Challenge Fund for Youth Employment

🌍As a follow-up to the insightful collaboration between CFYE and INCLUDE Knowledge Platform on the "Exploring Green Jobs for Youth in Africa's Waste Recycling Sector" report, we are excited to present the youth perspective on enhancing the quality of green jobs in this sector!   Conducted by our learning team, this research captures the insights of young people on what job quality means to them and their experiences in the waste recycling sector in Kenya. It explores various aspects, from job quality and gender disparities to the barriers and challenges of attraction and retention. Building on the report's four identified pathways, this magazine provides a unique youth perspective on formalising the waste sector.🌱   Check out the full magazine to find out more👇 https://lnkd.in/dMC9HfYU

"What we're talking about here is the impact of co-creation, the impact of partnering, how the Dutch government along with sponsoring or supporting the Challenge Fund, working with Acumen as a partner […] There's so much more that will come out of it, not just jobs but also decent jobs in the home countries in which we operate and essentially these are sustainable jobs as well. That’s the future of Africa, which is something that we all have close to our heart but we also know how important it is for the world." - Ahmed Darwish   🌍 In the newest episode of "Future Economies Start with Youth - The Podcast", our host Kevin Eustatia - Palm guides an enticing discussion on the value of Scalable Employment Models and their potential to reshape Africa's economic landscape with guests Ahmed Darwish, Adekemi Ajayi, Bowofade Elegbede, and Osagie Azeta.✨   Together, they delve into the multifaceted world of scalability, offering diverse insights and perspectives. Their discussion ranges from the applications of scalability in Africa to CFYE's regional thematic SEM call, featuring Acumen as a key example of a patient capital investor model. Alongside this, our guests dive further into the crucial role of micro and small businesses and to offer a practical view of these insights, they address CropSafe's innovative model, a standout in Acumen's portfolio. Their takeaways?   👉 Investing in small and growing businesses can help provide pathways to financial and psychological resilience for African youth, 👉 Collaboration, especially between organisations, governments, and private sectors is crucial for driving scalable employment. 👉 Scalable employment models can be contextually adapted to relevant sectors and value chains.   A massive thank you to our wonderful speakers, Ahmed M. Darwish, CFYE's very own Call Lead for Sudan and SEM, Adekemi Ajayi ACMA, CGMA Acumen West Africa Director, Bowofade Elegbede, Head of Investments Acumen West Africa, and Azeta Osagie, Co-Founder of Cropsafe Agro Services Limited.🌟   Check out the full episode for more!🎧 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4_C_xdm 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eKWWaU4t

📢 Following the conclusion of our public calls for solutions, we are proud to announce the recipients of our exclusive top-up application opportunity for existing Implementing Partners. This initiative aims to provide additional support to our top-performing partners, helping them to scale their existing projects and further enhance their impact.🌟   From a competitive pool of applicants from our portfolio, we have selected 9 outstanding IP's to receive this top-up including Woord en Daad, Jinni Services, Digital Marketing Skill Institute, Hugo, Mr. Green Trading Africa Kenya Ltd., Eco Brixs, Horn Afrique Poultry Farm (HAPF), Balloon Ventures, and Generation Kenya. Want to learn more? Check out their profiles below👇

👉 On the 15th of July we celebrate #WorldYouthSkillsDay, an occasion to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. As the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment, we support a variety of initiatives in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa, and Horn of Africa regions that focus on equipping #youth with the necessary #skills to access the world of work, and that helps them responding to changing skill-demands and match them to job opportunities. To highlight the impact that skills training has on youth employment, we are excited to share a new Impact Story focused on the agricultural sector! In Kenya, our Implementing Partner Cherubet Foods, in collaboration with Abosi Top Hill Cooperative, is empowering young women through High-Iron Bean Farming, transforming it into a sustainable source of income. This initiative not only boosts their economic independence at different stages of their lives, but also contributes to community health with nutrient-rich produce. 🔗 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/d6DZtE7a Join us and our colleagues from Palladium: Make It Possible, VSO and Randstad Nederland in celebrating #WorldYouthSkillsDay and let’s continue to support and inspire our youth for a better future! 🎉

