Scaling up rural youth access to inclusive financial services for entrepreneurship and employment

Access to inclusive financial services, especially among rural youth and women in agribusiness, is a key driver for reducing rural unemployment and creating wealth. This document is an overview of the lessons learned from a project on “Scaling up rural youth access to inclusive financial services for entrepreneurship and employment” in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

The aim of the project was to expand the businesses of young men and women through improved entrepreneurship skills, employment of rural youth, and increased access to inclusive finance for youth enterprises.

This note will contribute to shaping regional policy dialogues and strategies for supporting youth integration in the rural development space and will inform the design of future youth projects in IFAD.