Description
Street Kids International is a non-profit agency based in Canada and the United Kingdom. the 21 years since its creation, it has become a global leader in helping street kids around the world successfully earn a living and make healthy, educated decisions to better their lives.
In Partnership With:
Catalytic Convergence:
Innovations in Youth Programming
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Background
Street Kids International is a non-profit agency based in Canada and the United Kingdom. In the 21 years
since its creation, it has become a global leader in helping street kids around the world successfully earn a
living and make healthy, educated decisions to better their lives. Street Kids builds the capacity of youth
and social workers through innovative, award-winning workshops, animations and tools
about entrepreneurship, sexual health, and drug use. Working directly with service organizations that
support marginalized youth as they strive to make a living in some of the poorest countries of the world,
Street Kids has directly contributed to the development of over 200 youth-focused organizations. Street
Kids and its partners know that youth are both resilient and resourceful, and that given the skills and
knowledge they are able to find meaningful careers in small business, self-employment and as employees.
The organization’s first initiative was setting up a bike courier business by tapping into the resilience and
motivation of former child soldiers in Sudan. In 2001 Street Kids created an animation called “Speed’s
Choice” that explores the idea of making a living on the street. Since then our integrated livelihood training
package, based on this animated video, has expanded to reach 16 countries and now boasts 4 additional
modules including a “practice business” module, a savings programme, a business mentorship course, and
an employment initiative. In 2009, Street Kids International brought together several of our international
partners to share innovations in supporting marginalized youth in making a better life for themselves.
The conference addressed two themes:
1) Creating an enabling environment and programming to support young people. Innovative
emerging practices were shared to address some of the challenges of working with this
marginalized, largely transient population.
2) Strengthening Street Kids’ network of practitioners. Conference delegates were directors or
practitioners from organizations who work with street youth in various countries around the world.
This conference created a learning opportunity for people from different cultural contexts to share
experiences in youth focused career programs and strengthen their relationships among their
peers.
Street Kids International’s past experience with practitioners who work with marginalized youth revealed the
need for an international exchange of ideas, challenges, practices and learnings. This conference, a forum
for experience sharing, had been requested by youth work professionals for many years. There have been
several on-line exchanges, and many demonstration opportunities applying new ideas from one region to
another but until this conference, Street Kids’ staff has acted as a conduit for the exchange of ideas. We
believe that it is beneficial for youth work professionals to speak to each other face to face. Thanks to
support from CERIC, Street Kids was able to respond to its partners’ voices and provide a concrete
opportunity for them to learn from each other directly through this conference.
For more information on CERIC (The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) visit
www.ceric.ca.
If you would like to know more about the conference or the work of Street Kids International visit
www.streetkids.org or email us at [email protected].
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Introduction
In partnership with CERIC, Street Kids International hosted Catalytic Convergence, a ground breaking new
conference that took place in Toronto from October 5 – 8, 2009. The Catalytic Convergence: Innovations in
Youth Programming conference harnessed career advancing programming tools and implementation
approaches based on Street Kids International’s training initiatives for marginalized youth. Contributions
came from partner organizations working with and for youth from Canada and around the world thereby
providing an opportunity to strengthen an international network of practitioners. Catalytic Convergence
brought together 5 representatives of Street Kids International’s partner organizations, the Executive
Director of Street Kids UK and the program staff of Street Kids International Canada.
(Participant Biographies can be found in Annex B)
The objective of the Catalytic Convergence conference was to share best practices, pool brainpower,
cross-pollinate ideas and develop fruitful south-south relationships within the Street Kids International
network of trained practitioners and with Canadian practitioners. The conference provided an opportunity
for participants to visit innovative youth serving organizations, to explore youth program innovations, and to
take part in a speakers panel comprised of practitioners in the field of career counseling and youth
employment. (See Annex A for full conference program)
Site Visits
The purpose of visiting local organizations working with youth was to explore alternative strategies for youth
engagement and employment. The following organizations were kind enough to open their doors to our
participants and share their programs with us during the conference:
SKETCH
580 King St. W., 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: (416) 516-5428
Fax: (416) 516-6286
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.sketch.ca/home.html
SKETCH is an organization that creates art-making opportunities for homeless and marginalized youth. It is
a space for exploration and expression through art, a haven from the pressures of street life, and an open
space for youth to play and socialize. They offer space for youth to express themselves and to build up
their skills through self-directed time in the studio or through workshops. They also exhibit and sell youth
artwork and connect youth to mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities in the arts community to support
the education of youth as well as open up career and job opportunities.
Participants were engaged in learning more about art-based engagement with youth and the benefits that
come from providing space for that is easily accessible to marginalized youth.
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Eva’s Phoenix
Eva's Initiatives
Administration Office
215 Spadina Ave Suite 370
Toronto ON M5T 2C7
Phone: 416-977-4497
Fax: 416-977-6210
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.evasinitiatives.com/e-phoenix.php
Eva’s Phoenix opened it doors in June 2000 as a transitional shelter and training facility for homeless and
marginalized youth in Toronto. It provides housing for 50 youth, aged from 16-24 years, for up to one full
year. Youth living at Eva’s Phoenix are required to be involved in a training or employment program, and
they are also able to access counseling services, housing search support, and follow-up support to help
maintain self-sufficiency. Additionally, each year at Eva’s Phoenix about 160 youth between the ages 16-29
years of age participate in its employment and pre-apprenticeship programs. Eva’s Phoenix works with
business, and labour and community partners to provide homeless and at-risk youth with the opportunities
and learning experiences needed to develop important skills, build careers, and to live on their own, and
also provides job placement assistance and mentorship opportunities.
Participants were given a tour of the shelter and training facility and heard from youth that had participated
in the program. Participants were interested in the possibility and logistics of social enterprise for youth and
had the opportunity to discuss various ideas and ask questions of the local program coordinator after the
tour.
TurnAround Couriers
252A Carlton Street, Suite 302A
Toronto ON M5A 2L1
Phone: 416.260.1400
Fax: 416.260.0042
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.turnaroundcouriers.com/
TurnAround Couriers is a professional bicycle courier service that provides superior service at competitive
rates. Its bicycle courier and back office staff are all at-risk youth, allowing these youth the opportunity to
gain experience, confidence, and financial means. TurnAround Couriers is not charity but rather, a
competitive and growing business. To date, TurnAround Couriers has assisted over 100 youth.
Richard Derham spoke to the growth of TurnAround Couriers and highlighted several areas that he feels
are necessary in a social business: they act as sympathetic employers but do not provide all services for
youth, a social business must be run as a business with competitive prices and a social aspect, chose
courier business as it was cheap to start up and youth at risk could do it well.
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Exploring Innovations
Throughout the conference participants had the opportunity to share career advancing programming tools
and implementation approaches in their programs, followed by a group discussion.
Incorporating the family into youth business training
Sohana Khandoker spoke about her work in adapting the Street Business Toolkit (Annex C) to family use.
The discussion began around the fact that this kind of training works well with women and their children in
Bolivia and that it could be a very useful tool for preventative family economic strengthening. Nelson
Bircher provided several examples from CDEA’s work in Bolivia of a holistic family approach to business
training.
Discussion
Possible challenges: A challenge to this approach could include changes to the family dynamic as a result
of youth and parents attending the same training. The approach would have to be well thought out with
community involvement to determine how to avoid any negative changes to family dynamic.
Adaptation of innovation: Geographically the training could be offered where the need is greatest and the
migration of youth to the nearest city is highest, stemming the flow of youth out of their home communities.
Overall participants agreed that this version of the Street Business Toolkit training is worth piloting in places
outside of Bolivia.
Practice Business Module to accompany Street Business Toolkit
Asha daCosta shared the concept behind the Practice Business Module (Annex C) which gives youth the
opportunity to practice running a small business prior to starting up one of their own.
Discussion
Participants agreed that this level of support between learning about business and starting a business is
critical and could be a very useful experiential learning experience for many youth in addition to improving
the success rate of youth businesses.
Suggestion: As the toolkit is piloted and used it’s effectiveness will be monitored to contribute to the
growing pool of knowledge around youth entrepreneurship and the support mechanisms that youth need to
be successful.
Potential of group businesses
Tessema Bekela from EDA discussed the success of group and cooperative businesses in Ethiopia. The
Ethiopian government supports cooperatives. Groups of over 10 youth are able to access start up funds
from the government. EDA assists youth in this process and has achieved 50% female access to start up
capital. Youth are able to determine their own governance framework for their coop and technical skills are
provided by EDA where necessary.
Discussion
Participants were interested in the success of cooperative business in Ethiopia. Cultural norms around
collective business and ways to get local businesses involved in a support role were discussed.
Suggestion: Street Kids SBTK (Annex C) could be adapted to focus on cooperative business in certain
cultural contexts where collaboration is already prevalent.
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Understanding the local value chain (case study of the Honey Value Chain in Kenya)
Aleke Dondo presented K-Rep’s research on the Honey Value Chain in Kenya. Aleke first spoke of the
coffee value chain and the uneven distribution of profits. The major coffee producers (such as Brazil,
Ethiopia and Uganda) receive approximately $5 billion in profits while the coffee industry as a whole is
valued at $80 billion as a result of processing in places such as Germany. K-Rep’s study of the honey
value chain found that there is a wealth of valuable information that comes out of studying the value chain
and that an NGO can play an important role in making the chain more fair and profitable for smaller players.
Through the process, K-Rep gained an understanding of the industry and the ability to shift the chain to
benefit beneficiaries and they examined how to move youth along the value chain to maximize profits. The
information gained through focus group discussions with value chain players facilitated market linkages and
better prices for smaller buyers. K-Rep has documented the process and hopes to be able to share the
process with others by the end of the year. (Annex D for more information)
Discussion
Adaptation of innovation: Several participants agreed that it would be a useful exercise within their country
or local market. Additional markets that could be investigated with an emphasis on youth involvement are:
dairy, chickens (indigenous chickens in Kenya), coconuts, coffee and cashew nuts. The possibility of doing
a low budget version of value chain analysis was also discussed.
