Support 5000 young graduates to be self-employed

STOP YOUTH POVERTY, HELP THEM CREATE JOBS

Since starting our programme to “Support 5000 Unemployed Graduates into Self-Employment”, we have been constantly reminded that job creation is the only sure answer to stopping youth poverty. The government and private sector are not creating jobs at the rate of youth employment needs in the country. The rate of graduate unemployment is now at 80,000 per year. From labour sources, the rate of youth unemployment has reached 250,000 a year (includes graduates of junior and senior high schools).

Totally Youth is convinced that the only way round youth unemployment is for the youth themselves to create jobs. For example, assisting one youth entrepreneur to start up a business, which can employ at least four additional unemployed youth, will immediately take five unemployed youth off the jobs market. Totally Youth has therefore been focusing on the principle of “Youth Creating Jobs For Youth” as the sure means of reducing youth unemployment and youth poverty.

Consequently, we designed a sub-programme to “Support 20 Youth Incubators” a year with several projects under it (Lift Urica …; Save Alice …; Lift Seth …; Help Wisdom …, etc). We are forever grateful to our donors who have supported one or more of our projects as well as our main programme. We are extremely appreciative of our recurrent donors with their regular donations throughout the year, which has earned us needed matching funds from Microsoft and Global Giving. Without your help we could not have assisted as many youth as we have done to date.

However, it has become clear that the instability of our currency – the cedi, has steadily reduced our purchasing power since prices are adjusted to meet dollar values on our local markets. Since we receive donations mostly within planned budgets, we have been unable to achieve our planned objectives for participants. For example, if we plan to buy a deep freezer this month at a given price and we get that amount next month, it is more likely that the price will have increased and therefore additional funds will be added before the purchase can be effected. This would mean that some funds will have to be redeployed from another budget line to purchase the deep freezer. This pushes us into a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” situation and limits our support to our young participants. But if there are no re-deployable funds, then the deep freezer and all activities linked to it are put on hold. Project durations are ultimately increased (e.g.: 3-month incubation stretch to six months or more reducing impact, output and outcome). To date, we have received the following donations:

1. Support 5,000 Unemployed Graduates to be Self-Employed:            US$  7,574    out of      US$ 100,000
2. Lift 20 Unemployed Youth From Poverty into Jobs                             US$  25         out of      US$    51,000
3. Lift Urica From Poverty (Retired)                                                        US$  2,300     out of      US$     3,300
4. Save Alice From Homelessness                                                         US$  260        out of      US$     3,300
5. Lift Seth From Poverty (Retired)                                                         US$  1,279     out of      US$     3,300
6. Help Wisdom To Farm                                                                        US$  75           out of     US$     4,000

We are therefore humbly appealing to our existing as well as potential donors to consider becoming “Recurrent Donors” so that we can plan more effectively and support a fixed number of youth every single year. This mode of donation will work perfectly with any of our projects as well as with our main programme. No amount is too small or too big so long as you are comfortable with it. Timeliness gives higher or the expected impact to your donations and guarantees sustainable outcomes.

Together, we can take many more youth out of poverty and reduce depression, homelessness, broken homes, drug and alcohol abuse, fraud and crime among the youth. Our joint efforts can only help towards world peace, given that most conflicts around the world involve a large number of unemployed youth. We can together reduce youth poverty, one youth start-up at a time.

We are pleased to inform you that the next Microsoft YouthSpark Fundraiser is on 26 June 2014. We are therefore humbly appealing to our donors, all benevolent people and Friends of the Youth, to support us win the highest matching fund. Please invite everybody in your corporate and social networks to donate to any of our programmes and projects. Thank you so much and God bless.

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