Change that Matters: Learning from our Partnerships

This paper reflects a review of mid-term and final evaluations conducted with partners of The MasterCard Foundation. The Foundation is developing innovative youth learning and financial inclusion programs to contribute to Sub-Saharan Africa’s social and economic progress. The objective of this paper is to consolidate the lessons learnt by the foundation and present them in an accessible and practical way so that they can be used by other developmental organizations interested in creating social impact. The paper provides guidance under the following sections:

• Expanding financial access for the unbanked with a focus on the importance of savings, technology for promoting financial inclusion, and models for reaching smallholder farmers;
• Expanding financial access to youth with a focus on the demand for access to savings, needs of the youth from financial services, and policy barriers and enablers;
• Increasing economic opportunities for youth with a focus on the importance of market-relevant skills, mentorship, and financial services to help youth participate in the economy, identification of sectors with growth potential, and recommendations for tackling youth employment and underemployment;
• Empowering disadvantaged students beyond primary school with a focus on models to attract and retain youth in secondary school and approaches to empower leadership potential.