Suggestion: Use different lenses when analyzing the data from the value chain, you could derive benefit
for women if you use a gender lens or youth using a youth lens. The involvement of youth in the process of
collecting value chain data was proposed.
Youth Markey Surveys
Natasha Cassinath facilitated a market survey activity that involved a role play of a youth and a business
person discussing a particular business. Often this type of simple conversation can provide a great amount
of information for youth who are hoping to start a small business. Youth are capable and interested in
seeking out this kind of information and Street Kids has developed a tool that allows youth to identify local
market opportunities. There are several ways that market information could be used to improve the
effectiveness of programs in youth entrepreneurship. (Annex D for more information)
Discussion
How can we use the information gained from a market survey?
Adaptation of innovation: Target the market walk in the SBTK to reflect market needs; host a business
opportunity fair for youth to foster innovative business ideas that are market driven.
Suggestion: Use market analysis results as a guide, not a definitive direction to ensure that creativity in
business ideas/opportunities is not lost.
Mentorship module
David Pell shared Street Kids’ Mentorship Module which is a tool to recruit mentors to support youth
starting businesses. (Annex C for more information)
Discussion
Cultural considerations around the term and tradition of mentoring need to be taken into consideration.
Financial compensation for some mentors may be required and should be budgeted for.
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Suggestion: Recruitment of mentors to support youth businesses could also be used to spread awareness
around the value of volunteering your time and skills for those who need it.
Street Source employability program
Salvador “Buddy” Arcangel presented Virlanie’s involvement with the Street Source initiative. This is a pilot
program which will explore partnerships between the private sector, NGOs and Street Kids International to
meet the employment needs of marginalized youth. Through the Street Source program, youth will be led
through a new job readiness curriculum which is currently in development. This training package will be
developed for youth to learn what they need to succeed: social competency skills, entrepreneurial spirit,
coping mechanisms, and personal financial management, supported by both a workplace and life coach.
Committed private sector partners will hire these youth after an interview process and coach them as they
adjust to life in the formal sector. Participants will progress from trainee to intern to full time employee with
the salary to transition to independent living or to contribute substantially to family income. They will invest
in the project by contributing a portion of their wages back to the local partner to support the next cohort of
trainees. Street Source will be piloted in India and the Philippines as a sustainable solution to employment
that demonstrates that the private sector can work with the social sector to provide sustainable livelihoods
for marginalized youth.
Discussion
Participants agreed that private sector involvement in youth employment is a promising avenue to
sustainable jobs for youth. Participants look forward to hearing about how the project progresses and
learning from the model.
Youth Savings and Loan products
Aleke Dondo discussed K-Rep’s Development Agency and its involvement in developing savings and loan
products for youth. Youth, especially those that are marginalized, still do not have access to credit or
savings programs in many instances. The government of Kenya sees this as a socio-political threat and
has established a fund for youth enterprise development. K-Rep received a loan from the government to
lend to youth to start of expand their micro enterprises. Thus far 3 353 youth have accessed loans and half
of these youth are women. K-Rep’s studies have shown the youth repayment rate to be almost 80% which
is not significantly different than the adult repayment rate. He argued that youth are credit worthy but that
the primary barrier to youth access is bank staff – they require more experience in working with youth to
make the program successful.
Discussion
Recommendation: If Microfinance Institutions want to work with youth they need to hire staff that have
experience working with youth.
Sustainability: The K-Rep Bank will take on youth loans once they become sustainable, at which point the
K-Rep Development Agency will be freed up to continue to work on new products that promote access to
capital for marginalized youth.
The potential of Microfranchise
Kevin McKague presented on the emerging field of Microfranchise and its potential as a vehicle for youth
employment. Microfranchise can be thought of as a “business in a box” which offers more support and
training to youth who perhaps are not prepared to start business independently. With known
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microfranchises, ongoing mentoring, support and financing is often available, removing many of the barriers
to youth employment or business.
Discussion
The various roles that NGOs could take in developing microfranchise opportunities were discussed such as
business creators, investors, model franchisors or as mentors. It was decided that Street Kids International
is best suited to play a mentor role (providing youth with business training and connecting youth to local
businesses willing to work with youth as franchisees).
Making it Work
Natasha Cassinath discussed the concept of the Making it Work initiative, a new workshop series for
leaders in livelihood program development aimed at filling gaps in practitioner learnings through the
exploration of new interventions.
Discussion
Participants agreed that this could be a useful intervention for small organizations with a need for more
holistic livelihood programming for youth.
Speaker’s Panel: Thursday, October 8, 2009
“Linking marginalized youth to employment opportunities: a global challenge”
While the population of youth worldwide is increasing, the gap between the rich and poor is widening.
Combined with the global economic slowdown, opportunities for young people are shrinking.
According to the yearly Canada's Vital Signs report which was released by the Community Foundations of
Canada on October 6, 2009, summer employment for young people was at a three-decade low. In January
2008, youth unemployment was at 10.7 percent. However, by summer of 2009, it had risen to 16.3 percent.
(http://www.vitalsignscanada.ca/). Youth unemployment in Canada is projected to reach as high as 17
million by the close of 2009. (International Labour Organization’s Global Trends Update May 2009:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/global.htm). Youth who have been economically or
socially excluded from mainstream society are particularly impacted, due to competition, higher skill
demands of the market, and a lack of solid occupational guidance.
The speaker’s panel explored the challenges youth face integrating into occupations and self-employment,
in Canada and internationally. Representatives from the Yonge Street Mission’s Evergreen service, First
Work, JVS Toronto and Street Kids International discussed innovative strategies to integrate this group of
young people back into the world of work. The panel was held on Thursday, October 8 at the Metro Central
YMCA in Toronto and was open to the public with over 40 people in attendance, the majority of whom were
from the career guidance and employment placement sectors.
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Panel Discussion:
Matt Wood, Executive Director of First Work (formerly the Ontario Association of Youth
Employment Centres)
Intervention: Convincing those with the means to invest in youth
First Work offers the service Hire Prospects (http://www.oayec.org/visitors/hire_prospects/); social
research with mainstream and hard to reach youth
Matt mentions the upcoming Futures Conference: October 21-23, 2009
(http://www.oayec.org/visitors/annual_conference/)
Recent study completed by First Work looked at the following question: what is driving employers
to hire marginalized youth? Who are the employers taking the risk?
The study was undertaken to assist job developers (those trying to find work placements for youth,
often combined with the intake counselor position)
The study examined the characteristics of employer champions (finding employers was a challenge
as often job developers are resistant to share their contacts)
The common characteristics: the organization has a culture of learning and mentoring already in
place (non-punitive); those open to the idea of hiring marginalized youth often received some kind
of support when they were young; these organizations have resolved HR crises in the past and
have the creativity to deal positively with HR challenges; most organizations that hire youth are
small and medium sized enterprises
A question often asked by potential employers: what’s in it for my business? (job developers must
be prepared to answer this question)
Coralie Martens, Program Facilitator, Connecting Youth to Work, Evergreen, Yonge Street Mission
Intervention: Counselling and pre-employment training for street youth
Evergreen runs a 32 week paid employment program with federal funding for youth ages 16-24
The Purpose: to connect street involved or marginalized youth to life and employment skills training
Youth find out about the program through their involvement with Yonge Street Mission or though
word of mouth
There are three parts to the program: Employment and life skills workshops (2 weeks); Pre-
placement phase of hard/soft skill training (10 weeks); Job placement phase within Toronto
business community (20 weeks)
The pre-placement phase gives youth the time to gain the skills they need and includes weekly
meetings to ensure that youth are on track with their action plan
Wages are subsidized during the 20 week job placement phase
Tim Greenwood, Youth Reach Program York Region, JVS Toronto
Intervention: Connecting youth in conflict with the law with employment
Tim’s motivation to do this work comes from the loss of young people that he has known
Tim tells the Starfish Story: even by helping one of thousands of starfish back into the sea you are
making a difference
What we do as front line staff is important work
Tim works with youth in conflict with the law; the barriers that youth face include shame, criminal
record, a past history that is difficult to move on from
JVS Youth Reach program (connecting youth in conflict with the law to employment)
Meet youth where they are at (at a coffee shop or library), this eliminates the need for them to
travel
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Develop a personal relationship and give flexible support
Useful Resource: Alternative Resumes by Michael Howard (http://www.alternativeresumes.com);
tips on capturing youth’s life experience and spirit within a resume
Ashley McLean (former youth participant from Evergreen)
Intervention: What has worked for you?
