USAID Empowered Youth is a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to empower Kenyan youth ages 18-24 years old and adolescent girls ages 15-19 years old by increasing their prospective economic opportunities and building the capacity of Kenyan Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and youth-serving organizations. USAID Empowered Youth is implemented by Michigan State University (MSU) and a consortium of partners, including United States International University-Africa (USIU-A), Egerton University (EGU), NCBA CLUSA, and the National Bunge Association (NYBA), among other local private sector and public organizations and agencies. USAID Empowered Youth will result in empowered youth networks and increased economic opportunities beginning with six high-touch counties (Mombasa, Kiambu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Kakamega) at the inception year and expanding to 20 low-touch counties in subsequent years.

The program has three main result areas, and two crosscutting objectives, as follows:

(1) Increase Youth Economic Prospects

(2) Build Kenyan Higher Education Institution’s Capacity

(3) Strengthen Youth-Serving Systems

(4) Promote Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) (crosscutting)

(5) Develop Private Sector Engagement (crosscutting)

As PI and Project Director I lead these activities in 2021:

• Virtual work planning (WP) meetings with MSU and all consortium partners. The key objectives of the meetings were achieved, including the review and validation of the program’s proposed design, identification of critical assumptions and challenges, drafting of program activities and timeline.

• Co-creation meetings in the six high-touch counties of Isiolo, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kakamega and Mombasa. In attendance, USAID, Senior County officials including County Executives Chief’s (CEC’s), Chief Officers (CO’s), directors from the national and county government offices, and youth representatives. The objective of these meetings was to deliberate, built consensus and develop joint work plans for the Financial Year (FY) 2021-2022.

Key Deliverables completed: (1) Year 1 Work Plan; (2) Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan; (3) Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan; and (4) the Grants Under Contract Manual.