The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is implementing YouthStart, a multi-year project seeking to expand access to financial services for low-income youth (defined as ages 12-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa. MEDA is providing technical assistance to UNCDF's 10 Financial Service Provider partners on youth financial services. This technical assistance will include supporting field partners on piloting new youth products, marketing the products to prospective clients and building the capacity of partner staff.

The partners for this work are listed below:

Ethiopia:PEACE (Poverty Eradication and Community Empowerment) and ACSI (Amhara Credit and Savings Institution)

Malawi:OIBM (Opportunity International Bank of Malawi)

Senegal:PAMECAS (Programme d'Appui aux Mutuelles d'Épargne et de Crédit au Sénégal) and CMS (Crédit Mutuel du Sénégal)

Rwanda: UCU (Union Des Coopecs Umutanguha)

Burkina Faso: RCPB (Réseau des caisses populaires du Burkina Faso)

Uganda: Finance Trust and Finca

DRC: Finca - Democratic Republic of Congo

---

Project Quick Facts

Goal: Increased access to financial services for low income youth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Reaching: 200 000 youth

Funding: UNCDF / The MasterCard Foundation

Project length: MEDA's role will last approximately one year of a four year project.