Strengthening Youth Entrepreneurship Support in Tanzania and Uganda - Request For Proposals

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is for a feasibility study to design appropriate youth entrepreneurship support interventions for the PPA Consortium in Tanzania and Uganda.

The study will involve:

• Analysis of Consortium partner approaches and future plans for target countries
• Analysis of youth entrepreneurship sector and key players in target countries
• Design of joint or mutually reinforcing interventions for the Consortium

The feasibility study will enable Consortium partners to determine suitable allocation of resources towards youth entrepreneurship interventions in Tanzania and/or Uganda in year two of the PPA. The project will be delivered by an external organisation or individual over 8 weeks starting January and concluding end March 2012.

The deadline for applications is: 9am Monday 5th December 2011.

Read more http://bit.ly/w1kdL4

AGFUND International Prize for Innovative Development Projects

AGFUND invites international and regional and national organisations, universities and research centres to nominate pioneering and innovative development projects in the field of Empowering Youth through Entrepreneurship and Job Opportunities. Read more »»

Social Entrepreneurship Profile: Kibera Community Youth Solar Programme (KCYP)

Kibera Community Youth Programme is a community- based organization formed and run by a group of young people in the Kibera slum in Nairobi. The group have been manufacturing and selling solar torches going by the trade name Kibulight. 

We recently got the opportunity to briefly interview Elizabeth Otieno, a Programme Manager of the organisation regarding the group’s solar energy project. She told us though the group started assembling the Kibulight torches last year, the organisation has been implementing solar project for years. In fact in 2007, KCYP won a clean energy award in Switzerland for their solar technology program.

The market reception for the torches has been promising, though Elizabeth told us that at the price of Kshs. 3,500 (approximately US $44), the torches were beyond the pockets of the majority of the market. The price could be cheaper if the group was in a position to manufacture all the components themselves.

Another marketing challenge the group faces is the influx of cheap products from China that have flooded the Kenyan alternative energy market. Nevertheless, in spite of the challenges the group face, they continue to produce the solar torches for increased security as well as promoting the use of clean energy in Nairobi. 

Read the Kibera Community Youth solar programme profile on Yipe!