Ashley was attracted to the poster for Connecting Youth to Work because of the money signs
She had not yet completed high school and was in need of employment
The program allowed her to not only learn a skill but get paid at the same time
She felt that the most useful aspect was the improvement of her communication skills
In the second part of the program she was placed as a peer mentor to help other youth build their
resumes, this allowed her to discover that she enjoyed the type of work
Her placement was at the Elizabeth Fry Society, she has since finished high school, applied to
college for social work (with support from Evergreen)
Ashley currently holds a permanent job with Elizabeth Fry and is in college studying social work
Aleke Dondo, K-Rep, Kenya (Partner of Street Kids International)
Intervention: International innovations and trends
Aleke spoke to the trends that have been discussed at the conference regarding innovations in
connecting marginalized youth to work opportunities
An important consideration is to build upon current employment strategies for youth (investigate
local and national strategies)
Collaboration is often effective and should be pursued
Ideas for connecting youth to work: youth entrepreneurship (Business and Banking Toolkits from
Street Kids International); Social enterprise and group/cooperative business can be a way for youth
to access capital without going to a bank
Emerging Themes:
renewable energy (youth are more open to new technology and this is an emerging and
important field, ideas include briquette production, biogas production);
rural interventions (encourage youth to work in their communities and prevent urban migration,
youth could bring technology into rural areas such as the mobile internet model in India or be
involved in village banking);
social enterprise (potential of starting for profit business that benefits and employs youth who
often face barriers to employment; potential of micro-franchise);
importance of being aware of the market that you are operating within and viable entry points
for youth business opportunities (value chain surveys can be useful as a tool)
youth involvement in program design
Group Discussion
Scan of the Provincial environment (Ontario): there is an emphasis on education (“Learning to 18”
agenda) and programs that keep youth in school; strong push from teachers that “credit” should
come from the classroom however the reality is that some youth need to work;
First Work sits on a province wide committee urging credit for work;
The province is in the process of consolidating all employment programs into one
Use of social media in connecting youth to work and engaging youth: First Work is using social
networking to open a dialogue about youth employment issues;
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Example of recent success using social media: The Hamilton/Burlington YMCA has used
Facebook to connect with youth and has decreased their advertising budget by 90%;
TakingITGlobal a good resource for youth to connect online (www.takingitglobal.org);
On job placement/development: it is Important to create incentives for employers to enable a
healthy work environment that is conducive to youth employment
Break Out Groups
The large group broke into three smaller groups for discussion around the following topics and reported
back on their 30 minute conversation:
1. The Use of Stories in Youth Work
Stories can be used to build relationships
Continuity in relationships is essential
Powerful tool: a panel of youth to share their stories
Increase in participation of youth in decision making bodies is necessary
The label of “at risk” can lead to stereotyping
2. Social Enterprise for Youth
Discussed why we don’t have similar initiatives in Ontario that exist internationally (such as
cooperative businesses that address social issues, ie. Gift bags made by street children in Mumbai
out of recycled newspaper)
Additional examples: mobile shoe shine enterprise run by youth (London, UK); Municipal
Government trains youth actors to dress up as zebras and help people cross 8 lane roads (Bolivia);
TurnAround Couriers (Toronto)
3. Life Skills
Youth are not robots and any life skills program needs to be flexible and engaging, meeting the
actual needs of youth
Important to recognize that it’s ok to fail but that doesn’t mean you are a failure, build this into
program
Common challenges and themes
Through the panel and discussion the following common challenges and themes between local and
international youth employment work emerged:
Challenge of convincing the employer to take a risk on hiring marginalized youth
Common theme of work not being recognized as education
Social Enterprise/innovation in youth employment
Youth involvement/participation in programs, conferences, speaker’s panels
Flexibility in programming to adapt to youth’s needs
Feedback from Participants
Participants completed a brief evaluation of the speaker’s panel and the feedback overall was positive.
Participants felt that they gained information on different services for youth, new ideas to add to their
current programs, were able to recognize some of the gaps in service and had the opportunity to connect
with others. Many participants were appreciative of the youth voice in the panel and indicated that they
would like to see more youth participation at conferences and events. Suggestions included having youth
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lead the panel discussion, inviting more youth to the event and to speak more about the accomplishments
of youth.
An interesting suggestion was to hold a youth panel to encourage awareness about youth employment
among employers. In addition many participants commented that there is more to be learned by bringing
international and local practitioners together and suggested that future opportunities to do so should be
made available.
Additional interventions in youth employment suggested by participants:
Importance of youth’s accessibility to counselors who truly care.
Online job searching has been extremely beneficial.
I would like to see a youth panel encouraging awareness.
Most importantly teaching youth that they are not themselves a failure but that failure is a learning
process.
Alternative resumes: using them more to bring out the skills of our clients.
Free transportation for youth to connect to programs.
Selected Quotes from Participant’s Evaluation:
“I gained more knowledge of services, a recognition of gaps in services and networking”
“I gained more knowledge about what different organizations offer to youth”
“Great ideas shared”
“I learned how important it is to keep in touch with other agencies that face the same or similar issues”
Catalytic Convergence: Outcomes
This conference built on Street Kids International’s culture of sharing lessons learned to improve
programming tools for marginalized youth. It brought together partners from around the world to exchange
their innovations in career advancement and implementation approaches of Street Kids International’s
training initiatives. The conference provided an opportunity to strengthen the international network of
practitioners, build South/South relationships, and engaged international participants with Canadian
organizations working with and for youth. The results of this conference are essential as they will enable
not only Street Kids International, but all partner and participating organizations to develop and adapt
programming to create adequate and appropriate responses to the employment needs of youth.
Specific outcomes of the conference:
Street Kids International has committed to developing a site that will share best practices and tools
in connecting youth to employment and in livelihood resources.
Street Kids will continue to explore the viability or social enterprise and microfranchise as
approaches to youth employment and share these findings.
In response to feedback from the Speaker’s Panel from front line staff in Toronto, Street Kids will
continue to provide space for front line staff to share, learn and network.
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Annex A: Conference Program
CATALYTIC CONVERGENCE: INNOVATIONS IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Monday, October 5
Welcome
Visit to SKETCH
Exploring innovations:
Incorporating the family into youth business training
Practice Business Module to accompany Street Business Toolkit
Tuesday, October 6
Exploring innovations:
Potential of group businesses
Understanding the local value chain (case study of the Honey Value Chain in Kenya)
Mentorship Module
Street Source Employability Program
Visit to Eva’s Phoenix
Wednesday, October 7
Exploring innovations:
Youth Markey Surveys
Youth Savings and Loan products
The potential of Microfranchise
Guest Speaker: TurnAround Couriers
Thursday, October 8
Speaker’s Panel: Linking Marginalized Youth to Employment Opportunities
Practitioners from Canada and around the world discuss emerging trends in youth
employment
Exploring Innovations:
Making it Work
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Annex B: Participants’ Biographies
Aleke Dondo – K-Rep, Kenya
Mr. Aleke Dondo is currently the Managing Director of K-Rep Development Agency (K-Rep), a non-profit
microfinance institution in Kenya. K-Rep services the needs of rural small-scale farmers and micro-
entrepreneurs through innovative microfinance projects. He started his career in 1978 as an Assistant
Science Secretary in the Government of Kenya's National Council For Science and Technology. Mr.
Dondo has over 15 years of hands-on experience in microfinance and small enterprise (Informal Sector)
development. He has carried out over 30 studies in the fields of small enterprise and microfinance
development and has authored 10 published papers and over 30 unpublished ones. Mr. Dondo serves on
the boards of organisations involved in development work including Kenya Gatsby Trust (Chairman), Kenya
Community Development Foundation (Vice-Chairman), K-Rep Advisory Services, and Saga Thrift and
Enterprise Promotion. Mr. Dondo received a Master's degree in economics from York University in Canada
and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Nairobi.
For more information about K-Rep visit: www.k-rep.org
Salvador “Buddy” Arcangel VIII – Virlanie Foundation, Philippines
Mr. Salvador Arcangel VIII is a licensed social worker. He finished his Bachelor of Science in Social Work
from Bicol University, a State university in the Philippines. He worked as an Educator/Trainor for Education
Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation after his graduation from college. After a year
of service in ERDA, he moved to the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS)
Secretariat of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. He was tasked to do program
monitoring, evaluation and training.
After working in CIDSS for more than four years, he left the institution and joined Caritas Manila, a Catholic-
run institution. There, he strengthened the district’s Social Services and Development Ministry using the
Caritas Development Model. From Caritas Manila, he joined the Virlanie Foundation. He currently holds
the position of Program Coordinator handling the Young Adults Program (YAP). The YAP’s primary
objective is to help the Foundation’s young adult beneficiaries aged 15 to 22 years become more
responsible in planning for their future on a personal and professional level through various interventions
like seminars, workshop and trainings on personal development and career counseling leading them
towards independent and productive lives. He has been responsible for mainstreaming the youths to the
working environment with the help of the program’s key partners.
For more information about Virlanie visit: www.virlanie.org
Nelson Bricher Gutierrez
Born in Bolivia, Nelson has worked with youth organizations promoting social empowerment for the majority
of his working life. Nelson was a co-founder of Inti Watana, a youth institution, where he worked with
teenagers and youth for 13 years. Later, he went on to work for PROMUJER promoting access to micro-
credit and micro-loans for youth through their entrepreneurial leaders program.
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Since 2003 Nelson has worked with the Center of Development for Alternative Education (Centro de
Desarrollo para la Educación Alternativa), coordinating the Sustainable Lifestyles program department.
Within the department, Nelson develops materials to foster entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy
amongst marginalized and hard-to-reach youth populations. He also provides technical support for Save
the Children in the development of participatory methodologies in Bolivia and Guatemala. Nelson is a co-
author of Pasanaku,The Street Banking Toolkit, as well as the Life Projects Manual, the Youth
Accompaniment Manual and a manual for the development of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial spirit
amongst youth.
Tessema Bekele Woldegiorgis – Emmanuel Development Association, Ethiopia
As Founder and Executive Director, Tessema oversees the overall coordination and management of the
Emmanuel Development Association (EDA). The mission of the Emmanuel Development Association is
"Working with Children and their Famlies to increase their Capacity and Participation in Community"
primarily through four areas: Education and Training; Integrated Community Health and Sanitation; Gender
and Women Empowerment; and Advocacy work.
Prior to Emmanuel Development Association, Tessema acted as Program Head for World Vision
International in Mehal Meda in the Amhara regional State of Ethiopia in which programming activities in the
field emphasized capacity building for marginalized groups including youth. Tessema achieved his Masters
in Organizational Leadership and Development at AZUSA Pacific University in Los Angeles with his thesis
on "The Effect of Educational Leadership in Government Schools in Ethiopia. Prior to completing his
Masters, Tessema earned a BA in Business Administration from Glasgow College in the UK as well as a
BA in Management attained from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Tessema also volunteers with a
variety of humanitarian and non-profit organizations where his involvement primarily focuses on Education
and Rehabilitation and Development areas of work.
Vandana Rai – Centre for Youth Development and Activities, India
Vandana is the Director of Programs at Center for Youth Development and Activities in Pune, India. She is
responsible for handling initiatives and programs related to youth development. A native of India, she has
lived in the metropolitan city of Pune for most part of her life and secured her graduation degree in
Economics in 1998 and a Post graduate Diploma in International Business in 2005, from Symbiosis
University,Pune.
