Young leaders turn local challenges into opportunities for decent work in Kenya

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November 5, 2026, 14:49 GMT

A participant in a grey blazer addresses the group during a workshop session, while other participants sit at a table with laptops. ILO PROSPECTS and E4Impact banners are visible in the background. — David Cheboryot, CEO of E4Impact Africa Foundation, addressing teams at the Youth Leadership Bootcamp in Nairobi.

NAIROBI, Kenya (ILO News) – Eight youth-led organisations from Kenya’s refugee hosting counties of Turkana and Garissa have been selected for an ILO-supported initiative aimed at strengthening youth leadership and developing locally driven solutions to employment challenges.

The organisations, representing refugee and host communities, participated in a four-day Youth Leadership Bootcamp in Nairobi from 26 to 29 October 2026. Organised under the ILO–E4Impact Youth Leadership Lab, the bootcamp equipped 32 young leaders with skills in project design, organisational management and planning to help turn their proposals into initiatives that can create opportunities for decent work.

Selected through the ILO PROSPECTS Kenya Innovation Challenge, the organisations are developing solutions ranging from climate-resilient enterprises and links between skills training and employment to promoting labour rights and young people's participation in decisions affecting their working lives.

An Innovation Challenge rooted in community solutions

The Innovation Challenge received 144 applications, with 33 organisations shortlisted to pitch their proposals. Eight were selected: three refugee-led organisations, four led by host-community members and one consortium bringing together both groups.

“We were looking at what was innovative about the solution. An organisation could already be carrying out activities, but what innovation was it bringing? That was part of the competitive selection criteria,” said David Cheboryot, CEO of E4Impact Africa Foundation.

At the centre of the bootcamp is a practical question: how will each organisation’s proposed activities translate into better opportunities and working conditions for young people?

An E4Impact mentor speaks to participants about their team’s proposal during the bootcamp.

For projects involving skills development, this means considering what happens after training: how participants will apply their skills, connect with employers, reach buyers or develop viable enterprises. For organisations promoting rights at work, it means defining how awareness and dialogue can contribute to changes in young people’s working lives.

Sessions covered decent work for young people, organisational readiness, skills that respond to demand, project design and theory of change, partnerships and sustainability, workplans and budgets, and monitoring and evaluation. Teams were examining the links between the problems they identify, the activities they propose and the results they expect. On the final day, teams present their revised solutions and receive feedback.

“At the bootcamp, we asked each organisation a simple question. What would change for a young person if your project succeeded?” said Stephen Mwangi, ILO National Project Coordinator for Skills Development and Digital Economy.

“That helped teams strengthen their proposals by setting out the steps they would take, the decent work outcomes they hoped to achieve and how they would measure progress.”

Strengthening the organisations behind the projects

The bootcamp also addressed the leadership and governance needed to deliver these proposals. Financial management, accountability, inclusive decision-making and clear responsibilities help organisations manage resources and maintain the confidence of their communities and partners.

“Meaningful youth engagement means young people shaping the decisions, programmes and services that affect their working lives,” said Caroline Njuki, Regional Chief Technical Advisor, ILO PROSPECTS.

Caroline Njuki, Regional Chief Technical Advisor for ILO PROSPECTS, speaks to the participating organisations.

She highlighted the role of youth-led organisations in reaching young people whom others often miss, connecting them to opportunities and bringing their concerns to employers and county governments. Stronger leadership and accountability help these organisations deliver and sustain that work.

“This is why we are investing in their leadership and systems, so that they can lead change for other young people and sustain it well beyond this collaboration,” she added.

Implemented by E4Impact Africa Foundation in partnership with the ILO, the Youth Leadership Lab will support the selected organisations until November 2027.

The initiative combines mentorship, technical assistance and peer learning with milestone-based grants. A total of US$200,000 has been allocated to the Innovation Challenge, with funding to be disbursed in tranches against verified progress.

Support will focus on organisational governance, financial management, safeguarding, labour rights and enterprise development. The Lab will also facilitate partnerships with government institutions and other stakeholders to help organisations implement and sustain their initiatives.

The Youth Leadership Lab is part of PROSPECTS, a partnership between the ILO, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Bank, supported by the Government of the Netherlands. It seeks to improve access to education, social protection and decent work for refugees and host communities.

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