiverather than labour-intensive methods. Te

public sector can also provide vital social

services, which are instrumental in creatingemployment and ostering social integrationand intergenerational solidarity. In develop-

ing countries, it is interesting to note that inmany poor urban areas, civil society groups

have been mobilized to provide social serv-ices in the absence o government provision,

and there is a high level o youth participa-tion in these volunteer activities.

Globalization and World MarketExpansion

Globalization and world market expansionprovide space or labour intensive industrial

growth, which can particularly benet ur-

ban areas in general and unemployed youthin particular.

Section 4

UN-HABITAT


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Inter-Sectoral Partnerships

Te public sector can engage the private sec-tor in promoting youth employment through

policies that grant private sector employers

various incentives or hiring youth. Teseincentives can take the orm o tax rebates,

wage subsidies or loosening o employmentregulations. Tere are also good opportuni-

ties or the public sector, especially local gov-ernments, to engage with civil society organi-

zations on strategies to address urban youthunemployment. Expansion and strengthen-

ing o social services in the context o urbanrenewal initiatives should give high priority

to establishing ormal partnerships with civilsociety organizations, including local groups

as well as national and international NGOs,with a conscious ocus on employing young

people.

Informal Sector Expansion

Outside o agricultural activities, the bulk o

inormal sector employment is in urban orsemi-urban settlements, characterized by low

productivity, inadequate incomes and pooror even exploitative working conditions. Tis

sector however, provides an easily exploitableopportunity or employment and sustained

livelihoods, or skilled and unskilled labour

alike. Strategies to promote the inormalsector have tended to ocus on improvingaccess to credit, technical and business train-

ing, improved inrastructure, and marketingskills. Demand-sided issues need to be ur-

ther examined, including linkages betweenthe ormal and inormal economies, where

the ormal private sector can gain rom os-

tering the growth o new business that sup-

ply their production needs.26

Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-led

Development

Te 21st Governing Council o UN-HABI-

A in April 2007, agreed to establish thisund by which to support youth-led initia-

tives in pursuance o the HABIA agendawithin the ollowing areas:

n Mobilization o young people tohelp strengthen youth-related policy

ormulation;n Building the capacities o governments

at all levels, non-governmental and civil

society organizations and private sectorentities to ensure a better response to

the needs and issues o young people;n Supporting the development o inter-

est-based inormation and communica-tion-oriented networks;

n Piloting and demonstration o new andinnovative approaches to employment,

good governance, adequate shelter andsecure tenure;

n Sharing and exchange o inormationon best practices;

n Facilitating vocational training andcredit mechanisms to promote en-

trepreneurship and employment oryoung people, in collaboration with

the private sector and in cooperationwith other United Nations bodies and

stakeholders;n Promoting equal opportunities or both

young men and women in all activitieso urban youth development.


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Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship

Te ollowing are both existing initiatives

and long-term strategies which are promis-ing an increased ocus on youth employ-

ment and the institutionalization o youth

entrepreneurship

Youth Business International, an initiative

of International Business Leaders Forum

(www.youth-business.org)

Youth Business International is an interna-tional network o programmes helping dis-

advantaged young people.

International Youth Foundation

(www.iyfnet.org)

Te International Youth Foundation works

in some 70 countries to improve the condi-tions and prospects or young people. Es-

tablished in 1990, it works with hundreds

o companies, oundations, and civil societyorganizations to give youth better prospects

by promoting education, employability,leadership, and health education.

Empowering Africa Program

(www.a/esec.org)

Empowering Arica Program is a continent-wide network initiative geared towards alle-

viating poverty and HIV/AIDS. One o the

programmes, Arican Young Entrepreneurs,is intent on increasing the entrepreneurialcapabilities o young people in Arica by

providing them with knowledge and practi-

cal skills that would assist them in becomingsel-reliant.

KIVA

(www.kiva.org)KIVA lets the public con-nect with, and invest in outstanding entre-preneurs rom impoverished communities

worldwide. By choosing a business on KIVA.org, one can sponsor a business and helpworkers in developing nations make greatstrides towards economic independence. As

the particular business starts proting, thesponsor gets his or her loan repaid.

The Seed Initiative (Supporting Entrepre-

neurs in Environment and Development)(www.seedinit.org) Te Seed Initiative aimsto inspire, support and build the capacity olocally driven entrepreneurial partnerships

to contribute to the delivery o the Millen-nium Development Goals. Te initiative

ocuses on business as unusual - innova-tive action delivering real solutions through

project cooperation among small and largebusinesses, local and international NGOs,

Section 5

Resources


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1

womens groups, labour organizations, pub-

lic authorities and UN agencies, and othersworking in the eld o sustainable devel-

opment. Te annual Seed Awards are aninternational competition to nd the most

promising new entrepreneurial or innova-tive, locally driven partnerships or sustain-

able development.