She began her career with Ingram Micro India Ltd., the world number one distributor of computer hardware
and software products. Her zeal to explore newer avenues turned her to the dynamic field of the
automotive sector in 2002 starting with DaimlerChrysler India in Pune and later with Moosa Abdul Rahman
Hassan & Co., dealers for General Motors and Suzuki vehicles, in Oman. The exposure to diverse cultures,
within and outside India, has deepened her sense of understanding in management related perspectives
and her personal mantra is to strive and make a difference to what she is involved in.
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Street Kids International Staff Bios
David Pell, HBES, MSc
David joined our team as Executive Director in January 2006. His introduction to Street Kids International
was as a volunteer on the Fund Development Committee in 2004. David brings 25 years of experience as
Executive Director and CEO of three voluntary sector organizations to our work. His solid fit with Street
Kids is built upon his interest in how organizations can become self sufficient by developing an ‘enterprise’
culture within their organization.
Before joining Street Kids International, David operated his own business, worked for the government,
universities, colleges and of course the voluntary sector. David was a partner in Development Initiatives
Inc. a consulting firm that worked throughout Canada and internationally. He was the founder and President
of the Community Business Resource Centre in Toronto a highly successful entrepreneurship training
centre and consulting organization in economic development. As the CEO of the Canadian Youth Business
Foundation (CYBF) and the Canadian Youth Foundation, David expanded the organization’s lending,
mentor support and career planning programs for young people across Canada. His work throughout
Canada, the United States, the European Community as well as several developing countries has provided
him with opportunities to learn from many experienced community practitioners and community leaders.
Natasha Cassinath, B.A., MBA
Natasha is the Director of Programs and Partnerships leading the development of new initiatives and the
delivery of Street Kids International’s work. Prior to joining Street Kids, Natasha worked in Nicaragua,
Angola and Mozambique in management roles related to child, youth and community development,
HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and small business development. Natasha brings her special interest in
corporate responsibility and social entrepreneurship to Street Kids International. She speaks fluent French
and functional Portuguese and Spanish. Natasha completed the post graduate Asia Pacific Management
Program (APMCP) at the McRae Institute of International Management in Vancouver and completed her
MBA at l'Institut National Supérieur d'Études Économiques et Commerciales in Paris.
Asha daCosta, B.A., M.Ed.
As a Programme Manager, Asha will liaise with local and international partners to create opportunities that
promote the international exchange of best practices, deliver training, and develop cutting edge tools for
youth workers serving marginalized young people. Asha’s previous experience includes work with child
focused international NGO’s in Central America as well as local organizations serving marginalized youth.
Asha brings to her work a passion for teaching and curriculum development with a focus on cultural
relevancy, as well as an interest in child rights advocacy. Asha holds a degree in International Development
Studies and recently completed a Masters in Education with a focus on Education Policy and NGO
Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Paula MacKinnon, B.A., M.Ed.
As a Programme Manager, Paula is responsible for supporting local partnerships and facilitating
participatory workshops in the field. She has 15 years of experience in rights-based education and 11 years
in the field of international development, concentrating on the design and delivery of educational programs.
Paula has worked with various groups including children, youth, teachers, curriculum developers, and
women’s associations, focusing on children’s rights, literacy, life skills and income generation. She has
extensive experience in gender mainstreaming and has applied this to water and sanitation, basic
education and governance projects. Paula has worked extensively in Swaziland and Ghana in both remote
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rural settings and inner city environments, and has traveled throughout Africa. She completed a Master of
Education at University of Toronto - OISE and holds a teaching diploma from McGill University.
Kristy Vanderplas, H.BSc
As Programme Manager, Kristy is involved in managing several of Street Kids International’s projects,
including public engagement in Canada and the internship program. Kristy has lived and worked in South
Korea, Taiwan, Czech Republic and Tanzania and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Ontario
Council for International Cooperation as Vice President and for CSRAI (Canadian Support for Rural African
Initiatives) as Project Committee Chair. She is passionate about youth involvement and continues to
contribute her skills and knowledge to Street Kids International’s programming both here in Canada and
around the world. Kristy holds an H.BSc in Bio Medical Sciences from the University of Guelph and
completed the International Project Management Program at Humber College in 2006.
Philippa Frankl, MSc
Philippa joined Street Kids International in April 2008 as the Executive Director of Street Kids
International UK. She is responsible for launching the UK operation and taking the lead in Street Kids
International programming, communications and fundraising in the UK. Philippa has seven years
experience developing, delivering and managing youth development programmes for young people in the
UK, Honduras, Argentina and Peru. These include programmes to develop team work, leadership and
communication skills, self confidence through music and life skills through entrepreneurship. She also has
experience delivering and managing a mentor training programme to support youth in making positive life
choices. Philippa speaks fluent Spanish and has spent three years living, working and volunteering in
various capacities across Central America and in Peru. Philippa holds an MSc in Psychology from the
University of Birmingham and is a firm believer in supporting young people to realise their innate potential.
She is looking forward to applying her experience to developing the Street Kids International UK operation.
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Annex C: Street Kids International’s Toolkits
Street Kids International’s Street Business (SBTK) and Street Banking Toolkits (SBT) are
entrepreneurship and finance courses designed for frontline workers to use directly with street kids. These
practical, interactive and participatory courses give youth the skills to:
develop business plans
set personal goals
determine savings strategies
The Street Business Toolkit is a set of resources for conducting a course with youth about starting or
improving a small business. During the course, youth participants learn about basic business concepts.
They identify business ideas and assess their feasibility. At the end of the course, participants have their
own business plans for feasible business ideas. The Street Banking Toolkit follows with strategies to
identify and access sources of capital, save profits and improve current businesses.
These unique materials were specifically designed to simplify business concepts so that the youth gain
confidence in working with them. This simplification is achieved by using low-literacy teaching techniques
while maintaining high-quality content. The content addresses not only basic business skills, but also the
problem- solving skills that enable business success. The word “business” is used to represent small-scale
income-generating activities as simple as shoe shining or fruit selling. These are realistic first steps for
many street youth.
Street Business Mentorship (SBM)
The Street Business Mentorship (SBM) program is a complement to the Street Business and Banking
Toolkits. It is generally shared through a 4 day Training of Trainers (TOT) in order to enable youth workers
to set up a Street Business Mentorship program and train business mentors at their organizations. The
word “mentor” is defined as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher”. Mentors are people identified to
provide guidance and support. Mentors can be recognized experts, elders, community members, a
neighbour, or others who offer understanding and advice in an objective manner. Business mentorship
refers to guidance provided specifically to young entrepreneurs, advising them through problems and
obstacles that arise in their businesses. Studies have shown that youth with guidance from a business
mentor are 75% more likely to succeed than those without. The SBM includes a course manual,
mentorship board game and a mentorship comic book.
Practice Business Toolkit
Through our experience working with youth over the years it was observed that some participants, after
having received Street Kids International’s Street Business and Banking Toolkit Trainings, were challenged
by the great leap that independent business ownership presented. Practice Business Training gives
participants the opportunity to test their practical knowledge on the street in a supported environment,
before assuming the risks involved with starting their own business. It is designed primarily for those youth
entrepreneurs who are interested in beginning, or have begun a business but who don’t yet have all the
personal and business competencies to succeed. The Practice Business training of trainers (TOT) takes
place over six days and involves several activities that guide youth in mapping business potential in their
community and running a small business for a short period of time. The reflection period after the mini
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Practice Business allows participants to reflect and learn from their success and challenges as well as
those of their peers.
Market-Driven Approaches
Street Kids recognizes the importance of responding to the known needs, interests and realities of the
market. A market-driven approach ensures that programs and the businesses they help develop are framed
around relevant and productive business sectors and opportunities, as well as the resources that support
profitable engagement in those sectors. The market-driven approach is one that is focused on financial
viability and profit for youth. Street Kids is developing tools that youth can use to survey the market in
which they will operate a small business.
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Annex D: Additional Notes
Value Chain Assessment
When examining a value chain some questions that need to be asked are:
Who are the players?
Who is adding value?
Where are they adding value?
Where is finance a constraint along the chain? (K-Rep asked this question as they
were researching which financial products could be developed to strengthen the
industry)
Most effective method of research: focus group discussions
Financial products developed as a result of the study: beehive lease for honey producers
(after 2 years the farmer will own the beehive); 5 beehives/person could bring someone
above the poverty line
Youth involvement: trading, use of honey in herbal medicine, K-Rep to finance a gropu of
youth to process honey, also found opportunities to sell (ie. Youth led honey shop)
Power dynamics in value chain: processers used to exploit buyers, K-rep asked processors
to increase their prices and they did
Study funded by a Danish donor; Bill Gates Foundation and USAID are also interested in
Value Chain assessment.
Important to include the gender lens, where in the value chain can women get involved?
Other markets that would benefit from a similar study:
Dairy, chickens, coconut, coffee and cashew nuts
Main constraints found: working capital skills, the finance to acquire a beehive
The entire industry was suffering from delay of payments
Youth Market Survey
How can we use information collected by youth about the local market to make programs more effective?
Hold a business opportunity fair to expose youth to different possibilities in small business
Invite people with business experience in identified opportunities to speak to youth (this
could also be a good way to recruit mentors)
Target the market walk activity in the SBTK (link to growth opportunities identified in market
survey)
Adapt market analysis/value chain tools for youth
The market survey results should be a guide, not definitive results but could be useful to
identify gaps and new opportunities (develop a tool to guide this process?)
Adapt SBTK to specific markets that are booming in a particular location (ie. Construction in
Ethiopia)
The Practice Business Toolkit can also help youth survey the local market
There is the possibility of “creating markets”
How do we make the information gained through market surveys practical?
