80% of unemployed Kenyans are under the age of 35. Moreover, fewer than 10% of startups survive beyond the first 1,000 days from their inception. Statistics indicate that business owners aged below 30 are twice more likely to fail, posing a significant challenge for young founders. As a solution, the YELD Mentorship Program, initiated by Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development (YELD Kenya), aims to guide Kenyan youth entrepreneurs to avoid common pitfalls and build sustainable enterprises in the changing economy.
The YELD Mentorship Program aligns with YELD Kenya’s overarching objective to alleviate poverty and unemployment through youth entrepreneurial mentorship and leadership development. Currently, 178 startups have enrolled in the program with positive results, but over 2000 startups are on hold due to limited funds.
This six-month hands-on entrepreneurship masterclass offers customized business-specific one-on-one mentorship, entrepreneurial training, coaching, and technical business advisory by experienced mentors and advisors. Participation in the program is entirely free, requiring only time commitment and discipline. The goal is to enroll at least 200 startups per cohort per year, with a total annual implementation cost of USD 500 per startup. To support this initiative, YELD is seeking to raise $100,000 annually.
For more information about the YELD Mentorship Program and its outcomes, please visit our website at www.yeldkenya.org