The Youth Employment Network

(www.ilo.org/yen)

Te Secretary Generals Youth EmploymentNetwork was established to act as a vehicle

to address the global challenge o youth em-ployment. As a joint initiative o the United

Nations, World Bank and InternationalLabour Organization, the Network views

young people as partners in devising solu-tions to a common problem and seeks to

support their aspirations rather than imposeperceived needs upon them. Te our top

priorities or all national action plans are:employability, equal opportunities between

young men and women, entrepreneurship,and employment creation.

The International Labour Organizations

Youth Employment Team

(www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/

strat/yen/network/index.htm)

Te International Labour Organizations

Youth Employment eam was established tostrengthen its technical activities and policy

messages on youth employment within thecontext o the International Labour Organi-

zations Global Employment Agenda. TeILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles

and Rights at Work provides a basic set o

principles that, when adhered to, will help

provide decent work or young people.

The Youth Employment Summit (YES)Campaign

(www.yesweb.org)

Te YES Campaign brings together di-

verse stakeholders, and works with them todevelop the capacity o youth to lead em-

ployment initiatives, to promote youth em-

ployment to address key development chal-lenges, and to build in-country coalitions todevelop national strategies addressing youth

unemployment. Te YES Campaign and theUN Industrial Development Organization

have also explored ways to promote youthemployment and entrepreneurship through

renewable energy technologies and value-added agro-business.

TakinglTGIobal(www.takingitglobal.org)

akinglGIobal.org serves as the most

popular online community or young peo-ple interested in connecting across cultures

and making a dierence. Tey work withglobal partners- rom UN agencies, to major

companies, and especially youth organiza-tions - to build the capacity o youth or de-

velopment, artistic and media expression, tomake education more engaging, and to in-

volve young people in global decision-mak-ing. akinglGlobal houses a business and

entrepreneurship initiative called YouthBiz,and regularly hosts global entrepreneurship

conerences and workshops.


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Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative

(www.thecommonwealth.org)

Te Commonwealth Youth Credit Initia-

tive helps young business people assess theircredit needs, develop their entrepreneurial

capabilities, and it provides loans.

Street Kids International

(www.streetkids.org)SKI conducts trainingin over 20 countries to help young people

development new skills. A new initiativecalled the Street Banking oolkit, builds on

lessons rom Street Kids Internationals oth-er business programmes, and provides youth

with skills to save and manage loans.

A number of overall strategies for UN-HABITATs work with youth were captured

during Young Entrepreneurs Day.

From the youth themselves, the top suggestions were:

Increased resources or youth entrepreneurs

Directly reaching out to youth

Facilitating youth tenders or suppliers

Involving youth in orums and events organization

Lobbying or youth in inormal sector

Increased programming in games and sports

Promoting best practices

Setting up an autonomous body to manage the youth und

Having more orums like the YED

Protecting markets and ghting dumping

Working on slum youth challenge awards

Facilitating dialogue with municipalities and unctional centres

Creating dialogue between youth and investors

Securing neighbourhoods

Allowing or air wages

Encouraging a market ocus rom governments

Enabling access to policy makers

Keeping adolescent girls in schools


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UN-HABITAT YOUNG ENTREPRENEURSPRESENTERS LIST

1. Emilie Shuuya Namibia

2. Chiundo Mikaya Malawi

3. Ndanga Levy Michel Shirishize Burundi

4. Juliet Nakibuule Uganda

5. Olayinoluwa Oluwatosin aiwo Nigeria

6. Reuben Mtitu anzania

7. Patrick Dueme Sa Democratic Republic o Congo8. Claire embo Zambia

9. Ogunbanke Aduragbemi Nigeria

10. Adelina Ampilla anzania

11. Abenet Abite and Milkias Bonke Ethiopia

12. Albert Nashon Odhoji Kenya

13. Jean-Blaise Adjeklakara Mossus Senegal

14. Ogola Oluoch Japheth Kenya

15. Bella Oden Gervais Marital Cameroon16. Kwizera Aime Burundi

17. Golden Zikatiwindu Malawi

18. Christine Kyaruzi anzania

19. Irene Namuyanja Uganda

20. Liz Ogumbo Kenya


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UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME

Partners and Youth Section, Monitoring and Research Division (UN-HABITAT)

P.O. Box 30030, 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya; Tel: +254 20 7623900; Fax: +254 20 7624588

Email: [email protected]; Website: www.unhabitat.org/

youth entrepreneurship and empowerment

Documents