Sustainability of Youth enterprise funded projects: A case of selected projects in Mombasa County, kenya

Abstract

On the outset this study aimed at looking into sustainability of youth enterprise funded projects a case of selected projects in Mombasa County. Since the Jubilee government came into power in 2012, it has rolled out several youth project initiatives. These include Youth Empowerment Marshal Plan, the National Youth Policy, Kazi kwaVijana and inter alia Youth Enterprise Development Fund. Hitherto the sustainability of projects undertaken by youth does not seem to be clear. No efforts had been made to establish the factors influencing sustainability of projects taken up by youth in an endeavor to nurture entrepreneurship culture. The purpose of the study hence was to establish whether the level of education influenced sustainability of Youth Enterprise Development Funded Projects. It also determined the extent to which management skills influenced sustainability of Youth Enterprise Development Funded projects and determined the extent to which availability of human capital influenced sustainability of Youth Enterprise Development Funded projects. The study targeted a sample of 60 youths. The study being a survey found that 30.9% respondents had attained education up to a primary level, 50.9% up to a secondary level and 18.2% up to tertiary level meaning that the funded projects were not guaranteed given the caliber of education borrowers. The study also recorded a mean of 2.57 of those who have attended seminars for awareness, education and training of sustainability of youth enterprise development funded projects. The study established that 41.8% respondents agreed that financial planning and management influenced sustainability of youth funded projects. The study recorded a mean of 3.03 on the respondents’ human capital and managerial skills. Additionally a mean of 4.43 was recorded rating Youth Enterprise Development Fund very beneficial economically to the society. The researcher recommended that the youth development fund officials need to frequently hold seminars and trainings that are practical and responsive to emerging needs of beneficiaries of youth enterprise development fund. Formulating and reviewing education and training policy was recommended where by private sector is to be involved in training that would help address the problem of skills mismatch with the labor market. The study suggests insight into secondary effects of businesses that have utilized youth enterprise development fund