Regional Communications Officer, Asia and the Pacific
[email protected]Jakarta, 25 April 2025. Rural youth in The Gambia, India, Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda will benefit from agricultural knowledge and skills transfer from a successful project for young people supported by the Government of Indonesia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). An event they hosted shared valuable lessons from the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Support Services (YESS) Programme with participants from other IFAD projects in East and West Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Nearly 6 out of 10 young people in the YESS programme increased their incomes because of the training and support they received, with an average annual income increase of 21 per cent. Crucially, over half the new businesses generated jobs for other youth in rural areas.
This knowledge-sharing event is an example of how South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) can bring various developing countries together to solve similar problems, as well as serving as a platform to share best practices in project and financial management.
“Indonesia has a rich history of SSTC and we are proud to share our experiences in empowering rural youth,” said Ade Candradijaya, Head of International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture.
Participants in the event visited four YESS project sites, learning how YESS is implemented and meeting young entrepreneurs supported by the programme. They also visited the Ministry of Agriculture, and presented ideas on how they could take their learning back to their countries.
“We firmly believe that SSTC is essential for fostering global partnerships and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Reigniting the spirit of the Asian-African Conference—in solidarity, independence, and cooperation among developing countries—we encourage all of us, through this programme, to seek development solutions and promote mutual learning and partnerships among countries of the Global South by empowering our youth and strengthening rural livelihoods," said Noviyanti, Head of the Bureau for International Technical Cooperation, Ministry of State Secretariat.
IFAD plays a crucial role by facilitating South-South learning and collaboration among its Member States, generating innovative solutions, building connections, and enabling the sharing and uptake of best practices to achieve measurable impact in rural development.
“IFAD is pleased to partner with Indonesia on this important SSTC initiative, which will strengthen collaboration among the Global South,” said Reehana Rifat Raza, IFAD Regional Director, Asia Pacific. “We hope that this event will encourage similar exchanges in the future and contribute to scaling up successful approaches in rural development,” she added.
The YESS programme has not only generated employment opportunities and increased young people’s participation in the agriculture workforce but also supported youth in creating and expanding businesses along agricultural value chains. Through its competitive grant mechanism, YESS has enabled young entrepreneurs to kickstart their agri-businesses. Additionally, YESS helped nearly 4,000 agri-entrepreneurs access around US$7.4 million in financing for their business activities.
“IFAD is committed to supporting Indonesia in promoting productive, competitive and high-value small-scale agriculture and fisheries, and ensuring effective public investment in rural areas. The YESS Programme exemplifies the transformative power of investing in youth and agriculture,” said Hani Abdelkader Elsadani, IFAD Country Director, Indonesia.
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No.: IFAD/29/2025
IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.
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