We equip local entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and communities (especially youth) with the skills, market connections, and capital needed to grow their enterprises and create job opportunities for improved and sustainable livelihoods.
Building practical skills, market connections, and green solutions to help youth and women enterprises thrive.
We equip youth and women with the practical skills needed to launch and scale profitable enterprises. Through hands-on mentorship, incubation, and proven ILO frameworks like Start and Improve Your Business, we help entrepreneurs turn local ideas into sustainable businesses across agribusiness, renewable energy, and emerging markets.
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We connect smallholder farmers and youth groups directly to profitable markets. By strengthening key agricultural value chains such as fisheries, dairy, cassava, livestock, and grains, we help producers reduce post-harvest losses, access modern equipment, and secure innovative financing to grow their incomes.
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We promote climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable natural resource management across Kenya. By embedding eco-friendly practices into rural businesses, we create green employment opportunities for youth while protecting local ecosystems for future generations.
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Years of experience
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Rural households reached
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Counties with active programming
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Youth groups & CSOs engaged
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Jobs created through Y2YF alone
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Funding partners
Why USTADI?
Six reasons we deliver sustainable change for youth and women enterprises across Kenya.
Deep-rooted presence across 20+ counties with local trainers, partners, and community networks.
We respond to real market demand, not "one size fits all" solutions.
Capacity development as the "core" not as an "add-on" for enterprise growth.
Climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable natural resource management.
Collaborating with 20+ funders, county governments, and private-sector allies.
Rigorous M&E, impact evaluations, and knowledge capitalisation in every project.
Deep-rooted presence across 20+ counties with local trainers, partners, and community networks.
We respond to real market demand, not "one size fits all" solutions.
Capacity development as the "core" not as an "add-on" for enterprise growth.
Climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable natural resource management.
Collaborating with 20+ funders, county governments, and private-sector allies.
Rigorous M&E, impact evaluations, and knowledge capitalisation in every project.
Featured Initiative
The JOY Project creates sustainable employment for young people across Kilifi, Kakamega, and Nakuru counties by building integrated agribusiness hubs. In partnership with county governments, TVETs, academic institutions, and the private sector, we equip youth with practical technical, managerial, and business skills. From hands-on training to market connections, the project ensures young entrepreneurs have everything they need to launch viable, long-term agricultural enterprises.
View all projects"The project ensures youth are capacitated with the skills to ensure viability and sustainability of agribusiness opportunities based on the demand of the labour market."
Through the VIJABIZ project, USTADI supported 173 youth groups across 2 counties, equipping over 1,550 direct participants (30 percent of them young women) with enterprise training, design clinics, boot camps, mentorship, and incubation. To turn skills into real growth, 72 youth businesses received catalytic grants to scale their operations, while key innovations and best practices were documented for future expansion.
VIJABIZ Project
Youth Economic Empowerment through Agribusiness in Kenya, 2018–2020
A snapshot of our donor-funded initiatives delivering capacity development across Kenya.
This 4.5-year EU-funded initiative reached over 10,000 smallholder farmers across Kilifi and Kitui Counties, establishing 450 farmer business groups and 100 aggregation centres. At least 60% of participants were women.
34 youth-led organizations received grants. The programme created 1,171 jobs and reached over 10,000 indirect beneficiaries across 11 counties.
Post-VIJABIZ support helping youth enterprises recover and build resilience after the pandemic, funded by USADF.
We partner with county governments, development organizations, and private buyers to strengthen value chains and elevate rural incomes. Through strategic funding and specialized expertise, we deliver demand-driven capacity development across every market we serve.
Our network includes ILO-certified trainers and seasoned professionals across Kenya specializing in enterprise growth, value chain facilitation, mentorship, and capacity building. If you share our commitment to expanding sustainable enterprises and livelihoods, we invite you to apply to join our associate network.
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