Pan-African Youth Entrepreneur Development (PAYED)
The Pan-African Youth Entrepreneur Development (PAYED) program will provide training and tailored advisory support 600 young entrepreneurs in Kenya, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire to develop opportunities in the micro-retail sector.
Entrepreneurship presents a path toward economic independence for young men and women in Africa, particularly when formal employment opportunities are scarce, and the poverty rate among working youth is at nearly 70 percent. Small mom-and-pop retail shops play a critical role in many low-income communities by providing income for entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and increasing access to everyday products. TechnoServe and Citi Foundation are partnering to scale up a proven model that helps mom-and-pop shops become more profitable by connecting entrepreneurs with the knowledge, training, and tools they need to become successful retailers. Launched in October 2017, the Pan-African Youth Entrepreneur Development (PAYED) program will provide training and tailored advisory support 600 young entrepreneurs in Kenya, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire to develop opportunities in the micro-retail sector. The one-year program will target young entrepreneurs who are owners, managers, or employees of existing shops, while also piloting activities to help motivated youth launch new micro-retail enterprises. Through training and coaching, the program aims to increase adoption of best practices by 70 percent and increase sales by 30 percent.
