EDGE Program
Project Director:
EDC Staff:
Funded by:
Bank of America Foundation
Partners:
Department of Trade and Industry, RAPID Growth Project in the Philippines, Pijar Foundation (Indonesia), and EEC Development Fund (Thailand)
Focus Area:
Youth & Workforce Development
Services:
Design & DevelopmentImplementation
Region:
Asia
Duration:
2025-2025
Challenge
In Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, many young people, especially in rural areas, face significant barriers to entrepreneurship due to limited access to resources, skills, and support systems. At the same time, the agricultural value chains of high-value products such as cacao, calamansi, coconut, and coffee remain inefficient and environmentally unsustainable.
There is a critical need to empower rural youth with the knowledge, skills, and tools to drive entrepreneurship and improve agricultural practices. EDC’s EDGE Program equips rural youth to become successful entrepreneurs through data-driven innovations and sustainable practices. By equipping youth with these capabilities, communities can transition toward more inclusive, resilient, and environmentally conscious economies.
Key Activities
- Training and capacity building: Conduct skills training workshops, such as Be Your Own Boss, Blue Green Economy, value chain analysis, and data analytics (including GIS and remote sensing), using a training-of-trainers model. Youth participants receive relevant certifications.
- Community mapping projects: Engage youth in data collection and mapping of high-value agricultural value chains (e.g., cacao, calamansi, coconut, and coffee). Youth gather information on soil quality, crop health, and yield to identify opportunities for efficiency and sustainability.
- Mentorship and business development: Provide tailored mentorship on proposal development for micro-grants, business planning, and GIS-based optimization of agricultural value chains. Support youth-led green entrepreneurship projects that contribute to local economic and environmental resilience.
Impact
- 300 youth trained in entrepreneurship and data-driven green innovation
- 250 youth receive mentorship
- 100 youth certified in business, GIS, or value chain analysis
- 200 local farmers benefit from optimized value chains
- 300 community members engaged through mapping projects
- Two national training curriculum frameworks developed
- 10 training workshops conducted
- 20 youth proposals submitted, with 5 micro-grants awarded for green entrepreneurship solutions
