IYEPAAssociation.

Presently, Micro, Small to Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the Kenyan economy yet they continue to grapple for business growth and sustainability. Alternatives Africa (Alternatives) has therefore established the Inter-County Young Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (IYEPA) as the Affordable Ecosystem Affiliate that identifies and addresses the marketing and policy challenges of young entrepreneurs and professionals.

Briefly, Alternatives Africa (Alternatives) is a youth founded Non-profit Social Enterprise (Company Limited by Guarantee) that focuses on youth socioeconomic development in both rural and urban areas.  Through a trichotomic model that includes a Cooperative Society and a Business Association, Alternatives has designed an Affordable Ecosystem that offers both financial and non-financial support services to youth-led micro and small enterprises. The objective is to accelerate business profitability and growth, improve individual economic livelihoods as well as create employment for other unemployed youth (youth-led job creation), with the end goal of addressing the youth unemployment challenge.

IYEPA (Member of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance-KEPSA) therefore exists as the business association to support a diverse range of micro and small enterprises run by entrepreneurs and professionals aged between 18-40 years. Having both the entrepreneur and the enterprise in mind, it is dedicated to playing a pivotal role in creating a robust business ecosystem that is favourable to the success of young entrepreneur and professionals.  IYEPA is therefore founded on a holistic framework that includes a variety of effective activities and services tailored to provide non-financial support services particularly marketing services, access to new and existing markets as well as participation in both public and private sector policy and decision making processes.

OBJECTIVES:

IYEPA is therefore well-poised to facilitate the growth and development of youth-led micro and small enterprises as it strives towards the creation of a conducive business environment for their success through the following objectives:

  • Provide a unified voice for young entrepreneurs and professionals as informed by its membership;

  • Cultivate the climate for investment in youth-led MSMEs to ensure  their sustainable growth;

  • Establish a platform for engagement and collaboration with multi-sectoral stakeholders that encourages participation in decision making processes on enterprise development and employment creation for socio-economic development as well as national economic growth and development;

  • Development of mutually beneficial relationships with the public sector, the private sector and the general public to share knowledge and resources that generate profitable and sustainable solutions.

  • Create platforms for topical and national debates on economic and social policy issues that affect youth-led MSMEs and that equally respond to current and future needs of members