In 2017, in partnership with Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI), YouthStart designed, developed and took the lead in the #BankTheYouth Campaign, the UNCDF advocacy Campaign aimed at advancing youth financial inclusion policy framework, empowering young people and increasing their awareness about responsible, accessible, and affordable finance for youth. The initiative has promoted smart policies for youth financial inclusion and greater opportunities for economic empowerment and youth development. It encouraged coordinated efforts among numerous stakeholders at country and global level to advance best practices in financial inclusion and education for youth.

The three main objectives of the Campaign include:

1. Developing a youth-friendly Legal and Regulatory Environment, by coordinating efforts with different stakeholders and regulatory bodies;
2. Facilitating Appropriate and Accessible Financial Products to be designed in order to respond to the specific needs of young people;
3. Advancing Youth Financial Capability, through financial literacy, skills training and entrepreneurship programmes.

Some of the results:

14 countries covered in Sub-Saharan Africa: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

3 workshops on: Safer payments guidelines for children and youth, Best practices and challenges to youth employment within national policy frameworks, and strategies and action for youth financial inclusion.

For all questions, or if you know to know more about the Campaign and results achieved, you can contact us at banktheyouth@uncdf.org and youthstart@uncdf.org.