Explore involvement of private sector
Adapt to rural and urban settings
Share information with policy makers
doc_854254193.pdf
Street Kids International is a non-profit agency based in Canada and the United Kingdom. the 21 years since its creation, it has become a global leader in helping street kids around the world successfully earn a living and make healthy, educated decisions to better their lives.
In Partnership With:
Catalytic Convergence:
Innovations in Youth Programming
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Background
Street Kids International is a non-profit agency based in Canada and the United Kingdom. In the 21 years
since its creation, it has become a global leader in helping street kids around the world successfully earn a
living and make healthy, educated decisions to better their lives. Street Kids builds the capacity of youth
and social workers through innovative, award-winning workshops, animations and tools
about entrepreneurship, sexual health, and drug use. Working directly with service organizations that
support marginalized youth as they strive to make a living in some of the poorest countries of the world,
Street Kids has directly contributed to the development of over 200 youth-focused organizations. Street
Kids and its partners know that youth are both resilient and resourceful, and that given the skills and
knowledge they are able to find meaningful careers in small business, self-employment and as employees.
The organization’s first initiative was setting up a bike courier business by tapping into the resilience and
motivation of former child soldiers in Sudan. In 2001 Street Kids created an animation called “Speed’s
Choice” that explores the idea of making a living on the street. Since then our integrated livelihood training
package, based on this animated video, has expanded to reach 16 countries and now boasts 4 additional
modules including a “practice business” module, a savings programme, a business mentorship course, and
an employment initiative. In 2009, Street Kids International brought together several of our international
partners to share innovations in supporting marginalized youth in making a better life for themselves.
The conference addressed two themes:
1) Creating an enabling environment and programming to support young people. Innovative
emerging practices were shared to address some of the challenges of working with this
marginalized, largely transient population.
2) Strengthening Street Kids’ network of practitioners. Conference delegates were directors or
practitioners from organizations who work with street youth in various countries around the world.
This conference created a learning opportunity for people from different cultural contexts to share
experiences in youth focused career programs and strengthen their relationships among their
peers.
Street Kids International’s past experience with practitioners who work with marginalized youth revealed the
need for an international exchange of ideas, challenges, practices and learnings. This conference, a forum
for experience sharing, had been requested by youth work professionals for many years. There have been
several on-line exchanges, and many demonstration opportunities applying new ideas from one region to
another but until this conference, Street Kids’ staff has acted as a conduit for the exchange of ideas. We
believe that it is beneficial for youth work professionals to speak to each other face to face. Thanks to
support from CERIC, Street Kids was able to respond to its partners’ voices and provide a concrete
opportunity for them to learn from each other directly through this conference.
For more information on CERIC (The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) visit
www.ceric.ca.
If you would like to know more about the conference or the work of Street Kids International visit
www.streetkids.org or email us at [email protected].
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Introduction
In partnership with CERIC, Street Kids International hosted Catalytic Convergence, a ground breaking new
conference that took place in Toronto from October 5 – 8, 2009. The Catalytic Convergence: Innovations in
Youth Programming conference harnessed career advancing programming tools and implementation
approaches based on Street Kids International’s training initiatives for marginalized youth. Contributions
came from partner organizations working with and for youth from Canada and around the world thereby
providing an opportunity to strengthen an international network of practitioners. Catalytic Convergence
brought together 5 representatives of Street Kids International’s partner organizations, the Executive
Director of Street Kids UK and the program staff of Street Kids International Canada.
(Participant Biographies can be found in Annex B)
The objective of the Catalytic Convergence conference was to share best practices, pool brainpower,
cross-pollinate ideas and develop fruitful south-south relationships within the Street Kids International
network of trained practitioners and with Canadian practitioners. The conference provided an opportunity
for participants to visit innovative youth serving organizations, to explore youth program innovations, and to
take part in a speakers panel comprised of practitioners in the field of career counseling and youth
employment. (See Annex A for full conference program)
Site Visits
The purpose of visiting local organizations working with youth was to explore alternative strategies for youth
engagement and employment. The following organizations were kind enough to open their doors to our
participants and share their programs with us during the conference:
SKETCH
580 King St. W., 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: (416) 516-5428
Fax: (416) 516-6286
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.sketch.ca/home.html
SKETCH is an organization that creates art-making opportunities for homeless and marginalized youth. It is
a space for exploration and expression through art, a haven from the pressures of street life, and an open
space for youth to play and socialize. They offer space for youth to express themselves and to build up
their skills through self-directed time in the studio or through workshops. They also exhibit and sell youth
artwork and connect youth to mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities in the arts community to support
the education of youth as well as open up career and job opportunities.
Participants were engaged in learning more about art-based engagement with youth and the benefits that
come from providing space for that is easily accessible to marginalized youth.
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Eva’s Phoenix
Eva's Initiatives
Administration Office
215 Spadina Ave Suite 370
Toronto ON M5T 2C7
Phone: 416-977-4497
Fax: 416-977-6210
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.evasinitiatives.com/e-phoenix.php
Eva’s Phoenix opened it doors in June 2000 as a transitional shelter and training facility for homeless and
marginalized youth in Toronto. It provides housing for 50 youth, aged from 16-24 years, for up to one full
year. Youth living at Eva’s Phoenix are required to be involved in a training or employment program, and
they are also able to access counseling services, housing search support, and follow-up support to help
maintain self-sufficiency. Additionally, each year at Eva’s Phoenix about 160 youth between the ages 16-29
years of age participate in its employment and pre-apprenticeship programs. Eva’s Phoenix works with
business, and labour and community partners to provide homeless and at-risk youth with the opportunities
and learning experiences needed to develop important skills, build careers, and to live on their own, and
also provides job placement assistance and mentorship opportunities.
Participants were given a tour of the shelter and training facility and heard from youth that had participated
in the program. Participants were interested in the possibility and logistics of social enterprise for youth and
had the opportunity to discuss various ideas and ask questions of the local program coordinator after the
tour.
TurnAround Couriers
252A Carlton Street, Suite 302A
Toronto ON M5A 2L1
Phone: 416.260.1400
Fax: 416.260.0042
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.turnaroundcouriers.com/
TurnAround Couriers is a professional bicycle courier service that provides superior service at competitive
rates. Its bicycle courier and back office staff are all at-risk youth, allowing these youth the opportunity to
gain experience, confidence, and financial means. TurnAround Couriers is not charity but rather, a
competitive and growing business. To date, TurnAround Couriers has assisted over 100 youth.
Richard Derham spoke to the growth of TurnAround Couriers and highlighted several areas that he feels
are necessary in a social business: they act as sympathetic employers but do not provide all services for
youth, a social business must be run as a business with competitive prices and a social aspect, chose
courier business as it was cheap to start up and youth at risk could do it well.
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Exploring Innovations
Throughout the conference participants had the opportunity to share career advancing programming tools
and implementation approaches in their programs, followed by a group discussion.
Incorporating the family into youth business training
Sohana Khandoker spoke about her work in adapting the Street Business Toolkit (Annex C) to family use.
The discussion began around the fact that this kind of training works well with women and their children in
Bolivia and that it could be a very useful tool for preventative family economic strengthening. Nelson
Bircher provided several examples from CDEA’s work in Bolivia of a holistic family approach to business
training.
Discussion
Possible challenges: A challenge to this approach could include changes to the family dynamic as a result
of youth and parents attending the same training. The approach would have to be well thought out with
community involvement to determine how to avoid any negative changes to family dynamic.
Adaptation of innovation: Geographically the training could be offered where the need is greatest and the
migration of youth to the nearest city is highest, stemming the flow of youth out of their home communities.
Overall participants agreed that this version of the Street Business Toolkit training is worth piloting in places
outside of Bolivia.
Practice Business Module to accompany Street Business Toolkit
Asha daCosta shared the concept behind the Practice Business Module (Annex C) which gives youth the
opportunity to practice running a small business prior to starting up one of their own.
Discussion
Participants agreed that this level of support between learning about business and starting a business is
critical and could be a very useful experiential learning experience for many youth in addition to improving
the success rate of youth businesses.
Suggestion: As the toolkit is piloted and used it’s effectiveness will be monitored to contribute to the
growing pool of knowledge around youth entrepreneurship and the support mechanisms that youth need to
be successful.
Potential of group businesses
Tessema Bekela from EDA discussed the success of group and cooperative businesses in Ethiopia. The
Ethiopian government supports cooperatives. Groups of over 10 youth are able to access start up funds
from the government. EDA assists youth in this process and has achieved 50% female access to start up
capital. Youth are able to determine their own governance framework for their coop and technical skills are
provided by EDA where necessary.
Discussion
Participants were interested in the success of cooperative business in Ethiopia. Cultural norms around
collective business and ways to get local businesses involved in a support role were discussed.
Suggestion: Street Kids SBTK (Annex C) could be adapted to focus on cooperative business in certain
cultural contexts where collaboration is already prevalent.
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Understanding the local value chain (case study of the Honey Value Chain in Kenya)
Aleke Dondo presented K-Rep’s research on the Honey Value Chain in Kenya. Aleke first spoke of the
coffee value chain and the uneven distribution of profits. The major coffee producers (such as Brazil,
Ethiopia and Uganda) receive approximately $5 billion in profits while the coffee industry as a whole is
valued at $80 billion as a result of processing in places such as Germany. K-Rep’s study of the honey
value chain found that there is a wealth of valuable information that comes out of studying the value chain
and that an NGO can play an important role in making the chain more fair and profitable for smaller players.
Through the process, K-Rep gained an understanding of the industry and the ability to shift the chain to
benefit beneficiaries and they examined how to move youth along the value chain to maximize profits. The
information gained through focus group discussions with value chain players facilitated market linkages and
better prices for smaller buyers. K-Rep has documented the process and hopes to be able to share the
process with others by the end of the year. (Annex D for more information)
Discussion
Adaptation of innovation: Several participants agreed that it would be a useful exercise within their country
or local market. Additional markets that could be investigated with an emphasis on youth involvement are:
dairy, chickens (indigenous chickens in Kenya), coconuts, coffee and cashew nuts. The possibility of doing
a low budget version of value chain analysis was also discussed.
