NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 21 – BrighterMonday Kenya, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has rolled out an initiative to boost job opportunities for young people in the North Rift region.
The collaboration, under the Generation Kazi Program, is expected to benefit at least 2,000 job seekers through training, soft skills development, and connections to employers.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that 39 percent of Kenyans aged between 18 and 35 remain unemployed or underemployed, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
Despite more young people accessing tertiary education, many still struggle to find meaningful work due to a mismatch between their skills and the needs of employers.
“By equipping youth with practical skills and matching them with hiring organizations, the GenKazi Program addresses the persistent youth unemployment gap in Kenya.
Underserved and regional towns also need to be prepared as growing hubs for workforce innovation,” said Sarah Ndegwa, the Managing Director, BrighterMonday Kenya.
The program will also emphasize inclusive hiring, targeting women, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons.
Young job seekers will be introduced to digital and AI-driven career tools to improve placement outcomes.
“The Initiative is also promoting inclusive hiring practices, especially among women, youth, PWDs, and IDPs. Young Kenyans are being prepared to leverage AI to improve placement outcomes with a focus on underserved youth populations,” Ndegwa added.
The Generation Kazi Program builds on wider efforts to expand youth employment across Africa.
Through its Young Africa Works strategy, the Mastercard Foundation aims to enable 30 million young people, 70 percent of them women, to access dignified work by 2030.
