Assessment of Role of Youth Enterprise Development Fund (Yedf) on Youth Empowerment: the Case of Kasarani Constituency

Abstract

Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), also known as YEDF, is a youth-initiative program launched in 2007 to empower the youth through entrepreneurship training and job creation. The aim was to provide financial support and business development services to youth-owned enterprises. The fund sought to turn the youth into job creators rather than job seekers (YEDF, 2008). Youth unemployment is not only a national but also a global challenge; the most significant development challenges faced by many third world countries today. 55% of the entire Kenyan population accounts for the unemployed youth. Over half of the unemployed Kenyans comprise of the youth aged between 18-35 years (World Bank 2018). This study assessed the role of youth fund in improving entrepreneurship training among the youth. It also determined the role of YEDF on the start-up of new businesses and whether it contributed to additional youth employment. The failures of YEDF include not being able to facilitate to develop ties with large enterprises that would enable the participants to learn corporate skills and network with influential people and entities. Additionally, YEDF has failed to address the development of the businesses that the youth already had established and grown them. A principal mandate was to create ties with international businesses and facilitate acquiring jobs abroad, which none of the youth if YEDF was able to benefit. Notably, little has been done on the role of YEDF on youth empowerment and especially in urban areas. The research employed a cross-sectional design. The target population comprised of 64 registered YEDF beneficiaries and two officials from the ministry of youth in Kasarani constituency. The researcher employed a purposive sampling design to identify potential respondents. The researcher used both primary and secondary sources of data. The research primary data obtained from semi-structured questionnaires. Similarly, secondary data from relevant journals, books, and publications. The study sought to examine whether the YEDF offered entrepreneurship education to the youth. Only 34% of the respondents received training, while 66% did not. Additionally, according to the results, the majority of the respondents reported that the startup of new business has increased while only a few agreed that the fund contributed to additional employment among the youth. The researcher recommends that the ministry should set sound criteria to ensure those who receive funds can start, run, and manage businesses. Moreover, skills in entrepreneurship are pivotal in supporting the sustainability of the projects run by the youth. For that reason, the ministry should conduct frequent training to enhance capacity building. Training will go a long way in facilitating creativity and innovations hence job creations. Besides, the findings show that only a meager, 8.6 percent agreed that the project created jobs. Therefore, the government should consider a saving scheme for the beneficiaries to ensure that even where they no longer benefit from the funds, their business lasts beyond the funding