Support to Youth Entrepreneurs Project, Mali (EQUIP3)

PAJE-Nièta (Projet d’Appui aux Jeunes Entrepreneurs or Support to Youth Entrepreneurs Project) provides 10,000 rural, out-of-school Malian youth with improved basic education, work readiness and technical training, social and leadership development, and accompaniment towards livelihood activities. Nièta means “progress” in Bambara, a Malian language.

The project, together with Government of Mali’s Agency of Youth Employment, employs an innovative Mali Youth Volunteer Corps strategy. PAJE-Nièta is recruiting and training 200 educated, unemployed youth to serve as community-based literacy, work readiness, and youth leadership trainers. The project will also integrate appropriate information technology to support linkages to agriculture market information, workforce opportunities, and job networking and cell phone multimedia lessons to enhance instruction and learning.

PAJE-Nièta is an associate award under the EQUIP3: Learning and Earning for Out-of-School Youth program. Visit EDC’s International Development Division website for additional project information and resources.