MANAGEMENT FACTORS INFLUENCING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF YOUTH GROUP PROJECTS FUNDED BY YOUTH ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND IN MAARA SUB-COUNTY OF THARAKA NITHI COUNTY

The top three priorities for most youth organizations are increased youth participation, youth empowerment and youth employment. The inadequate financial resources do not provide an enabling environment for the youth to participate in economic activities in Kenya. The Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) was conceived in 2006 as a strategic move towards addressing youth unemployment in Kenya through enterprise development. However, even with strategies for accelerated youth development in place, it is apparent that economic development of youth in Kenya has been slower than expected, leading to continuing gross socio-economic disparities between the youth and the rest of the population. Most of the projects funded by YEDF in Maara Sub-County have been a complete failure since they are unable to create the jobs anticipated and to earn enough income to settle the loan. It is on this premise that this study sought to management factors influencing financial sustainability of youth projects funded by YEDF in Maara Sub-County, TharakaNithi County, Kenya was undertaken. The sought to determine the effect of leadership on financial sustainability of youth group projects; to establish the influence of youth entrepreneurship training on the financial sustainability of projects funded by youth enterprise development fund; determine how a funding affects financial sustainability of projects funded by YEDF and to determine the influence of monitoring and evaluation of youth projects funded by YEDF on the sustainability of the projects. The study would be beneficial to policy makers in the Ministry of Sports, Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Services, youths and the general public. Adescriptivesurveyapproachwasadopted.TheTargetpopulation for this study was be 205 youth group leaders in Maara Sub-County that have been funded and two YEDF officers in the SubCounty. The sample size for the study was 207respondents comprising of 205 youth group leaders and two YEDF officers. Data collected was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The data was presented in form of frequencycounts,percentages,tablesandgraphs. All the youths affirmed that they had received some kind of entrepreneurial training. The youths further indicated that the training had enabled group members to implement their projects. The study also established that most groups receive sufficient funds for the projects they request for. It further emerged from study findings that lack of monitoring and evaluation of projects funded by Youth enterprise development fund often leads to diversion of the funds to other projects other than those funded for or collapse of the funded projects. It was concluded that youth entrepreneurship training is essential for the implementation of youth projects, empowerment of youths to initiate personal ventures, encouraging innovation, reduction of dependency on external funding and proper utilization of YEDF. The study also concluded that most groups receive sufficient funds for the projects they request for and when group projects are well funded they are able to be profitable and hence be sustainable. The study finally concluded that monitoring and evaluation of youth projects funded by YEDF increases the success of the funded projects and reduces instances of diverting funds to other projects other than those funded for or collapse of the funded projects.