FAQ-Youth Leadership Program

FAQ Sheet

1. What is the Going Beyond Project?

The Going Beyond – Partnering for a Youth-Led Future project is a collaboration between Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and the Mastercard Foundation that aims to scale DOT’s evidence-based, peer-to-peer model and will be executed in four African countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania. Over five years, Going Beyond will empower over 300,000 youths, particularly young women, in Africa to lead transformational change.

2. What are the project goals?

• To strengthen the capacity of 40 youth-led and youth-serving organizations and cultivate a Community of Practice that fosters knowledge sharing, mentorship, and empowerment. By tapping into the creative energy of African youth, the project is catalyzing a shift in the development narrative and creating a lasting impact.
• These 40 youth-led and youth-serving organizations will then recruit, train, and deploy 4,000 Youth Leaders (70% women) as digital business facilitators to support and train 300,000 young entrepreneurs (70% women) with digital and entrepreneurship skills, thereby improving livelihoods and strengthening the national foundation for sustainable economic growth.

3. What are the expected outcomes and impacts of the project on youth-led entrepreneurship and economic development?

The project aims to progressively transfer the delivery and ownership of DOT’s evidence-based, youth-led programming, and equip youth as leaders of the future, drive economic growth, and contribute to sustainable development in their communities. Key outcomes include increased business revenues, improved livelihoods, and enhanced opportunities for youth employment.

4. How does this partnership align with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy?

Through the Young Africa Works strategy, the Mastercard Foundation aims to enable 30 million young people, particularly young women, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. It seeks to establish, operate, and provide programs and services to help African youth access education, understand and utilize technology, and develop the skills necessary to succeed in a diverse and global workforce. As part of the Going Beyond Project, 300,000 young entrepreneurs will be equipped with essential entrepreneurship and 21st-century skills to improve their business outcomes.

5. How will the initiative measure its success, and what indicators will be used to track progress?

The project has a comprehensive Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, and will measure its success by tracking progress toward project indicators across the project’s three impact pathways:

1) Strengthening of partner organizations’ capacity

2) The engagement of young leaders

3) The empowerment of youth with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

The project has 22 indicators, which come from the Mastercard Foundation’s Measuring Our Shared Impact indicator guide, and include the well-being and resilience of youth, the number of youth in dignified and fulfilling work, changes in organizational capacity development, and increased revenues among enterprises. These indicators will help assess progress towards goals like strengthening the capacity of Youth-Led organizations, empowering youth as leaders of socio-economic development, and improving enterprise performance and dignified and fulfilling work for youth. Data will be collected through surveys, interviews, and other methods to ensure accurate monitoring and evaluation of the project’s impact.

6. What are the timelines of the Going Beyond Project?

This is a 5-year project, which began on June 1, 2023, and will end on May 31, 2028. The first year of implementation started with Tanzania and Malawi. DOT will use a staggered approach to allow for learning and adaptation with each round. DOT understands Tanzania’s context best given its 11-year presence and previous implementation experience in Malawi. This approach allows DOT to build momentum rapidly and apply lessons learned to new contexts. Côte d’Ivoire and Zambia joined in the second year of implementation.

7. Who are the participants in the project?

Participants in this project include the following 3 groups:

1) Partners: Employees and leaders of Youth-Led Organizations and Youth Serving Organizations

2) Youth Leaders: youth (ages 18-35) who are underemployed and unemployed university graduates

3) Youth Peers: youth (18-35) who are necessity-based entrepreneurs

Among the youth participants representing Youth Leaders and Youth Peers, 70% will be young women. Among this 70% target of young women, there will be representation from vulnerable young women, such as single mothers and survivors of GBV. Additionally, among the total youth participants, the project will ensure the inclusion of socially excluded groups such as refugees, youth with disabilities, and rural youth.

8. How will the project engage with local Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs) and Youth-Serving Organizations (YSOs)?

DOT will engage with local YLOs and YSOs through trust-based partnerships, providing them with capacity-building support, resources, and training opportunities to deliver high-quality digital livelihoods programming. Eligible YLOs and YSOs will receive comprehensive training, mentorship, access to resources, and networking opportunities to enhance their capacity to deliver impactful programs and support services to local young women and men.

9. Who are the Youth Leaders in the Going Beyond Project?

Youth Leaders are the 4,000 young university graduates, typically graduating into unemployment, aged 18-35 who serve as program facilitators, mentors, and changemakers within the project. Youth Leaders will be recruited directly by the local YLOs and YSOs, and will receive training, and be deployed back into their communities to empower local MSMEs with digital skills for business. They will be engaged for 8 months. It is a project policy that 70% of Youth Leaders will be young women.

10. How will Youth Leaders be selected and trained for their roles within the project?

Youth Leaders will be selected based on criteria such as leadership potential, commitment, and community engagement. They will undergo rigorous training programs covering digital skills, entrepreneurship, leadership, and gender equality. Depending on local circumstances training will be conducted through face-to-face and/or virtual (online) sessions.

11. What opportunities are available for Youth Leaders to participate in the project?

Youth Leaders will have significant opportunities for personal and professional development as they mentor their peers, facilitate training sessions, organize community events, and contribute to project planning and implementation. They will also receive ongoing support and professional development opportunities, and a stipend for the valuable work that they do during their engagement.

