Employment

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April 11, 2025April 16, 2025

Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship: Part 1 – A Baseline for JAY4T

At the start of 2025, JAY4T conducted a youth employment and entrepreneurship survey to better understand the challenges, aspirations, and opportunities facing young people in our network. The insights from this survey provide a critical baseline for shaping our interventions and tracking progress in the coming years.

Who Took the Survey?

The survey respondents were primarily young people between 18 and 30, representing different counties and cities. Their education levels varied; some had diplomas, degrees, or secondary education, while a few had completed only primary school.

Current Employment and Entrepreneurship Trends

Unemployment is a major concern, with many respondents either actively seeking work or still in school.
Among those employed, careers in Technology/IT and creative industries were common.
A significant number of respondents are interested in entrepreneurship, with many looking to start businesses in services and tech-related industries.

Key Challenges Facing Young People

When asked about the biggest obstacles to employment or entrepreneurship, respondents highlighted:

Lack of access to capital as the biggest barrier.
Limited networks and connections that could help them find jobs or business opportunities.
The need for more practical skills training to match industry demands.

Skills and Training Needs

While many respondents already possess soft skills like communication and teamwork, others have technical skills in IT, carpentry, and finance. However, they expressed a strong desire for:

Digital and tech skills to stay competitive in the job market.
Business management and vocational training to help them start and sustain businesses.
Networking and mentorship opportunities to build connections in their fields of interest.

Aspirations for the Future

Over the next three years, respondents have set ambitious goals:

Secure stable employment in their chosen fields.
Start and grow their own businesses.
Gain new skills and education to increase their chances of success.

How JAY4T Can Support Youth Development

Respondents expressed a strong interest in JAY4T’s programs, with key areas of support including:

Networking opportunities to connect with mentors and employers.
Job placement services to help young people transition into the workforce.
Skills training and mentorship to equip them with practical, in-demand abilities.

Some also suggested that JAY4T offer hands-on training programs in innovation, vocational skills, and specialized trades like baking and creative arts.

Next Steps: Turning Insights into Action

This survey has provided valuable data that will inform JAY4T’s strategy for empowering youth through employment and entrepreneurship programs. By addressing the identified gaps, we aim to create meaningful opportunities for young people to build sustainable careers and businesses.

We invite stakeholders, partners, and youth themselves to collaborate with us as we implement solutions based on these findings. Together, we can transform challenges into opportunities and drive real impact in our communities.

Stay tuned for updates on how we turn these insights into action. If you’re a young person looking for support or an organization willing to collaborate, get in touch with us!

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025

Empowering Youth in Sales for a Green Future: JAY4T Partners with Peak Data Management Consultants

At Jabulani Youths for Transformation (JAY4T), we believe in creating opportunities that equip young people with the skills and resources they need to thrive. We are thrilled to announce our latest partnership with Peak Data Management Consultants, a collaboration that will open doors for youth through the Women in Sales for a Green Future program. While the program prioritises women, it remains accessible to all youth, ensuring a broader impact on employment and skills development.

This strategic partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on February 5, 2025, aligns with two of JAY4T’s key strategic objectives:

Enabling 100 unemployed youth in Kisumu to be actively engaged in employment social enterprises.
Providing comprehensive skills training and capacity building for 100 youth.

About the Program

The Women in Sales for a Green Future program is a collaboration between Yusudi and GIZ, designed to equip 2,500 youth (70% women and 5% Persons with Disabilities) with essential sales skills tailored for green and circular economy businesses in Kenya.

Why This Program Matters

Green businesses are rapidly growing but often struggle to find skilled sales professionals who can drive the adoption of eco-friendly products. This program addresses that gap by providing youth with tailored sales training and connecting them with job opportunities in the green sector.

JAY4T’s Role and Contribution

Through this MoU, JAY4T is committed to supporting accessibility and participation by financially assisting 25 selected youth to enroll in the program.

