ILO's Youth-to-Youth Fund to tackle youth unemployment in Ethiopia

© ILO/Zelalem Alemenew Desta

© ILO/Zelalem Alemenew Desta

The participating organizations were appreciative of the opportunity and the process followed by the competition. Worash Debele, representative of the Alliance for Integrated Development and Relief Organization, one of the participating organization said, "Unlike the usual project proposal submission processes, this competition educated us with the essential proposal development, organizational capacity assessment and presentation skills. Such guidance is important for smaller youth organizations, which often struggle to secure funding for their development programmes. More than funds, skills are the most crucial take away for us from this competition.”

Martha Mamuye a representative of the National Young Women Charity Organization (NYWCO) pointed out the importance of inclusive and fair practices in the selection process. “Organizing this pitch competition demonstrates ILO's commitment to transparency. The competition allowed us to hear pitches of other participants, learn from each other. Feedback received from the selection committee will further help us improve our work and presentations."

The judges appreciated the efforts made by the youth-led organizations in drafting proposals and preparing their presentations. Dawit Moges, representing the Ethiopian Employer Federation and one of the judges, shared, “This competition showcases promising potential and ingenuity of young men and women. The pitches made by young people demonstrated their spirit and dedication to make a difference for their communities. I am certain that these organizations will provide exemplary youth-driven solutions for addressing unemployment through their work.”

The panel of judges had a challenging task of selecting the most impactful and feasible projects. Out of 16, ten proposals will be selected for final implementation after completion of further scrutiny in 2024.

Marta Tsehay Sewasew, National Programme Officer for ILO PROSPECTS in Ethiopia said, “This unique initiative is being piloted for the first time in Ethiopia. The competition underscores the idea that young people, equipped with the right tools and guidance, hold the key to brighter futures for themselves and their communities. The ILO is committed to boosting the meaningful engagement of young people, especially in forced displacement contexts, by harnessing the nexus between youth employment and youth participation.”

The Youth-to-Youth Fund initiative is part of PROSPECTS Opportunity Fund on Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation. The objective of the initiative is to empower and meaningfully engage young people in forced displacement contexts so that they develop their skills and confidence to lead socioeconomic and cultural activities, start an enterprise, address protection concerns, volunteer in their communities, advocate on issues that are important to them, and provide input to programming, including PROSPECTS.

Know more about - Meaningful Youth Engagement