Board Performance Report June 2016 – May 2019 This is a Youth Enterprise Development Fund Publication Citation: Youth Fund Enterprise Development Fund Board Perfomance Report - June 2016 to May 2019. To obtain copies of this publication, please contact: The Chief Executive Officer P.O. Box 48610 - 00100 Email:
[email protected] I Board Perfomance Report | June 2016 – May 2019 I To the youth; embrace your chance to lead by seizing the opportunity and turning it into tangible achievement. You must stand up, offer yourselves, dedicate yourselves, shoulder responsibility, and carry the world into the future. ~ His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta II II Board Perfomance Report | June 2016 – May 2019 One of the major challenges facing our nation is high levels of youth unemployment. The consequence of this is idleness, radicalization, Cabinet increasing crime rate, alcohol, drug and substance abuse among other vices. The Secretary’s Ministry has a direct role to play by ensuring that sustainable policies and strategies are Statement developed and implemented to address these challenges. The Youth Enterprise Development Fund was established to provide affordable credit to youth owned enterprises, and to provide them with business development services such as market support and linkages, entrepreneurship training and commercial infrastructure. Its establishment was in response to the African Youth Charter (2006) which obliges member States to promote youth entrepreneurship by including entrepreneurship training in school curricula, providing access to credit, business development skills training, mentorship opportunities and better information on market opportunities. The Kenya National Youth Policy (2006) also obliges the Government to support and initiate income generating activities by providing youth with friendly micro-finance credit facilities and to allocate funds specifically for young entrepreneurs.