Youth Enterprise Development and Value Addition (YEDVA) Project

Background:

The Norwegian Church Aid/DanChurchAid/Christian Aid Joint Country Program (JCP) contributed to a project called “Value Addition and self-Employment for the Youth at Chikuni Youth Agriculture Training Centre (CYATC)”, managed by Monze Diocese Development Department (MDDD) in the period October 2014 to December 2015.

Objectives

Overall objective: to contribute to self-employment among rural youth through competency strengthening in agriculture, value addition and marketing by 2015

Specific objectives: To empower youth with entrepreneurial and value addition capabilities; To increase production output of youth farm enterprises; To increase market access for youth value added and other products

Methodology:

Data collection was collected through primary and secondary sources. Secondary data was collected using literature review and key informant interviews and focused group discussion (FGDs) were used to collect primary data.

Key findings:

While the project endeavoured to conduct all the assigned activities including trainings and supplying value adding equipment, i.e. solar driers and peanut making machines, to the youth groups, the groups did not have enough time to practice what they had learnt because of delayed project start. As a result, it was implemented in 8 instead of the planned 20 months

Recommendations:

The project period needs to be extended to give more time for planned outcomes to take place.

Recommendations for Partner:

More monitoring should be conducted in future interventions.