How the Program Works

Participants will undergo an 8-week hybrid training model, including:

Sales Foundations: Essential sales techniques, CRM systems, warm calls, and deal-closing strategies.
Professional Development: CV writing, interview preparation, personal branding, and communication.
Green Economy Sales Strategies: How to sell eco-friendly products, engage with sustainable businesses, and promote green solutions.
Mentorship and Real-World Application: Industry experts provide mentorship throughout the program, guiding participants in applying their skills in real sales scenarios.
Job Placement & Growth: Participants will receive job placement assistance and professional mentorship during their transition into the green economy workforce.

Impact Goals

Train 2,500 youth with modern sales skills for the green economy.
Support 60 Green SMEs by improving their sales structures and market reach.
Facilitate employment for 1,500 youth in green businesses, driving career success and business growth.

Our Commitment to Long-Term Change

Beyond financial support, this partnership extends to ongoing monitoring, reporting, and mentorship. Peak Data Management Consultants will provide periodic updates on participants’ progress, covering areas such as attendance, performance, and job placements. Meanwhile, JAY4T will continue to track the impact of the initiative, ensuring that our support translates into real opportunities for youth in sales and sustainability.

Looking Ahead

This MoU marks the beginning of what we envision as a long-term partnership dedicated to expanding opportunities for youth in Kenya. As we move forward, we are eager to explore additional ways to amplify the program’s impact, including entrepreneurship support, job placement initiatives, and expanded sponsorships.

We extend our gratitude to Peak Data Management Consultants for joining us on this journey. Together, we are paving the way for a more inclusive, empowered, and sustainable future.

For more updates on this partnership and other JAY4T initiatives, stay connected with us!

February 14, 2025March 5, 2025

Transforming Feedback into Growth: JAY4T’s Journey to an Employment Collective

At Jabulani Youths for Transformation (JAY4T), we believe in the power of feedback to drive meaningful change.

Rethinking Youth Unemployment Solutions

For years, both public and private sector players in Kenya have attempted to tackle youth unemployment through training programs, startup incubation, and capital provision. JAY4T initially followed similar approaches, offering capacity-building programs to empower young people. However, despite these efforts, unemployment rates in Kisumu continued to rise.

Through a deep process of reflection and feedback, we realized that our intervention models were not creating sustainable employment opportunities. We engaged with young people from our programs and beyond, actively listening to their experiences, skills, and aspirations. Their feedback revealed that traditional training and capital-focused interventions were insufficient. What they needed was a system that recognized them as human capital—not just as job seekers or beneficiaries, but as contributors to their local economies.

The Shift to an Asset-Based Approach

Inspired by insights from GlobalGiving’s Sharing Power Through Co-Creation Guide, we shifted our focus from aid and training to an asset-based entrepreneurship program. This new approach acknowledges the potential within young people and the resources they already have access to. Instead of designing programs in isolation, we created the Employment Collective, an interactive forum where unemployed youth can collaborate, share opportunities, and develop economic enterprises based on their existing skills and networks.

This transformation was fueled by active listening. By prioritizing the voices of young people, we learned that sustainable change comes from linking isolated talents and opportunities to create value. Our role evolved from being direct implementers to facilitators of connections, enabling youth to leverage their own strengths and resources.

The Role of Feedback in Sustainable Change

JAY4T’s journey underscores the importance of perceptual feedback in social impact work. Our experience has shown that effective listening goes beyond collecting opinions—it requires meaningful engagement, co-creation, and the willingness to pivot based on community insights.

Through our Employment Collective, we continue to act on the feedback we receive by:

Creating spaces for open dialogue, where young people can express their challenges and ideas freely.
Encouraging peer-to-peer collaboration, allowing youth to learn from and support each other.
Providing access to resources and tools, helping young entrepreneurs and job seekers turn ideas into action.
Continuously iterating on our programs, ensuring they remain responsive to the evolving needs of the community.

We remain committed to fostering a culture of listening and co-creation, ensuring that youth voices shape the future of of employment solutions in Kenya. We invite others to join us in this journey—whether by engaging in our Employment Collective, sharing insights on feedback practices, or collaborating on innovative solutions. Together, we can transform feedback into real, sustainable growth.