Background: Youth in Africa Todays generation of adolescents and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Background: Youth in Africa

• Today’s generation of adolescents and young people (between

10 and 24 years old) is close to 1.8 billion (more than at any

• ther time in history) -approximately 90% of whom lives in less

developed countries

• African youth face several challenges including:
• Limited political and community inclusion,
• High levels of poverty,
• Low level of skills
• Limited access to educational opportunities and decent jobs

→ It has resulted in a generation of young people with very limited association to the formal job market (Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate with 60%). 65% are <34 40% are 15-35 60%

Unemployment

Genesis: YouthConnekt Rwanda

• YouthConnekt was initiated in 2012 by the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Youth and

ICT in partnership with UNDP - under One UN’s Youth and Women Employment Programme → YouthConnekt was created with the objective of responding to the challenges faced by Rwandan youth, namely:

• 33% of young people live in households that are below poverty line
• Only 10.3% of the population aged 14–35 were computer literate
• 65% of youth are underemployed
• Low availability of off-farm jobs for the youth: only 24% of youth employment is generated by the

services sector

• Skill Gaps (mismatch between the young job seekers’ competencies and the skills required in

strategic sectors such as industry/manufacturing, tourism and ICT)

• Low level of entrepreneurship
• Difficulties to Access to finance (bottleneck for entreprise creation and for existing SMEs to grow)

4

• Rwandan population is young with 77 per cent of Rwanda’s population < 35 years old.

Youth unemployment reaches 21 per cent and labour underutilization, 60.3 per cent

• Rwanda’s Vision 2020: Transform agricultural based economy (1/3 of GDP but 80% of

population) into a knowledge-based economy → Creation of productive off farm jobs (200,000 Off farms jobs annualy)

• EDPRS 2 (2013-2018) : Productivity and Youth Employment (focus on skills and attitudes,

technology and ICT, entrepreneurship and business development and Labour market intervention) = One of the 4 key national thematic areas

• National Strategy for Transformation (2018-2024): Priority Area 1: Create 1,500,000

decent and productive jobs for economic development through Development and support

• f priority sub-sectors with high potential for growth and employment, Support and

empower youth and women to create business, Strategic partnerships with private sector, TVET, etc.

Genesis: YouthConnekt Rwanda

5

YouthConnekt 2012-2018

Civic Education Awareness Raising Entrepreneurship /Employment

• pportunities

SRH

YouthConnekt Month and Holiday Programme- 1million youth YouthConnekt Convention- 21,000 youth I-accelerator YouthConnekt Hangouts – 48 hangouts organized (6/year) – 20,000 youth YouthConnekt TV show – 208 TV shows organized YouthConnekt bootcamp – 630 youth trained – 8,309 jobs created (2,208 for women, 6,101 for men) YouthConnekt mentorship programme- 1 session 2018- (200 beneficiaries)

6

Sector SDG YouthConnekt Partners Economic Empower ment

Promote, recognize and support innovation and entrepreneurship among young men and women (including technical and financial support) (bootcamp and award) Support the development and sustainability of start-ups (mentorship programme) Connect youth with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities Raise awareness among youth on entrepreneurship and employment themes (TV shows, Hangout) Government: MINIYOUTH, National Youth Council, RDB, BDF, Development Partners: UNDP, KOICA, CSOs: DOT, Akazi Kanonze, World Vision, Girls in ICT, Girl effect Private sector (Tigo, I&M, Bank

• f Kigali, etc.)

YouthConnekt as a way to achieve the SDGs

7

Sector SDG YouthConnekt Partners Health

Mentorship acceleration programme aims to promote an entrepreneurial spirit among young people in the field of sexual and reproductive health. UNFPA, Imbuto Foundation Education Provide entrepreneurship training and mentoring support to young entrepreneurs (Bootcamp and Award)

UNDP, MINIYOUTH, National Youth Council, CSOs (DOT, Akazi Kanonze)

Gender Equality

Promote, recognize and support innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of ICT specifically for girls (Miss Geek Competition) MINIYOUTH, UNDP, Girls in ICT, Girl effect, UNWOMEN Reduced inequalities Specific youth empowerment activities for youth living in rural areas, youth living with disabilities, girls UNDP, MINIYOUTH, National Youth Council, Environme ntal sustainabili ty Promote, recognize and support green innovation (Bootcamp and Award) Ministry of environment, FONERWA, MINIYOUTH, UNDP

8

Sector SDG YouthConnekt Partners

Peace Engagement of youth in political dialogue, community development, strengthening of social cohesion (Convention, Dialogue, Month and holyday) MINIYOUTH, National Youth Council, Local authorities, UNV Partnership YouthConnekt is a convener, both physically and virtually, and as a catalyst of partnerships. It aims at engaging committed partners together around the same Youth empowerment agenda

One UN Rwanda, GoR, Development partners, CSOs, Youth, Private sector, academics, etc,.

9

The YouthConnekt model

• 1. YouthConnekt Hangout
• Hangout is a virtual interaction portal.
• Interactions are made through Google Hangout

(video conference style), where young people communicate with their peers, leaders and role models from different parts of the county.

