undreds of young entrepreneurs drawn from across the country will gather at the KICC Comesa grounds to showcase their products and services. The event is organized by the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and will run from Thursday June 30 to Saturday July 2.

While launching the roadshow caravan to promote the event at Uhuru Park, Youth Fund CEO Mwatata Mwangala said that through this event the Fund hopes to expose young entrepreneurs to the market and to large enterprises that may want to do business with them. The fair will also serve as a platform of encouraging other youth to engage in entrepreneurship.

Majority of those who will be exhibiting were picked from district and provincial trade fairs and the Fund will cater for their expenses, including upkeep. The CEO also said that the best exhibitors in this fair will be sponsored to exhibit outside the country as a way of linking them to the export market

One of the objectives of the Youth Fund is to facilitate youth to access markets for their goods and services, as well as to link them to large enterprises. Corporates have been invited to see the potential of the youth and to give them business. The event is also open to all members of the public.

This is the third time the Fund is organizing a national youth fair, the first one having been done in 2007 when the Fund was launched. It has been sponsoring provincial trade fairs for young entrepreneurs. It has also been sponsoring young entrepreneurs to the Agricultural Society of Kenya organized shows.

YEDF Director Susan Mangeni and CEO flag off the Trade Fair Caravan	YEDF CEO (second left) leads his managers in a dance during the launch	Dancing to the rhythm during the  ceremony

The thousands of youth who have exhibited in our past fairs have reported improved business with some graduating from village traders to exporters. For instance the Fund supported one group from Kikuyu to exhibit in Dar es Saalam in 2010. They made such many and useful contacts that today they participate in international exhibitions on their own.

Besides market support the youth Fund also provides loans and business development services to young entrepreneurs. It also facilitates youth to obtain job opportunities in the foreign labour markets. The Fund is also working with local authorities to provide physical space for youth to do business, a strategy that will reduce the hawking menace if all partners play their part.