Young people under the age of 25 accounts for about 60 percent of the African population.
According to the UN, there are about 1.8 billion young people between ages 10 to 24 in the world.
Out of the estimates, Africa is home to over 200 million. The rate is increasing and is expected to grow by 2035.
A young man in Nyandarua County growing cabbages is struggling to expand his farming due to limited marketing information, lack of credit and is contemplating abandoning the venture.
Mr Waithanji Kigotho, 32, has leased a five-acre piece of land where he grows cabbages which he sells at the farm gate price and once in a while at Olkalou open market.
"Sometimes a head of cabbage weighing 1kg goes for Sh5 which is very little if you compare the inputs I buy and labour work involved," explains Mr Kigotho.
He adds: "I once tried to apply for credit in a local bank to lease more land to grow potatoes but the bank demanded I must have collateral which I didn’t have."
"I have discovered that market information is crucial in this business but getting that information from the county Agriculture offices is a challenge as the extension services died a long time ago," said Mr Kigotho.
He is not alone. A group of enterprising youth doing fish farming on the shores of Lake Solai in Nakuru are almost giving up as they have no money to buy coolers to keep their fish fresh once they harvest them.
"We have tried to get a credit facility at a bank where we operate a joint account but it has been a disappointing experience as we are asked to produce collateral," said Mr Andrew Kimutai, the team leader of the seven-member group.
At the densely populated Jawatho slums in Njoro sub-county, Nakuru another group of youthful women is working hard to improve their situations while also contributing their energy and creativity to start a poultry venture."Our profit margins are becoming thinner by the day. The market is flooded with cheap eggs from Uganda, which are selling at Sh300 per tray and it is becoming hard for us to sell a tray at Sh450," said Ms Jedidah Wambui, the secretary of the group.This scenario is replicated across Africa where the youth account for 60 percent of all African unemployed, according to the World Bank. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate is 30 percent. […]