• Participants are engaged via video chats and live

streaming on YouTube, as well as social networks, TV and radio channels.

• Topics: youth in politics, community engagement,

Girls in ICT, SDGs, mobile applications, employability skills, etc.

• 20,000 YOUNG PEOPLE already benefited from this

program through different themes.

10

The YouthConnekt model

• 1. YouthConnekt Hangout

11

• 2. BootCamp & Awards
• The YouthConnekt BootCamp and Awards is a

competition between 90 young innovators at the national level.

• The 90 selected innovators spend 3 days of intensive

courses to improve their business model. Through a competition, the first 30 are awarded. Where 3 best finalists get the grand prizes.

• From 2012 to 2018, 7 Boot Camps have been
• rganized with 630 innovators. 210 were awarded.

That resulted to the creation of more than 8,309 jobs.

The YouthConnekt model

12

• 2. BootCamp & Awards

The YouthConnekt model

13

TVET Youth Challenge

• Business competition aims at promoting TVET students

projects and viable prototypes to the next level of producing concrete solutions.

• Partnership MINIYOUTH – MINEDUC- 15 TVET higher

learning schools

Art Rwanda Bootcamp

• Young and talented Rwandans within the creative arts

industry.

• Televised nationwide search for 70 creative youth in six

different categories (art, dance & music, fashion, theatre & drama, film & cinematography, literature)

YouthConnekt Bootcamps 2019

Green Growth Programme – Eco-brigade

• Create jobs and improved livelihoods of youth while

addressing issues of environment conservation.

• Train youth cooperatives on integrated forest management

skills including best practice plantation development and agro-forestry (Restoration and afforestation on public land including road reserves, forest management, maintenance, protection, etc.)

14

Vulnerable Girls Bootcamp

• Bootcamp for vulnerable girls in selected districts through

support of Youth centres (mindset, health, entrepreneurship, business development, etc. ) & Provision of start-up toolkit

Bootcamp for Refugee and hosting community

• Bootcamp for young refugees/hosting communities
• Implemented in partnership with MINEMA

YouthConnekt Bootcamps 2019

Bootcamp for Youth living with disability

• Innovation for people with special needs and open

dialogue to identify specific problems requiring technology-based solutions

• Human centered design-Challenge for innovators to

develop working solutions for problems identified through the dialogue

• Design, Train and provide start-up toolkits to

selected cooperatives and entrepreneurs on new products and community businesses

15

The YouthConnekt model

• 3. Mentorship
• This is the subsequent step of award stages to

reinforce capacity of young innovators and promising young entrepreneurs with incubation and mentorship facilities by tracking their success and failures for better guidance towards sustainability and growth to the regional level through exhibition

• pportunities as job creation is concerned.
• More that 540 are being Mentored and

monitored

Achievements YouthConnekt Bootcamp/Award 2012-2018

16

82 65 39 33 18 9 6 6 6 5 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Number of companies

Number of entrepreneurs supported per business sector

Output Status Total jobs created 8,309 Jobs created for women 2,208 Full-time jobs created 2,518

Number of jobs created

17

Number of jobs created per sector

Achievements YouthConnekt Bootcamp/Award 2012-2018

1399 1886 2412 470 152 877 55 134 95 157 10 20 34 452 22 4 40 90 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Number of jobs

Highlights:

• Companies in ICT or

manufacturing report the highest average turnover (>40M RWF from 2012 to 2017)

• Companies in the construction

sector created, on average, almost 100 jobs (20 full-time, 77 part-time)

18

• 4. CYRWA & Champions
• YouthConnekt Champions and the Celebrating Young

Rwandan Achievers (CYRWA)

• Identify and reward the extraordinary achievements
• f young people; and significant efforts by companies

/ organizations to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship.

• The program is organized in partnership with IMBUTO

Foundation, an organization led by the first lady H.E Jeannette KAGAME.

48 YOUNG PEOPLE and 8 COMPANIES have already been

rewarded.

2015 2015 2017 2017

The YouthConnekt model

19

• 4. CYRWA & Champions

2015 2015 2017 2017

The YouthConnekt model

20

• 5. Convention
• The YouthConnekt Convention gathers every year +3,000

young Rwandans living in Rwanda and abroad.

• The convention is an opportunity for young people to

demonstrate their potential, discuss on their development and contribute to the National Dialogue Council, UMUSHYIKIRANO.

• The YouthConnekt Convention is coordinated by the

National Youth Council (NYC) and TARGETS ALL YOUTH via social media, television and radio.

• Since 2012, +18,000 young people have benefited from

the convention.

The YouthConnekt model

21

• 5. Convention

The YouthConnekt model

22

The YouthConnekt model

• 6. Dialogue
• This a model of building peace and reconciliation

followed the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

• The YouthConnekt Dialogue provides a forum for

youth to address the issues of restoring their identity and strengthening national unity and reconciliation.

