It was revealed on Thursday 28th October 2021 during a ceremony held at Kigali Serena Hotel to celebrate achievements and discuss how to sustain the project’s impact beyond HDAK.

USAID HDAK is a five-year (2016-2021) project, implemented by Education Development Center (EDC) in partnership with 21 Implementing partners working in close collaboration with the Rwanda Private Sector and Government Partners, with an aim to reach 40,000 vulnerable youth in the age bracket between 19 and 30 with market-relevant employability skills and able to create own jobs.

The project has been selecting secondary school leavers who would not earn US$1.5 per day, three years after graduation.

The project has hit the target where 40,097 have so far received vocational skills training during the project’s timeframe.

To date, USAID HDAK has trained over 40,000 youth across 25 districts of Rwanda on work readiness skills using the Work Ready Now & Be Your Own Boss (WRN/BYOB) methodology and provided other employment support interventions, resulting in 70% employment rate, six months following their graduation.

At system level, HDAK has been working with Rwanda Polytechnic and Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) to develop and integrate several skills development materials, tools and approaches to improve TVET and workforce development delivery systems in Rwanda.

As part of its systemic and sustainability approach to youth workforce development, HDAK introduced Youth Development Alliance (YDA) that is locally owned and locally driven in 11 districts.

Additionally, HDAK supported Rwanda Polytechnic and the Private Sector to develop the In-company Instructor (ICI) training materials that facilitates ‘win-win workplace learning’. Among others, HDAK supported the development of TVET Level 2, with a pilot of six new agriculture-based programs in eight Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Schools.

The districts not covered by the project’s interventions include Karongi, Nyamasheke, Nyagatare, Rusizi and Rutsiro.

As the project’s timespan drew closer to an end and in light of project accomplishments both at youth and system level, HDAK recently conducted series of 5 Learning Review workshops and 4 legacy events held at provincial level that brought together different stakeholders, to collaboratively reflect on and celebrate together the project successes, lessons learned and discuss how to sustain the project’s impact.

Speaking during celebrations at national level; the Chief of Party of USAID HDAK, Alejandra Bonifaz attributed the success to strong collaboration with different stakeholders.

“Acquired skills will be of crucial relevance for the youth to create path for a prosperous future,” she said.

Project beneficiaries in a group photo with officials.

The Chief of Party of USAID HDAK, Alejandra Bonifaz has attributed the project's success to strong collaboration with different stakeholders.