This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
On November 5, 2021, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a significant investment in the empowerment of Kenyan youth, allocating Ksh1.6 billion to support 300,000 young people.
The funds, which have since been received by Michigan State University (MSU), aim to create job opportunities that can transform the lives of Kenyan youths and their communities.
MSU will partner with Egerton University and the United States International University-Africa (USIU) to provide training on life skills and leverage Kenya's 'Bunge' (Parliament) to strengthen collaboration with county governments, non-profits, private sector partners, and Kenyan higher education.
According to Leapetswe Malete, a project director and Associate Professor in the MSU Department of Kinesiology, the Empowered Youth project seeks to change the way society thinks about the role of youth in development.
'We need to change this way of thinking about youth's role in society,' Malete stated. 'If we do that in Kenya, we are likely to have an impact in the region and across the continent on how to engage youth effectively as development partners.'
During the course of the grant, up to Ksh2.5 million will be awarded directly to young people in the form of small grants to kickstart their own innovative business ideas.
MSU President, Samuel L. Stanley, emphasized the University's focus on building the livelihoods of youth not only on campus but around the globe.
