11 December 2026: Annual Wezesha Women Conference at KICC, Nairobi from 8:00 AM EAT Register interest

Jonica Foundation

Skills and livelihoods

Imarika

Learning, mentorship and opportunities for women and young people to earn a living.

Skills That Work

Imarika

Overview

Imarika supports women and young people to strengthen their economic independence through skills development, mentorship and livelihood opportunities. The programme connects learning with opportunities to apply knowledge in the workplace, in business and through digital work. Participants build skills in digital technology, artificial intelligence, business, finance and entrepreneurship. Learning helps them explore career pathways, strengthen existing enterprises and identify opportunities to earn an income.

Why this matters

Economic independence depends on access to relevant skills, opportunities to earn and the ability to make informed financial decisions. For women and young people in Kenya, the gap between learning and earning remains an important challenge. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey found that 67% of currently married women aged 15–49 had been employed in the preceding year, compared with 98% of married men. Among those employed, 19% of women received no cash or in-kind payment for their work. The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey found that 9.9% of Kenyan adults were financially excluded, with rural youth accounting for 45.5% of this excluded group.

Long-term goal

Support 600 women and young people to enter paid employment, self-employment or income-generating enterprises, with at least 60% sustaining their livelihood activities.

Short-term goal

Equip 500 women and young people with digital, financial, enterprise or agricultural skills, and support 150 participants to secure paid work or start or strengthen an income-generating activity by 2031.

Overall objective

Strengthen economic independence among women and young people by connecting relevant skills with workplace experience, business support and solutions to community needs.

What we set out to achieve

  1. 01 Skills development: Train 500 participants, with at least 80% completing their selected course.
  2. 02 TVET community solutions: Support 100 TVET students to develop 20 sustainable solutions.
  3. 03 Employment pathways: Connect 50 participants with internships, apprenticeships or workplace placements.
  4. 04 Enterprise and financial skills: Support 100 women and young entrepreneurs with business plans.
  5. 05 Jobs Corner: Publish at least 150 verified opportunities each month.
  6. 06 Agricultural livelihoods: Equip 100 women and young people with agribusiness skills.

How we deliver

  • Deliver training in digital tools, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and workplace skills.
  • Conduct practical assignments to assess participants' ability to apply their learning.
  • Organise CV writing, interview preparation and job application sessions.
  • Partner with TVET institutions to recruit students from different technical fields.
  • Mentor student teams to research ideas, estimate costs and develop prototypes.
  • Source and verify relevant vacancies, internships, scholarships and training opportunities.
  • Facilitate sessions on budgeting, saving, pricing, record keeping and managing business income.
  • Organise agricultural learning sessions, demonstrations and expert mentorship.

Highlights

500 young people supported through digital skills training.
20 young people connected to internships for workplace experience.
10 young people supported to pursue content creation as a livelihood pathway.
50 women reached through financial literacy training.
10 women supported to expand their small businesses.

In practice

Moments from Imarika

Imarika
Imarika
Imarika

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