SNV AND FINCA TANZANIA LAUNCH A PROJECT TO IMPROVE 20,500 YOUTH LIVES

Head of Retail for FINCA Tanzania, Gershom Mpangalah, stresses a point to the media (not in the picture) during today’s press conference on the launch of SNV-FINCA Partnership on OYE Project. Looking on from far right are Awadh Milas, OYE Program Leader-Youth Skills Development, Project Manager for OYE-Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda, Mr Roy Van Der Drift and Ed Greenwood, FINCA Chief Executive Officer.

Awadh Milas, OYE Program Leader-Youth Skills Development speaking to the press (not in the picture) during the launch of SNV and FINCA partnership on OYE project. Looking on from his right are Project Manager for OYE-Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda, Mr Roy Van Der Drift, Mr Ed Greenwood, FINCA Chief Executive Officer and Head of Retail for FINCA Tanzania, Gershom Mpangalah.

Project Manager for OYE-Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda, Mr Roy Van Der Drift stresses a point to members of the press (not in the picture) during the launch of SNV and FINCA partnership on OYE project. On his left is Awadh Milas, OYE Program Leader-Youth Skills Development, and on his right are Mr Ed Greenwood, FINCA Chief Executive Officer and Head of Retail for FINCA Tanzania, Gershom Mpangalah.

Some of the youth beneficiaries of OYE project phase one.

The Netherlands Development Organisation SNV, in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation today has launched its new partnership with FINCA Tanzania dubbed The Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) project aimed to improve the livelihoods of 20,500 rural, out-of-school youth.

Speaking during the launch, Project Manager for OYE-Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda, Mr Roy Van Der Drift said their partnership with FINCA Tanzania is for the implementation of a five-year OYE project in Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda countries through connecting skilled youth with labour market opportunities and contributing to the establishment of new youth-led enterprises.

“Our Partnership with FNCA Tanzania is purposely designed to implement our OYE-Project which intends to harnesses the motivation, energy and passion of rural youth to innovate and transform existing markets and to create new ones’ said Mr Drift.

The SNV -FINCA Tanzania partnership aims to facilitate the access to financial services, advise on appropriate financial products and also compliment the Business Development training in areas of training that responds to youth own aspirations and the needs of local Agriculture and Renewable Energy markets.  

"Small and Medium enterprises, if developed, can play an important role in this endeavor. This project will ease unemployment by creating jobs for the youth and the fastest-growing segments of the poor and unemployed in rural areas" said Awadh Milas, Project Leader/Advisor OYE Agriculture.     

The project, now on its second year have already trained 1,300 youth in agribusiness skills and renewable energy technologies whereas now it aims to reach 900 youth and train them on business development.

‘FINCA operates in almost 17 region in the country, and we are sure by this project we will be able to reach more youth and work together in promoting youth led enterprises and their access to financial services in order to realize their business ambitions” says Ed Greenwood, FINCA Chief Executive Officer.
SNV through the OYE project reinforces the employability and business skills of youth, making them more reliable to handle finance, while mentoring and coaching them to develop and establish their own enterprises.