Suggestion: Use different lenses when analyzing the data from the value chain, you could derive benefit
for women if you use a gender lens or youth using a youth lens. The involvement of youth in the process of
collecting value chain data was proposed.
Youth Markey Surveys
Natasha Cassinath facilitated a market survey activity that involved a role play of a youth and a business
person discussing a particular business. Often this type of simple conversation can provide a great amount
of information for youth who are hoping to start a small business. Youth are capable and interested in
seeking out this kind of information and Street Kids has developed a tool that allows youth to identify local
market opportunities. There are several ways that market information could be used to improve the
effectiveness of programs in youth entrepreneurship. (Annex D for more information)
Discussion
How can we use the information gained from a market survey?
Adaptation of innovation: Target the market walk in the SBTK to reflect market needs; host a business
opportunity fair for youth to foster innovative business ideas that are market driven.
Suggestion: Use market analysis results as a guide, not a definitive direction to ensure that creativity in
business ideas/opportunities is not lost.
Mentorship module
David Pell shared Street Kids’ Mentorship Module which is a tool to recruit mentors to support youth
starting businesses. (Annex C for more information)
Discussion
Cultural considerations around the term and tradition of mentoring need to be taken into consideration.
Financial compensation for some mentors may be required and should be budgeted for.
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Suggestion: Recruitment of mentors to support youth businesses could also be used to spread awareness
around the value of volunteering your time and skills for those who need it.
Street Source employability program
Salvador “Buddy” Arcangel presented Virlanie’s involvement with the Street Source initiative. This is a pilot
program which will explore partnerships between the private sector, NGOs and Street Kids International to
meet the employment needs of marginalized youth. Through the Street Source program, youth will be led
through a new job readiness curriculum which is currently in development. This training package will be
developed for youth to learn what they need to succeed: social competency skills, entrepreneurial spirit,
coping mechanisms, and personal financial management, supported by both a workplace and life coach.
Committed private sector partners will hire these youth after an interview process and coach them as they
adjust to life in the formal sector. Participants will progress from trainee to intern to full time employee with
the salary to transition to independent living or to contribute substantially to family income. They will invest
in the project by contributing a portion of their wages back to the local partner to support the next cohort of
trainees. Street Source will be piloted in India and the Philippines as a sustainable solution to employment
that demonstrates that the private sector can work with the social sector to provide sustainable livelihoods
for marginalized youth.
Discussion
Participants agreed that private sector involvement in youth employment is a promising avenue to
sustainable jobs for youth. Participants look forward to hearing about how the project progresses and
learning from the model.
Youth Savings and Loan products
Aleke Dondo discussed K-Rep’s Development Agency and its involvement in developing savings and loan
products for youth. Youth, especially those that are marginalized, still do not have access to credit or
savings programs in many instances. The government of Kenya sees this as a socio-political threat and
has established a fund for youth enterprise development. K-Rep received a loan from the government to
lend to youth to start of expand their micro enterprises. Thus far 3 353 youth have accessed loans and half
of these youth are women. K-Rep’s studies have shown the youth repayment rate to be almost 80% which
is not significantly different than the adult repayment rate. He argued that youth are credit worthy but that
the primary barrier to youth access is bank staff – they require more experience in working with youth to
make the program successful.
Discussion
Recommendation: If Microfinance Institutions want to work with youth they need to hire staff that have
experience working with youth.
Sustainability: The K-Rep Bank will take on youth loans once they become sustainable, at which point the
K-Rep Development Agency will be freed up to continue to work on new products that promote access to
capital for marginalized youth.
The potential of Microfranchise
Kevin McKague presented on the emerging field of Microfranchise and its potential as a vehicle for youth
employment. Microfranchise can be thought of as a “business in a box” which offers more support and
training to youth who perhaps are not prepared to start business independently. With known
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microfranchises, ongoing mentoring, support and financing is often available, removing many of the barriers
to youth employment or business.
Discussion
The various roles that NGOs could take in developing microfranchise opportunities were discussed such as
business creators, investors, model franchisors or as mentors. It was decided that Street Kids International
is best suited to play a mentor role (providing youth with business training and connecting youth to local
businesses willing to work with youth as franchisees).
Making it Work
Natasha Cassinath discussed the concept of the Making it Work initiative, a new workshop series for
leaders in livelihood program development aimed at filling gaps in practitioner learnings through the
exploration of new interventions.
Discussion
Participants agreed that this could be a useful intervention for small organizations with a need for more
holistic livelihood programming for youth.
Speaker’s Panel: Thursday, October 8, 2009
“Linking marginalized youth to employment opportunities: a global challenge”
While the population of youth worldwide is increasing, the gap between the rich and poor is widening.
Combined with the global economic slowdown, opportunities for young people are shrinking.
According to the yearly Canada's Vital Signs report which was released by the Community Foundations of
Canada on October 6, 2009, summer employment for young people was at a three-decade low. In January
2008, youth unemployment was at 10.7 percent. However, by summer of 2009, it had risen to 16.3 percent.
(http://www.vitalsignscanada.ca/). Youth unemployment in Canada is projected to reach as high as 17
million by the close of 2009. (International Labour Organization’s Global Trends Update May 2009:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/global.htm). Youth who have been economically or
socially excluded from mainstream society are particularly impacted, due to competition, higher skill
demands of the market, and a lack of solid occupational guidance.
The speaker’s panel explored the challenges youth face integrating into occupations and self-employment,
in Canada and internationally. Representatives from the Yonge Street Mission’s Evergreen service, First
Work, JVS Toronto and Street Kids International discussed innovative strategies to integrate this group of
young people back into the world of work. The panel was held on Thursday, October 8 at the Metro Central
YMCA in Toronto and was open to the public with over 40 people in attendance, the majority of whom were
from the career guidance and employment placement sectors.
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Panel Discussion:
Matt Wood, Executive Director of First Work (formerly the Ontario Association of Youth
Employment Centres)
Intervention: Convincing those with the means to invest in youth
First Work offers the service Hire Prospects (http://www.oayec.org/visitors/hire_prospects/); social
research with mainstream and hard to reach youth
Matt mentions the upcoming Futures Conference: October 21-23, 2009
(http://www.oayec.org/visitors/annual_conference/)
Recent study completed by First Work looked at the following question: what is driving employers
to hire marginalized youth? Who are the employers taking the risk?
The study was undertaken to assist job developers (those trying to find work placements for youth,
often combined with the intake counselor position)
The study examined the characteristics of employer champions (finding employers was a challenge
as often job developers are resistant to share their contacts)
The common characteristics: the organization has a culture of learning and mentoring already in
place (non-punitive); those open to the idea of hiring marginalized youth often received some kind
of support when they were young; these organizations have resolved HR crises in the past and
have the creativity to deal positively with HR challenges; most organizations that hire youth are
small and medium sized enterprises
A question often asked by potential employers: what’s in it for my business? (job developers must
be prepared to answer this question)
Coralie Martens, Program Facilitator, Connecting Youth to Work, Evergreen, Yonge Street Mission
Intervention: Counselling and pre-employment training for street youth
Evergreen runs a 32 week paid employment program with federal funding for youth ages 16-24
The Purpose: to connect street involved or marginalized youth to life and employment skills training
Youth find out about the program through their involvement with Yonge Street Mission or though
word of mouth
There are three parts to the program: Employment and life skills workshops (2 weeks); Pre-
placement phase of hard/soft skill training (10 weeks); Job placement phase within Toronto
business community (20 weeks)
The pre-placement phase gives youth the time to gain the skills they need and includes weekly
meetings to ensure that youth are on track with their action plan
Wages are subsidized during the 20 week job placement phase
Tim Greenwood, Youth Reach Program York Region, JVS Toronto
Intervention: Connecting youth in conflict with the law with employment
Tim’s motivation to do this work comes from the loss of young people that he has known
Tim tells the Starfish Story: even by helping one of thousands of starfish back into the sea you are
making a difference
What we do as front line staff is important work
Tim works with youth in conflict with the law; the barriers that youth face include shame, criminal
record, a past history that is difficult to move on from
JVS Youth Reach program (connecting youth in conflict with the law to employment)
Meet youth where they are at (at a coffee shop or library), this eliminates the need for them to
travel
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Develop a personal relationship and give flexible support
Useful Resource: Alternative Resumes by Michael Howard (http://www.alternativeresumes.com);
tips on capturing youth’s life experience and spirit within a resume
Ashley McLean (former youth participant from Evergreen)
Intervention: What has worked for you?
