International Development Grant
Youth-Led Enterprise and Development
Project Number: CA-3-S065409001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $6,906,968.00
Start Date: March 13, 2012
End Date: June 30, 2015
Duration: 3.3 years
Project Description
The project aims to support 88 000 young African women and men to lead economic changes in order to create new enterprises raise individual and family incomes and augment access to business development services and capital in Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda Tanzania and Uganda. The project contributes to enhancing the employment skills of young women and men; increasing the number of emerging and developed community-based socio-economic enterprises; and enhancing the delivery of economic development and working-readiness programs by DOT's local partners and the community-based organizations with which they work through in this project. DOT works in partnership with DOT Ethiopia DOT Kenya DOT Rwanda DOT Tanzania and DOT Uganda. This project is implemented by Digital Opportunity Trust and co-financed by The MasterCard Foundation.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: Increased use of 21st Century (technology marketing financial literacy including savings and budgeting communications identifying and managing risk) and work-readiness skills by youth participants (m/f) and Interns (m/f) with emphasis on young women in gaining increased access to work opportunities; Increased number of emerging and developed community-based socio-economic enterprises; and Improved design and delivery of youth and woman centred economic development and work-readiness policies and programs.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results as of March 2014 include: The project has trained 625 Interns (317 female interns and 318 male interns) in the delivery of DOT Programming (ReachUp! or StartUp!) enhancing their employment skills and has deployed Interns in their communities to facilitate programs and coach participants. Interns have reached 85 320 participants (41 611 female participants and 43 709 male participants) in partnership with 595 community-based host organizations. 21 590 beneficiaries (280 interns and 21 310 participants) have found employment within 3 months of completing training. 29% of participants own a business; 26% have a job and 30% are going to school. Over 90% of participants are satisfied or very satisfied with their business or job. The primary sectors of business operations are retail (44%); agribusiness (22%); and services (22%). The primary sectors of employment are: education (30%); services (26%); retail (9%); ICT (7%); and agriculture (7%). DOT Kenya is developing a number of partnerships that will support the transition of youth to business including an initiative to empower out of school and young women in poor urban and rural communities to start and grow their businesses and providing youth friendly financial services to help youth develop a savings culture and banking history facilitate access to credit products and expand their enterprises. DOT Ethiopia is collaborating with more than 45 private sector partners to take part in community based business development venture competitions and post-internship opportunities - job shadow placements and mentoring. In Ethiopia 20% of interns are starting their own business (44% agribusiness 31% retail 14% service oriented 11% other).
Key Information
Executing Agency:
DOT - Digital Opportunity Trust
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP