Youth unemployment challenge has been a pressing issue for the Ethiopia government for a long period of time, but at no other time has it become such an issue of national concern. The churning out of innumerable graduates from a rapidly mushrooming out higher education institutions, wedded with the lack of jobs in both rural and urban areas, has fomented political instability in all states and city administrations, leading to injuries, destructions and even deaths. To address the problem, Ethiopia has announced an ETB 10(ten) billion Birr revolving youth fund to help youths create their own opportunities.
According to Birhanu Fantaye job creation and evaluation expert at FRDE Ministry of Women, Children and Youths Affair, after the revolving youth fund had been utilized for day one, the revolving youth fund has faced a knotty issue in achieving the set target. The issue is attributable to lack of awareness creation works and absence of strong follow up tasks so as to outreach youths allover Ethiopia with the rotatory fund.
The Ethiopian Herald tries to delve into the undercurrent factors simmering behind the underperformance of the revolving fund and the problems evidenced at the country level. The problems that crippled the fruitfulness of the revolving youth fund in Ethiopia is created by the inefficiency of implementing organs at different levels and lack of deep understanding of policy, he noted.
The problem has been aggravating in recent years due to the growing size of youth funds nonreturnable to revolve for others youths. The number of youths in the country is dramatically snowballing. In correlation with this the available skilled manpower is mounting.
Shekur Yibrea is 25. He finds himself hopeless these days. He is unemployed and spends his days doing nothing. Although Shekur who lives in Nifas Selek Lafto District, is badly looking for a job. As he remains idle, he is forced to be dependent on his family. “I had been looking for a job ever since I completed high school.” he told to Herald.
Shekur’s experience sheds light on a common situation facing many youths in Ethiopia. In fact, youth unemployment is a socio-economic problem that has come out as a major source of concern among policymakers because of its discouraging consequences, which range from poverty and social issues to political unrest and instability.
Shekur is part of an estimate 1.8 million unemployed people living in urban and rural areas of Ethiopian. Most of them fall in the age bracket 20 to 34 ranges. According to the latest Urban and rural Employment/Unemployment Sumup published by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA), there are 5.3 million youths in urban areas aged 20-34, out of which 3.5 million are employed. The others are unemployed.
He has a plan to take advantage of the revolving youth fund. Shekur and his friends had presented a proposal to the Nefas Selek Lafto 02 office in Lafto District six months ago. Yet Shekur and his friends have not received a response. Just like many other young people, Shekur has now turned to thinking of moving abroad in search of a better future.
“There were ten members in my group. Seven of them are coerced to migrate to Arabian countries in search of jobs and income source,” a frustrated Shekur told Herald. “I am looking for some money to stand on my feet in my motherland. I don’t trust the country’s bureaucratic officials anymore. I feel I am denied the right to freely move in the country and engage in business activities”
In general, up to now, even if some internal procedures have tying down nature, the government still hopes the beneficiaries will develop the capacity to pay back the loans so that the fund serves its purpose being revolved every year. But to get it the implementing organs at every layer nationwide should play given role in uniform manners in a bid the revolving youth fund target is achieved.
The Ethiopian Herald March 17, 2019
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED
