Kefeta (2021-2026)

Kefeta is a 5-year, $60M USAID- a funded initiative that seeks to facilitate and strengthen systems and networks that serve youth in Ethiopia. 

Kefeta’s vision is “Ethiopian youths who are game changers: empowered to advance their own economic, civic, and social development; resilient in the face of shocks; actively promoting development within their communities, and contributing to the country’s peace and prosperity

The project will serve a target of 2M youth across 18 Ethiopian cities, in building their agency and capacity for advocacy, linking them to economic opportunities, and improving their access to youth-friendly services (YFS).

The program seeks to build youth capacity by (1) investing in higher education alliances and youth hubs and building the educational foundation of youth 2) engaging faith-based organizations to instill values through service learning, (3) linking the private sector for youth employment and entrepreneurship, and (4) extending youth networks through south-to-south and global collaboration. The Kefeta program also seeks to create a culture of learning and sharing to improve evidence-based programming and scalability, supported by technology, ensuring alignment and complementarity with the Government of Ethiopia’s and USAID’s youth strategies and priorities. 
 
The Kefeta program is managed by a consortium of four international partners, seven local partners, and approximately four private organizations. IYF has received $6M for five years to serve as the technical lead for the economic opportunities component (IR2) and will also play a support role in youth advocacy/agency (IR1), access to essential services (IR3), youth groups and networks (Foundational Result 1), and the Youth Empowerment Fund (Foundational Result 2) components. In this role, IYF will ensure the integration of PYD approaches, youth voices, youth-specific tools and resources, and market-informed supply and demand-side interventions across the project. In line with USAID’s New Partnership Initiative, IYF will work closely with local implementing partners on all activities to help strengthen their capacity to take on increased leadership roles and responsibilities over the course of the project.