Youth Employability in informal Sector
YWCA Rwanda is implementing Youth Employability in Informal Sector (YEIS) project. It is a project funded by European Commission that aims to contribute to the elimination of poverty amongst youth (16-30 years) dependent on the informal sector in Rwanda. This is a four year project and it started in February 2015 and it will be phased over in February 2019. The objective of the project is intended to be achieved by conducting evidence-based advocacy for a more appropriate legal and policy framework and its efficient implementation.
The project targets to improve the situation of 8,000 youth (70% women) in the informal sector by increasing their technical, financial and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring access to information and financial and business services, facilitating beneficiaries to unite in Voluntary Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), cooperatives and trade unions, and enabling them to take steps towards the regularization or formalization of their activities. We work in western zone in NYABIHU, RUBAVU and NGORORERO from where we have 137 VSLA groups composed of youth between 3429 and 4110 as direct beneficiaries among them 70% are women.
The project will also build the capacity of youth in informal sector, increasing their finance, linkage with MFI, facilitating in creation of cooperatives and also assisting in the flow of formalization of their businesses.