Ashley was attracted to the poster for Connecting Youth to Work because of the money signs
She had not yet completed high school and was in need of employment
The program allowed her to not only learn a skill but get paid at the same time
She felt that the most useful aspect was the improvement of her communication skills
In the second part of the program she was placed as a peer mentor to help other youth build their
resumes, this allowed her to discover that she enjoyed the type of work
Her placement was at the Elizabeth Fry Society, she has since finished high school, applied to
college for social work (with support from Evergreen)
Ashley currently holds a permanent job with Elizabeth Fry and is in college studying social work
Aleke Dondo, K-Rep, Kenya (Partner of Street Kids International)
Intervention: International innovations and trends
Aleke spoke to the trends that have been discussed at the conference regarding innovations in
connecting marginalized youth to work opportunities
An important consideration is to build upon current employment strategies for youth (investigate
local and national strategies)
Collaboration is often effective and should be pursued
Ideas for connecting youth to work: youth entrepreneurship (Business and Banking Toolkits from
Street Kids International); Social enterprise and group/cooperative business can be a way for youth
to access capital without going to a bank
Emerging Themes:
renewable energy (youth are more open to new technology and this is an emerging and
important field, ideas include briquette production, biogas production);
rural interventions (encourage youth to work in their communities and prevent urban migration,
youth could bring technology into rural areas such as the mobile internet model in India or be
involved in village banking);
social enterprise (potential of starting for profit business that benefits and employs youth who
often face barriers to employment; potential of micro-franchise);
importance of being aware of the market that you are operating within and viable entry points
for youth business opportunities (value chain surveys can be useful as a tool)
youth involvement in program design
Group Discussion
Scan of the Provincial environment (Ontario): there is an emphasis on education (“Learning to 18”
agenda) and programs that keep youth in school; strong push from teachers that “credit” should
come from the classroom however the reality is that some youth need to work;
First Work sits on a province wide committee urging credit for work;
The province is in the process of consolidating all employment programs into one
Use of social media in connecting youth to work and engaging youth: First Work is using social
networking to open a dialogue about youth employment issues;
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Example of recent success using social media: The Hamilton/Burlington YMCA has used
Facebook to connect with youth and has decreased their advertising budget by 90%;
TakingITGlobal a good resource for youth to connect online (www.takingitglobal.org);
On job placement/development: it is Important to create incentives for employers to enable a
healthy work environment that is conducive to youth employment
Break Out Groups
The large group broke into three smaller groups for discussion around the following topics and reported
back on their 30 minute conversation:
1. The Use of Stories in Youth Work
Stories can be used to build relationships
Continuity in relationships is essential
Powerful tool: a panel of youth to share their stories
Increase in participation of youth in decision making bodies is necessary
The label of “at risk” can lead to stereotyping
2. Social Enterprise for Youth
Discussed why we don’t have similar initiatives in Ontario that exist internationally (such as
cooperative businesses that address social issues, ie. Gift bags made by street children in Mumbai
out of recycled newspaper)
Additional examples: mobile shoe shine enterprise run by youth (London, UK); Municipal
Government trains youth actors to dress up as zebras and help people cross 8 lane roads (Bolivia);
TurnAround Couriers (Toronto)
3. Life Skills
Youth are not robots and any life skills program needs to be flexible and engaging, meeting the
actual needs of youth
Important to recognize that it’s ok to fail but that doesn’t mean you are a failure, build this into
program
Common challenges and themes
Through the panel and discussion the following common challenges and themes between local and
international youth employment work emerged:
Challenge of convincing the employer to take a risk on hiring marginalized youth
Common theme of work not being recognized as education
Social Enterprise/innovation in youth employment
Youth involvement/participation in programs, conferences, speaker’s panels
Flexibility in programming to adapt to youth’s needs
Feedback from Participants
Participants completed a brief evaluation of the speaker’s panel and the feedback overall was positive.
Participants felt that they gained information on different services for youth, new ideas to add to their
current programs, were able to recognize some of the gaps in service and had the opportunity to connect
with others. Many participants were appreciative of the youth voice in the panel and indicated that they
would like to see more youth participation at conferences and events. Suggestions included having youth
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lead the panel discussion, inviting more youth to the event and to speak more about the accomplishments
of youth.
An interesting suggestion was to hold a youth panel to encourage awareness about youth employment
among employers. In addition many participants commented that there is more to be learned by bringing
international and local practitioners together and suggested that future opportunities to do so should be
made available.
Additional interventions in youth employment suggested by participants:
Importance of youth’s accessibility to counselors who truly care.
Online job searching has been extremely beneficial.
I would like to see a youth panel encouraging awareness.
Most importantly teaching youth that they are not themselves a failure but that failure is a learning
process.
Alternative resumes: using them more to bring out the skills of our clients.
Free transportation for youth to connect to programs.
Selected Quotes from Participant’s Evaluation:
“I gained more knowledge of services, a recognition of gaps in services and networking”
“I gained more knowledge about what different organizations offer to youth”
“Great ideas shared”
“I learned how important it is to keep in touch with other agencies that face the same or similar issues”
Catalytic Convergence: Outcomes
This conference built on Street Kids International’s culture of sharing lessons learned to improve
programming tools for marginalized youth. It brought together partners from around the world to exchange
their innovations in career advancement and implementation approaches of Street Kids International’s
training initiatives. The conference provided an opportunity to strengthen the international network of
practitioners, build South/South relationships, and engaged international participants with Canadian
organizations working with and for youth. The results of this conference are essential as they will enable
not only Street Kids International, but all partner and participating organizations to develop and adapt
programming to create adequate and appropriate responses to the employment needs of youth.
Specific outcomes of the conference:
Street Kids International has committed to developing a site that will share best practices and tools
in connecting youth to employment and in livelihood resources.
Street Kids will continue to explore the viability or social enterprise and microfranchise as
approaches to youth employment and share these findings.
In response to feedback from the Speaker’s Panel from front line staff in Toronto, Street Kids will
continue to provide space for front line staff to share, learn and network.
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Annex A: Conference Program
CATALYTIC CONVERGENCE: INNOVATIONS IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Monday, October 5
Welcome
Visit to SKETCH
Exploring innovations:
Incorporating the family into youth business training
Practice Business Module to accompany Street Business Toolkit
Tuesday, October 6
Exploring innovations:
Potential of group businesses
Understanding the local value chain (case study of the Honey Value Chain in Kenya)
Mentorship Module
Street Source Employability Program
Visit to Eva’s Phoenix
Wednesday, October 7
Exploring innovations:
Youth Markey Surveys
Youth Savings and Loan products
The potential of Microfranchise
Guest Speaker: TurnAround Couriers
Thursday, October 8
Speaker’s Panel: Linking Marginalized Youth to Employment Opportunities
Practitioners from Canada and around the world discuss emerging trends in youth
employment
Exploring Innovations:
Making it Work
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Annex B: Participants’ Biographies
Aleke Dondo – K-Rep, Kenya
Mr. Aleke Dondo is currently the Managing Director of K-Rep Development Agency (K-Rep), a non-profit
microfinance institution in Kenya. K-Rep services the needs of rural small-scale farmers and micro-
entrepreneurs through innovative microfinance projects. He started his career in 1978 as an Assistant
Science Secretary in the Government of Kenya's National Council For Science and Technology. Mr.
Dondo has over 15 years of hands-on experience in microfinance and small enterprise (Informal Sector)
development. He has carried out over 30 studies in the fields of small enterprise and microfinance
development and has authored 10 published papers and over 30 unpublished ones. Mr. Dondo serves on
the boards of organisations involved in development work including Kenya Gatsby Trust (Chairman), Kenya
Community Development Foundation (Vice-Chairman), K-Rep Advisory Services, and Saga Thrift and
Enterprise Promotion. Mr. Dondo received a Master's degree in economics from York University in Canada
and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Nairobi.
For more information about K-Rep visit: www.k-rep.org
Salvador “Buddy” Arcangel VIII – Virlanie Foundation, Philippines
Mr. Salvador Arcangel VIII is a licensed social worker. He finished his Bachelor of Science in Social Work
from Bicol University, a State university in the Philippines. He worked as an Educator/Trainor for Education
Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation after his graduation from college. After a year
of service in ERDA, he moved to the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS)
Secretariat of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. He was tasked to do program
monitoring, evaluation and training.
After working in CIDSS for more than four years, he left the institution and joined Caritas Manila, a Catholic-
run institution. There, he strengthened the district’s Social Services and Development Ministry using the
Caritas Development Model. From Caritas Manila, he joined the Virlanie Foundation. He currently holds
the position of Program Coordinator handling the Young Adults Program (YAP). The YAP’s primary
objective is to help the Foundation’s young adult beneficiaries aged 15 to 22 years become more
responsible in planning for their future on a personal and professional level through various interventions
like seminars, workshop and trainings on personal development and career counseling leading them
towards independent and productive lives. He has been responsible for mainstreaming the youths to the
working environment with the help of the program’s key partners.
For more information about Virlanie visit: www.virlanie.org
Nelson Bricher Gutierrez
Born in Bolivia, Nelson has worked with youth organizations promoting social empowerment for the majority
of his working life. Nelson was a co-founder of Inti Watana, a youth institution, where he worked with
teenagers and youth for 13 years. Later, he went on to work for PROMUJER promoting access to micro-
credit and micro-loans for youth through their entrepreneurial leaders program.
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Since 2003 Nelson has worked with the Center of Development for Alternative Education (Centro de
Desarrollo para la Educación Alternativa), coordinating the Sustainable Lifestyles program department.
Within the department, Nelson develops materials to foster entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy
amongst marginalized and hard-to-reach youth populations. He also provides technical support for Save
the Children in the development of participatory methodologies in Bolivia and Guatemala. Nelson is a co-
author of Pasanaku,The Street Banking Toolkit, as well as the Life Projects Manual, the Youth
Accompaniment Manual and a manual for the development of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial spirit
amongst youth.
Tessema Bekele Woldegiorgis – Emmanuel Development Association, Ethiopia
As Founder and Executive Director, Tessema oversees the overall coordination and management of the
Emmanuel Development Association (EDA). The mission of the Emmanuel Development Association is
"Working with Children and their Famlies to increase their Capacity and Participation in Community"
primarily through four areas: Education and Training; Integrated Community Health and Sanitation; Gender
and Women Empowerment; and Advocacy work.
Prior to Emmanuel Development Association, Tessema acted as Program Head for World Vision
International in Mehal Meda in the Amhara regional State of Ethiopia in which programming activities in the
field emphasized capacity building for marginalized groups including youth. Tessema achieved his Masters
in Organizational Leadership and Development at AZUSA Pacific University in Los Angeles with his thesis
on "The Effect of Educational Leadership in Government Schools in Ethiopia. Prior to completing his
Masters, Tessema earned a BA in Business Administration from Glasgow College in the UK as well as a
BA in Management attained from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Tessema also volunteers with a
variety of humanitarian and non-profit organizations where his involvement primarily focuses on Education
and Rehabilitation and Development areas of work.
Vandana Rai – Centre for Youth Development and Activities, India
Vandana is the Director of Programs at Center for Youth Development and Activities in Pune, India. She is
responsible for handling initiatives and programs related to youth development. A native of India, she has
lived in the metropolitan city of Pune for most part of her life and secured her graduation degree in
Economics in 1998 and a Post graduate Diploma in International Business in 2005, from Symbiosis
University,Pune.
