This project will build an agribusiness incubation center in Rwanda, providing agribusiness training and critical incubation support services to 100 orphans and vulnerable poor rural youth. This project aim to turn youth into successful agribusiness entrepreneurs, support them to access financing, assist them acquire new technologies and innovations, redesign the curricula to make education responsive to the market needs and trends and link them to markets.
The obstacles young people face in accessing economic opportunities in Rwanda is complex. Schools may not provide the skills that make young people job ready. Vocational training programs may not teach skills that match with market demands, or provide the support needed to give young people a foothold into stable employment. Sectors like agriculture, which holds tremendous potential, can be difficult to access because of established value chains, or association with an older generation.
This project will deliver bespoke Agri-business and agriculture productivity trainings with a special focus on value addition, linking farmers to markets, enhancing agriculture diversifications and providing effective extension services. The intended outcome of these trainings is to enhance the skills and technical knowhow of youth farmers in Rwanda and promote means of increasing food security in the community.
Increased employment, particularly rural employment, is strongly required since the level on unemployment among young graduates is still at 13.5%. Given the opportunities available in the agricultural sector, this can play a pivotal role in the reduction of the level of youth unemployment and, by extension, of the total percentage of unemployed people within working age.
