Taking Arab youth from unemployed to entrepreneurs | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

In the Near East and North Africa region, there are currently seventeen million young people (which is more than 20 percent of the population) that are unemployed; this rate surpasses any other region in the world. The reason this percentage is so high is because of the rural areas that surround these regions.

Rural areas tend to be impacted by higher rates of poverty which causes young people to migrate from the agricultural work in rural areas to big cities. Because of the few employment opportunities in rural areas, the young people who remain in these regions are forced to become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, most of the young people who develop businesses in rural areas do not have the funds or financial education that is needed for these enterprises to thrive.

To help the young entrepreneurs in these regions, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) created two social enterprises that specialize in entrepreneurship. These enterprises are called Making Cents International and Silatech, and they both focus on developing employment and economic opportunities among Arab youth. In order for these young people to successfully develop businesses, they need the financial services and training that these enterprises offer.

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