The Youth Enterprise Development Fund, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is training more than 300 youth in Kakamega on accessing finances to venture into agribusiness.
Maurice Otieno, the Youth Enterprise Fund Capacity Building officer, said they were incorporating Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in the training.
This will help the trainees learn how to apply the available phone technology, market their products on social media, and follow up on the status of their loan application through Short Messaging Service (SMS) platforms.
“Many people are setting up enterprises, but they face challenges during the first six months of initiation as their plans fail against their expectations. That is why we have come to support them,” Otieno said.
He added that the partnership would get mentors for the youth so they can support them through their entrepreneurship journey.
Simon Ndung’u, FAO’s Liaison Officer for the Integrated Country Approach Programme, said the program seeks to support youth in the selected value chains of dairy, aquaculture and soya bean production.
Ndung’u said after three months, the two organisations would assess the youth to get a response in taking up loans and determine their challenges.
Youth Development Officer in Charge of Kakamega Central Lukas Ogutu said there was a low loan uptake but expressed confidence that with the training, numbers will improve.
Ogutu said 240 groups from the area have benefited from Uwezo Fund loans of up to Sh21 million.
“We are calling upon the youth and other community members to visit our office to benefit from the free interest loans,” he said.