She began her career with Ingram Micro India Ltd., the world number one distributor of computer hardware
and software products. Her zeal to explore newer avenues turned her to the dynamic field of the
automotive sector in 2002 starting with DaimlerChrysler India in Pune and later with Moosa Abdul Rahman
Hassan & Co., dealers for General Motors and Suzuki vehicles, in Oman. The exposure to diverse cultures,
within and outside India, has deepened her sense of understanding in management related perspectives
and her personal mantra is to strive and make a difference to what she is involved in.
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Street Kids International Staff Bios
David Pell, HBES, MSc
David joined our team as Executive Director in January 2006. His introduction to Street Kids International
was as a volunteer on the Fund Development Committee in 2004. David brings 25 years of experience as
Executive Director and CEO of three voluntary sector organizations to our work. His solid fit with Street
Kids is built upon his interest in how organizations can become self sufficient by developing an ‘enterprise’
culture within their organization.
Before joining Street Kids International, David operated his own business, worked for the government,
universities, colleges and of course the voluntary sector. David was a partner in Development Initiatives
Inc. a consulting firm that worked throughout Canada and internationally. He was the founder and President
of the Community Business Resource Centre in Toronto a highly successful entrepreneurship training
centre and consulting organization in economic development. As the CEO of the Canadian Youth Business
Foundation (CYBF) and the Canadian Youth Foundation, David expanded the organization’s lending,
mentor support and career planning programs for young people across Canada. His work throughout
Canada, the United States, the European Community as well as several developing countries has provided
him with opportunities to learn from many experienced community practitioners and community leaders.
Natasha Cassinath, B.A., MBA
Natasha is the Director of Programs and Partnerships leading the development of new initiatives and the
delivery of Street Kids International’s work. Prior to joining Street Kids, Natasha worked in Nicaragua,
Angola and Mozambique in management roles related to child, youth and community development,
HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and small business development. Natasha brings her special interest in
corporate responsibility and social entrepreneurship to Street Kids International. She speaks fluent French
and functional Portuguese and Spanish. Natasha completed the post graduate Asia Pacific Management
Program (APMCP) at the McRae Institute of International Management in Vancouver and completed her
MBA at l'Institut National Supérieur d'Études Économiques et Commerciales in Paris.
Asha daCosta, B.A., M.Ed.
As a Programme Manager, Asha will liaise with local and international partners to create opportunities that
promote the international exchange of best practices, deliver training, and develop cutting edge tools for
youth workers serving marginalized young people. Asha’s previous experience includes work with child
focused international NGO’s in Central America as well as local organizations serving marginalized youth.
Asha brings to her work a passion for teaching and curriculum development with a focus on cultural
relevancy, as well as an interest in child rights advocacy. Asha holds a degree in International Development
Studies and recently completed a Masters in Education with a focus on Education Policy and NGO
Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Paula MacKinnon, B.A., M.Ed.
As a Programme Manager, Paula is responsible for supporting local partnerships and facilitating
participatory workshops in the field. She has 15 years of experience in rights-based education and 11 years
in the field of international development, concentrating on the design and delivery of educational programs.
Paula has worked with various groups including children, youth, teachers, curriculum developers, and
women’s associations, focusing on children’s rights, literacy, life skills and income generation. She has
extensive experience in gender mainstreaming and has applied this to water and sanitation, basic
education and governance projects. Paula has worked extensively in Swaziland and Ghana in both remote
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rural settings and inner city environments, and has traveled throughout Africa. She completed a Master of
Education at University of Toronto - OISE and holds a teaching diploma from McGill University.
Kristy Vanderplas, H.BSc
As Programme Manager, Kristy is involved in managing several of Street Kids International’s projects,
including public engagement in Canada and the internship program. Kristy has lived and worked in South
Korea, Taiwan, Czech Republic and Tanzania and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Ontario
Council for International Cooperation as Vice President and for CSRAI (Canadian Support for Rural African
Initiatives) as Project Committee Chair. She is passionate about youth involvement and continues to
contribute her skills and knowledge to Street Kids International’s programming both here in Canada and
around the world. Kristy holds an H.BSc in Bio Medical Sciences from the University of Guelph and
completed the International Project Management Program at Humber College in 2006.
Philippa Frankl, MSc
Philippa joined Street Kids International in April 2008 as the Executive Director of Street Kids
International UK. She is responsible for launching the UK operation and taking the lead in Street Kids
International programming, communications and fundraising in the UK. Philippa has seven years
experience developing, delivering and managing youth development programmes for young people in the
UK, Honduras, Argentina and Peru. These include programmes to develop team work, leadership and
communication skills, self confidence through music and life skills through entrepreneurship. She also has
experience delivering and managing a mentor training programme to support youth in making positive life
choices. Philippa speaks fluent Spanish and has spent three years living, working and volunteering in
various capacities across Central America and in Peru. Philippa holds an MSc in Psychology from the
University of Birmingham and is a firm believer in supporting young people to realise their innate potential.
She is looking forward to applying her experience to developing the Street Kids International UK operation.
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Annex C: Street Kids International’s Toolkits
Street Kids International’s Street Business (SBTK) and Street Banking Toolkits (SBT) are
entrepreneurship and finance courses designed for frontline workers to use directly with street kids. These
practical, interactive and participatory courses give youth the skills to:
develop business plans
set personal goals
determine savings strategies
The Street Business Toolkit is a set of resources for conducting a course with youth about starting or
improving a small business. During the course, youth participants learn about basic business concepts.
They identify business ideas and assess their feasibility. At the end of the course, participants have their
own business plans for feasible business ideas. The Street Banking Toolkit follows with strategies to
identify and access sources of capital, save profits and improve current businesses.
These unique materials were specifically designed to simplify business concepts so that the youth gain
confidence in working with them. This simplification is achieved by using low-literacy teaching techniques
while maintaining high-quality content. The content addresses not only basic business skills, but also the
problem- solving skills that enable business success. The word “business” is used to represent small-scale
income-generating activities as simple as shoe shining or fruit selling. These are realistic first steps for
many street youth.
Street Business Mentorship (SBM)
The Street Business Mentorship (SBM) program is a complement to the Street Business and Banking
Toolkits. It is generally shared through a 4 day Training of Trainers (TOT) in order to enable youth workers
to set up a Street Business Mentorship program and train business mentors at their organizations. The
word “mentor” is defined as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher”. Mentors are people identified to
provide guidance and support. Mentors can be recognized experts, elders, community members, a
neighbour, or others who offer understanding and advice in an objective manner. Business mentorship
refers to guidance provided specifically to young entrepreneurs, advising them through problems and
obstacles that arise in their businesses. Studies have shown that youth with guidance from a business
mentor are 75% more likely to succeed than those without. The SBM includes a course manual,
mentorship board game and a mentorship comic book.
Practice Business Toolkit
Through our experience working with youth over the years it was observed that some participants, after
having received Street Kids International’s Street Business and Banking Toolkit Trainings, were challenged
by the great leap that independent business ownership presented. Practice Business Training gives
participants the opportunity to test their practical knowledge on the street in a supported environment,
before assuming the risks involved with starting their own business. It is designed primarily for those youth
entrepreneurs who are interested in beginning, or have begun a business but who don’t yet have all the
personal and business competencies to succeed. The Practice Business training of trainers (TOT) takes
place over six days and involves several activities that guide youth in mapping business potential in their
community and running a small business for a short period of time. The reflection period after the mini
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Practice Business allows participants to reflect and learn from their success and challenges as well as
those of their peers.
Market-Driven Approaches
Street Kids recognizes the importance of responding to the known needs, interests and realities of the
market. A market-driven approach ensures that programs and the businesses they help develop are framed
around relevant and productive business sectors and opportunities, as well as the resources that support
profitable engagement in those sectors. The market-driven approach is one that is focused on financial
viability and profit for youth. Street Kids is developing tools that youth can use to survey the market in
which they will operate a small business.
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Annex D: Additional Notes
Value Chain Assessment
When examining a value chain some questions that need to be asked are:
Who are the players?
Who is adding value?
Where are they adding value?
Where is finance a constraint along the chain? (K-Rep asked this question as they
were researching which financial products could be developed to strengthen the
industry)
Most effective method of research: focus group discussions
Financial products developed as a result of the study: beehive lease for honey producers
(after 2 years the farmer will own the beehive); 5 beehives/person could bring someone
above the poverty line
Youth involvement: trading, use of honey in herbal medicine, K-Rep to finance a gropu of
youth to process honey, also found opportunities to sell (ie. Youth led honey shop)
Power dynamics in value chain: processers used to exploit buyers, K-rep asked processors
to increase their prices and they did
Study funded by a Danish donor; Bill Gates Foundation and USAID are also interested in
Value Chain assessment.
Important to include the gender lens, where in the value chain can women get involved?
Other markets that would benefit from a similar study:
Dairy, chickens, coconut, coffee and cashew nuts
Main constraints found: working capital skills, the finance to acquire a beehive
The entire industry was suffering from delay of payments
Youth Market Survey
How can we use information collected by youth about the local market to make programs more effective?
Hold a business opportunity fair to expose youth to different possibilities in small business
Invite people with business experience in identified opportunities to speak to youth (this
could also be a good way to recruit mentors)
Target the market walk activity in the SBTK (link to growth opportunities identified in market
survey)
Adapt market analysis/value chain tools for youth
The market survey results should be a guide, not definitive results but could be useful to
identify gaps and new opportunities (develop a tool to guide this process?)
Adapt SBTK to specific markets that are booming in a particular location (ie. Construction in
Ethiopia)
The Practice Business Toolkit can also help youth survey the local market
There is the possibility of “creating markets”
How do we make the information gained through market surveys practical?
Explore involvement of private sector
Adapt to rural and urban settings
Share information with policy makers
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