Government to Offer Ksh16,000 Maternity Support for Young Mothers Under NYOTA Programme
Thousands of young mothers in Kenya will soon benefit from a Ksh16,000 maternity package courtesy of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme launched by the government.
The NYOTA programme, co-funded by the World Bank, aims to transform the lives of over 820,000 unemployed youth across the country by providing them with income-generating opportunities, savings culture, training and business support.
Targeting youth between 18 and 29 years, the programme will also include refugees in gazetted camps in Garissa and Turkana counties. For persons with disabilities, the eligibility age is up to 35 years.
To qualify, applicants must be unemployed, have no college or university education, not be enrolled in the Climate WorX Programme or the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP). They must also be available for the six-month duration of the programme.
Upon joining, participants will be automatically registered in the National Social Security Fund’s (NSSF) Haba Haba savings scheme where part of their income will be saved for six months. The government will match and double their savings up to Ksh3,000.
For women, NYOTA introduces an additional maternity benefit to promote financial stability during childbirth. Those who save at least Ksh400 per month for four consecutive months (Ksh1,600) will be eligible to receive Ksh4,000 per month for up to four months (Ksh16,000) in maternity support.
Beyond financial support, NYOTA will provide 90,000 youths with practical work experience through industry placements and apprenticeships with local artisans. 100,000 young people (70 from each ward) will receive Ksh50,000 in start-up grants to launch small businesses and entrepreneurship training to ensure sustainability.
Over 600,000 participants will also undergo training under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) initiative to enable them to bid and win government tenders.
Applications for the NYOTA programme are open now and will close on October 12. Interested applicants can apply digitally by dialing USSD code *254#, select NYOTA, provide personal and educational details and choose training, entrepreneurship or skill recognition.
The government has however warned that Hustler Fund defaulters will not be eligible to apply for NYOTA.
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Government to Offer Ksh16,000 Maternity Support for Young Mothers Under NYOTA Programme