In between implementing partners highlights, success stories of our beneficiaries and program milestones, sometimes it is time to celebrate our Team!   NewVision's Top 40 under 40 in Uganda, celebrating young people under the age of 40 who have excelled in their respective careers, nominated our very own country lead for Uganda, Andrew Magunda!   The same week our Communications and Marketing Manager Whitney van Schyndel was awarded Most Influential Business Woman Award 2024 for her work at CFYE! 👏   Check the full article out 👇

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment is looking for a Local Contracting Service Provider in #Senegal. The Tenderer will manage consultancy and employment related operations for the Company for a 1 year period, starting August 2024, with possibility of extension. Check the website for more information and follow the indications included in the tender. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d6-NFc9q Tazlinn Vosloo Palladium: Make It Possible

🌍Last month, CFYE in-country and central teams joined efforts to host a collaborative cross-country learning event in Lagos. With a focus on fostering gender diversity and workplace wellbeing, the event brought together our colleagues and implementing partners from #Kenya, #Jordan, #Egypt, #Uganda, and #Nigeria.   Today, we are happy to share how Bakery Initiatives Group, one of our implementing partners from Nigeria, enhances gender diversity and commits to the wellbeing of their employees. Bakery Initiatives is a global and independent bakery consultancy company, offering customised services and improving the performance of existing bakeries. With CFYE support, their project Empowerment and Employment aims to tackle youth unemployment and male gender domination in the baking industry.   Watch the full interview below with Isaac Idowu, the Director of Operations and Project Manager at Bakery Initiatives Nigeria👇 

📣 Calling all organisations/consultants with expertise on researching on Digital Jobs and Women in the MENA Region. CFYE is looking for research organisations to conduct comprehensive in-country research in #Egypt, #Jordan, #Tunisia, #Morocco. Your work will focus on the significance of empowering women in the #digital economy and explore gender-related challenges and opportunities within MENA’s context and strategies for cultivating inclusivity in the digital sector. As part of the assignment, the researcher(s) are expected to analyse and report on CFYE-funded projects focused on digital job creation for women in the four countries, to identify barriers and opportunities for decent digital employment creation, and synthesise best practices and actionable lessons learned. Share this call for applications with your network and check the full SOW for more information on the application procedure. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dTZXKbwt 📅 Deadline for submissions: July, 31st 2024

🌍Last month, CFYE in-country and central teams joined efforts to host a collaborative cross-country learning event in Lagos. With a focus on fostering gender diversity and workplace wellbeing, the event brought together our colleagues and implementing partners from #Kenya, #Jordan, #Egypt, #Uganda, and #Nigeria.   Today, we are happy to share how one of our implementing partners from Nigeria, Yetroselane Fashion Hub enhances gender diversity and commits to the wellbeing of their employees. Yetroselane is a sustainable manufacturing and retail company specialising in women's fashion apparel, committed to youth development and empowerment. Their CFYE-supported project WEFash is designed to provide women and youth with essential skills for both securing employment and launching their own fashion ventures. Overall, they aim to create, match, and improve 1000 jobs.💡   Watch the full interview below with Yetunde Akande, the colourful and dynamic founder and CEO of Yetroselane👇  

🚀Unlocking Africa's Youth Potential💡 To tackle youth unemployment in Africa effectively, we need to grasp the full spectrum of benefits and barriers that come with hiring youth talent. Studies indicate that employing youth leads to fresh ideas, eagerness for technology, and adaptability in the workplace. Yet, market fragility and skill gaps pose significant hurdles, constraining opportunities for African youth. 📊In this report, conducted by Genesis Analytics, Changu Maundeni, Tlhalefang Moeletsi, Doreen Ngalaka, Mishkah Teladia, and Sarah Melville's findings explore the commercial and social motivators and inhibitors of hiring youth, providing actionable human resources recommendations and youth recruitment strategies. Through secondary research and key informant interviews with CFYE implementing partners and additional businesses, the report sheds light on crucial cornerstones of youth employment and retention. Want to find out more?🔍Check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eJ8gN6fA