THE African Development Bank (AfDB) has allocated a $999,000 grant from its Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) to support the MicroGREEN project, aimed at fostering green job opportunities for marginalised groups in Ghana and Senegal. This initiative, implemented by Invest in Africa, focuses on empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities through entrepreneurship and sustainable business development in natural resource sectors.
The Strengthening Women, Youth and People with Disabilities’ Micro-Entrepreneurship for Green Jobs (MicroGREEN) project seeks to promote inclusive economic growth by providing 500 green job opportunities and business development services to marginalised groups engaged in managing natural resources such as agroforestry, fisheries, and biodiversity. The project will particularly target 1,000 youth aged 15-35, with a focus on female youth (60 percent), people with disabilities/special needs (10 percent), and other youth (30 percent) in both countries over a two-year period.
By emphasizing capacity building and utilising value chain-based SME development models, the MicroGREEN project aims to enhance employment creation, ensure the sustainability of micro-enterprises, and integrate beneficiaries into economic systems. Invest in Africa, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering African SME growth and economic prosperity, will implement the project leveraging its expertise in market access, skills development, and access to finance.
Established in 2017, the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) by the African Development Bank promotes innovation and entrepreneurship to create durable and sustainable jobs for youth across the continent. The trust fund supports the Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which targets the creation of 25 million jobs and equipping 50 million youth with employable and entrepreneurial skills by 2025. This initiative aligns with the AfDB’s commitment to fostering youth empowerment and economic development in Africa.