Campaign Status

Ongoing Offline: The campaign is currently ongoing offline and, thus still in the process of collecting funds. 

Summary

The campaign aims to provide comprehensive training and support in entrepreneurship, the cultivation of complementary qualifying skills, and the development of soft skills for 1,000 young girls and boys.

Challenge

In Togo, the impact of unemployment and underemployment is profound, affecting 26% of the active population. Notably, the proportion of young people affected surpasses double the national average. In Sahelian countries grappling with terrorism, these economic struggles significantly heighten the vulnerability of youth to radicalization and violent extremism. This emerging challenge has already been recognized by the Heads of State of the African Union, who, during the Bamako summit in 2004, affirmed that "An unoccupied youth is a time bomb."

Similar to other Sahelian nations dealing with terrorism, Togo contends with recurrent terrorist attacks in its northern region, posing a potential risk of spreading to the southern part of the country. The escalation of violence in Burkina Faso, extending to neighboring nations, has impacted Togo and Benin, registering as the worst performers on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). Numerous studies and assessments in the Savanes region have concluded that the primary factors fueling violent extremism and facilitating recruitment by extremist organizations are poverty, especially among youth and women, coupled with a dearth of job opportunities and prospects for young people.

Solution

The CSO’s initiative, aimed at enhancing the employability of young individuals in Togo, strives to facilitate the professional integration of 1,000 young girls and boys annually. This will be achieved through comprehensive training and support in entrepreneurship, the cultivation of complementary qualifying skills, and the development of soft skills. The overarching objective is to empower these young beneficiaries and fortify their resilience against the challenges of violent extremism and the risks associated with illegal immigration.

The support framework for young people is structured around three key components: entrepreneurship assistance, the development of complementary qualifying skills and soft skills, and raising awareness about the perils of violent extremism.

The entrepreneurship support component entails delivering entrepreneurial skills to 500 young individuals yearly through training sessions on business creation, management, and development. Additionally, it involves providing technical support to help structure their projects, draft business plans, mobilize financing, and offer post-financing support.