02/08/2019

2019 Opportunities for Youth Employment International Conference

Welcome to the 2019 Opportunities for Youth Employment International Conference, Making markets work for youth, taking place in Bamako, Mali on 17 - 18 October, as part of the EJOM project and made possible by the European Union, with co-funding by the Netherlands Embassy in Mali and the government of Mali.

Welcome

Read Tom Derksen's conference welcome message and our interview with him about the SNV Opportunities for Youth Employment approach.

Conference information

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the conference team.

About the Value Chain Development and Youth Employment in Mali (EJOM) project

Made possible by the European Union with co-funding by the Netherlands embassy in Mali, the EJOM project consortium (ICCO, WASTE, APEJ and SNV) stimulates economic development and stability by creating (self)- employment opportunities in the horticulture, waste management, agri-business and handi-craft sectors in the Koulikoro, Kayes, Gao regions and Bamako. The consortium partners select young people and provide training on life and business skills as well as good horticultural practices. We also develop horticulture value chains and agribusiness SMEs, to grow local employment and business opportunities. Until mid-2021, the project will train 8,620 young people, including 2,586 women and 1,293 returnees and create 6,472 jobs.

About Opportunities for Youth Employment

Opportunity for Youth Employment (OYE) acts as the missing link between disadvantaged young people and markets - our experience has shown that even in fragile contexts such as the Sahel, market-based approaches coupled with youth ownership can be a very effective approach. Attendees at the International Opportunity for Youth Conference will get an overview of the specific youth employment approaches that SNV has been implementing for the past 6 years in many countries, notably in Mali as part of the EJOM project (in partnership with ICCO, WASTE and APEJ). Find out more about the Value Chain Development and Youth Employment in Mali project.

Come, learn and share with fellow development practitioners and young people from various countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Below are some of their stories.