12. Are Youth Leaders Paid?

Yes, Youth Leaders will be provided with a monthly stipend to support their basic needs during their engagement with the local host organization. All agreements and remuneration will comply with local laws and policies.

13. Who are the Youth Peers in the Going Beyond Project?

Youth Peers in the Going Beyond project refer to young Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) owners, between the ages of 18-35, who are primarily disadvantaged and necessity-based entrepreneurs in the early stages of business startup. They are the 300,000 individuals to be reached by the project and directly benefit from the training, resources, and support to develop their entrepreneurial skills and grow their businesses.

14. What types of activities or opportunities are available for Youth Peers (young MSME owners) to participate in?

Youth Peers will participate in training programs, workshops, mentoring sessions, and networking events, and access resources and support to develop their digital and entrepreneurship skills, launch or grow their businesses, and become agents of change in their communities.

15. What avenues are available for Youth Peers to access financial support or resources for their entrepreneurial ventures?

Youth Peers will be invited to access financial support through seed funding provided by the project and access to DOT’s network (e.g. Impact Makers Advisory Board (IMAB) to seek out additional grants, micro-loans, and linkages to financial institutions and investors. Additionally, they will receive training on financial literacy, business planning, and accessing financial services to support their ventures.

16. What is the Impact Makers Advisory Board?

The Impact Makers Advisory Board (IMAB) is a board made up of philanthropists, impact investors, and young social entrepreneurs whose goal is to convene stakeholders to support and uplift youth-led enterprises in Africa to incubate quickly towards impact and scale.

17. How will seed funding be distributed and what are the criteria for eligibility?

Seed funding will be available through a semi-competitive process that will consider criteria related to the leadership, viability, and impact of the venture.

18. Are there any fees associated with the training programs?

No, there are no fees associated with participation in Going Beyond programs. However, participants are expected to commit their time and attention to the programming.

19. How will the project ensure the inclusion and representation of marginalized or vulnerable youth?

The project has adopted inclusive and equitable approaches to ensure the participation and representation of marginalized or vulnerable youth, from the inception and co-designing of the project to its implementation. These groups include young women, persons with disabilities, and those from underserved communities. All outreach efforts will adhere to strict participant guidelines, for example, 70% of participants will be young women.

20. How will we safeguard the young people participating in the project?

DOT’s Gender and Safeguarding Team will ensure that the safeguarding of young people is upheld in the project. To ensure this, we will focus on the following 5 core components:

1. Prevention of safeguarding incidents through robust and documented PSEA policy and procedures which includes: vetted partner organizations for safeguarding capacity, and all project staff will agree to adhere to and sign off on DOT’s PSEA policy and procedures, completing regular risk assessments to identify potential project and community-level risks, and developing localized approaches to mitigate these risks.
2. Building Awareness of policies and procedures among youth and community members: through Safeguarding training for all Going Beyond project staff at DOT partners, youth leaders, and youth peer level, paired with accessible materials that communicate safeguarding information to relevant audiences.
3. Providing Accessible, Relevant, and Confidential reporting systems that have been co-designed with young people, especially those facing increased vulnerability to abuse or exploitation, and including multiple channels to report.
4. Responding to reports in a transparent and timely manner, including investigations as needed through clear roles and responsibilities for safety at every level and across all project partners.
5. Offering survivor-centered support to any survivor of SEAH, including ensuring their safety and well-being, and accessing necessary medical, legal, or psychosocial support.

21. What role will technology play in supporting the project’s objectives and activities?

Technology is pervasive in managing the project and in delivering training, facilitating communication, providing access to resources, and enabling digital entrepreneurship. All partners and participants will receive training on digital skills, utilization of online platforms for networking, and the leverage of technology for business growth.

 

22. How will the project address challenges related to access to technology and digital literacy among youth participants?

The project will work with local organizations and infrastructure providers to encourage the provision of access to ICT infrastructure, devices, and other relevant training programs for youth participants.

23. How will the project foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders?

The project will facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing through workshops, forums, social media, online platforms including www.dotrust.org/publications , and community-based events. All participants and stakeholders will have opportunities to exchange ideas, share best practices, and contribute to collective learning and innovation.

Digital Opportunity Trust

DOT is a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with locally managed offices across 6 countries in Africa and the Middle East: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Lebanon and Jordan as well as the UK. DOT extends its reach to Ghana, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Zambia through local partnerships with youth-led and youth-serving organizations. DOT’s proven youth-led model has created an impact in over 25 countries for over two decades, mobilizing and inspiring all underserved and disadvantaged young people with digital literacy, 21st-century skills, and the self-confidence that will enable them to thrive in an inclusive digital economy. For more information, please visit: www.dotrust.org

Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian organization and one of the world’s largest private foundations with assets of $35 billion. Its mission is to advance financial inclusion and education to improve the lives of those living in poverty. The Foundation’s programs are primarily focused on Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. The Foundation was established in 2006 by Mastercard as a separate and independent organization from the company. The Foundation’s Board of Directors and management determine its policies, programs, and funding decisions. To date, the Foundation’s programs have benefitted 146 million people.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org