USAID launches Kefeta, a USD 60 million investment to uplift 2 million Ethiopian youth, at an event on March 3, 2022. It was attended by several representatives from the Minister of Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, and Ambassador Tracey A. Jacobson, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa.
Kefeta means ‘to elevate’ in Amharic and aims to empower youth in 18 cities, secondary cities, and Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, by helping them find and create jobs. Kefeta ensures better access to essential services like banking, family planning, and healthcare.
Kefeta will establish an ‘Empowerment Fund’ project expected to grow over USD 20 million by 2026 to finance youth startups. The project will be youth-owned, youth-led, and youth-managed. It has several activities like skills and training on digital literacy & entrepreneurship to support higher education institution career centers and community-based youth centers to reach more than 700,000 youth.
USAID will work at the grassroots level with youth-serving organizations, private-sector businesses, and civil society. It is committed to helping youth achieve their goals and dreams. The USAID anticipates that this project will empower the country’s young population and push Ethiopia towards peace, prosperity, and self-reliance.