• The dialogue helps young people understand the

past, strengthen the solidarity and make them understand their basic rights. Since the launch in 2013, +1 000 000 young people across Rwanda have already benefited.

23

The YouthConnekt model

• 7. Month and Holiday
• This programs mobilize young people to contribute

to national development through various practical activities.

• By taking advantage of the talent, passion and

energy of young people, the component demonstrates and promotes a culture of autonomy and solidarity.

• Since 2012, more than 1,000,000 young people have

participated in:

• Construction of 50 &rehabilitation of 789 houses

and Planting 1,000,000 trees

• Awareness raising on saving, reproductive health,

drug abuse, national values, etc.

• Sports and other competitions

24

The YouthConnekt model

• 8. iAccelerator for SR Health Education
• The innovation accelerator (iAccelerator) initiative is a business

acceleration program led by UNFPA that faciliates seed funding, training and skills development to build innovative solutions

• It is an ICT Challenge with the focus of the theme and model of

the accelerator, being on problems affecting the youth in Rwanda and gaps in education, in accessing sexual & reproductive health (SRH) information & designing solutions .

• Mentorship component matches innovators with top industry

experts who can help them develop core skills as well as evaluate and commercialize their ideas for innovative ventures.

• End goal: Scalability and sustainability, fostering local innovation

while addressing narrow, and country specific challenges.

YouthConnekt Success factors

Skill development: equip youth with the right skills and knowledge to take full advantage of the employment and entrepreneurship opportunities Awareness raising: YouthConnekt aims at raising awareness among the youth on their role to play in Rwanda’s inclusive growth and economic transformation Inclusiveness: YouthConnekt targets all youth, from High school to universities, from urban to rural areas, from youth living with disabilities to girls, refugees, etc. Focus on ICT: The thread throughout all YouthConnekt components is technology. YouthConnekt leverages technology because of the belief that youth and technology are the future. All the YouthConnekt Components rely on ICT and utilize virtual platforms to reach their audience. All components utilize ICT either to identify or to engage the youth, and as such, stable and reliable ICT and connectivity has been key to the success in Rwanda. Citizen Engagement: YouthConnekt gives the opportunity to youth to get engaged, to take part to national dialogue platforms where they can discuss and express their views and get engaged in their communities

YouthConnekt Success factors

Governance – Imihingo and Umushyikirano: All government officials, partners and stakeholders are required to sign performance contracts - Imihingo - with the government of Rwanda. At the end of the year, during the national convention

• Umushyikirano - everyone must explain – to the whole country – the status of implementation of their commitments. In

the case of YouthConnekt, National Youth Council (NYC) coordinators sign the performance contracts - Imihingo - with the Minister of Youth and use the YouthConnekt Convention space to present to officials, youth and the public what they have achieved in the previous year, what they have not achieved, why and what they have planned for the coming year. Imihingo enables a very high level of transparency and accountability. Institutions: National Youth Councils and District Offices National Youth Councils (NYC): NYCs are under the Ministry of Youth and have offices and operations from the national all the way down to the local level. The NYCs help the Ministry identify and mobilize youth to participate in the different YouthConnekt activities and through the NYCs, the Ministry easily reaches youth all the way down at the province, district, sector, cell and village level. District Offices: The Ministry uses district officials to contact and mobilize youth in their districts to participate. The officials utilize their local networks to communicate and mobilize youth to attend and participate in different YouthConnekt components, either physically or virtually. District offices in Rwanda also have virtual connectivity infrastructure which enables connectivity of youth regardless of where in the country they are.

27

YouthConnekt Success factors

Partnership: YouthConnekt managed to identify and engage committed & competent partners willing and able to work together towards the bigger goals of YouthConnekt → Partnership is one of the major Key success Factor of the YouthConnekt Rwanda initiative YouthConnekt Rwanda is successful because the Government of Rwanda has managed to identify and engage committed competent partners:

• Who are willing and able to work together based on their experience and comparative advantage towards the bigger

goals of YouthConnekt,

• Who are willing and able to take on ownership of the components to ensure implementation.

In many cases, partners simply integrated YouthConnekt components support into ongoing programmes and as such also benefitted by amplifying their initiatives through the programme.

Example of partnership: YouthConnekt bootcamp/Award

• Coordinator: Ministry of Youth with support of UNDP
• Selection of Youth innovators (3 per district): District Authorities and National Youth Council
• Training/coaching: in business development, mindset, entrepreneurship skills, coaching: Civil Society

Organizations (DOT, Akazi Kanoze (EDC)), Public institutions (MINIYOUTH, BDF); Universities, Private Sector (banks, successful entrepreneurs for coaching)

• Competition panel: Public Institutions (RDB , Rwanda Cooperating Agency, BDF), Private Sector

(Bank), Civil Society (Akilah Institute), Development Partners (UNDP)

• Award: Private Sector (BRALIRWA, Bank of Kigali, Tigo), CSO (World Vision, Techno Serve, DOT)
• Mentorship: MINIYOUTH, UNDP, Private sector

29

YouthConnekt Partners

Thank you for your attention