The government has challenged youths to take advantage of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) to enable them engage in income generating activities.
Youth Enterprise Development Fund Director Faith Lukosi said the fund has rolled out new products targeting the youth to help improve their livelihoods.
She pointed out Talanta Loans and Agribusiness Loans which are available for the youth at zero interest.
Other products, she added, were loans for start-ups and business expansion for existing businesses and challenged the youth to take advantage of the opportunities and venture into business.
Most of the youth, she decried were yet to take advantage of the various products rolled out by the fund even as the government moved to address the question of rising unemployment.
“My advice to the youth is to actively take advantage of the opportunities that the government is offering to venture into business and empower themselves economically,” she said.
Speaking in Kisumu during a tour of the Africa Talent University, Lukosi said the fund has partnered with the institution to ensure more youths benefit from the fund.
World Talent Federation Secretary General Prof. Humphrey Obora who runs the university said the partnership will help boost repayment rates for the fund.
The university which enables learners with different skills and talents earn degrees through talent-based learning, he said, had the necessary infrastructure to ensure that the funds are given to deserving individuals and groups.
“We have mechanisms that can assess and confirm that those applying for the funds are able to do what they present,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
