Project Title: Youth Empowerment in Car Wash Project

Project Location: Nationwide

Project Duration: January 2024 – December 2028

Overview:

The Youth Empowerment in Car Wash Project in Sierra Leone represents a significant government initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment. However, as of 2025-2028, the project stands at a critical crossroads, having transitioned from a flagship employment scheme to a case study in the importance of combining infrastructure with skills development and proper oversight.

Project Objective(s):

Overall Objective:

Contribute to human capital development drive by providing job creation for social, economically deprived and marginalize youth nationwide

Project Specific Objectives

 Induce Car wash service as a professional career and business for youth that will enhance increased income, self-reliance and reduce youth unemployment

Project Components/Brief Description  

•  Job Creation and Entrepreneurship Training for 2100 youth (1260 male and 840 females
• Improvement in the methods and equipment’s used for car washing
• Augmentation of incomes of youth car washers.

Beneficiaries:

Direct Beneficiaries:

• Overall, 2100 youth (1260 male and 840 female) especially illiterate and semi-illiterate previously working in existing car wash centers will benefit nationwide.

Indirect Beneficiaries:

• It is assumed that each of the 2100 direct beneficiaries will have on average 5 dependents each, totaling 10500 indirect beneficiaries.
• Average of 20 Vehicle owners per day per location, Average of 100 motor bikes riders and Average of 15 kekeh owners 
• It is also likely that members of the neighborhoods of the car wash can also access the centre for domestic use (an average of 1120 neighborhoods)

 Alignment with Government National Development Objective:

Cluster 6.1 (Youth entrepreneurship, employment and empowerment)

Alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Sustainable Development Goal 8 as it seeks to empower   young people with the requisite skills for them to be employable.

Gender Impact:

The project will engage both male and female youth depending on the interest and willingness displayed during the sensitization and identification stages of the project beneficiaries Youth with minimal levels of disabilities will also be engaged in appropriate capacities.

Environmental Impact and Resettlement Needs:

Environmental Impact:

Contamination of surface waters may arise from the use of washing detergents which will eventually drain to surrounding streams and rivers. To mitigate this, a discharging point called sanitary sewer will be created to collect all discharge waste from the washing shed and ensure proper disposal.

Some detergents contain harmful chemical that degrade water quality especially when the soapy water is mixed with the grime, dirt and grease removed from vehicles. To avert this problem mild soap will be used in car wash centres

Resettlement Needs:

Not Applicable

Project Sustainability:

The Youth in car wash Project is designed to be an empowerment project. The proceeds generated from the business will be kept in the bank on daily basis and shared amongst beneficiaries at the end of every month in the presence of Ministry’s staff. However, the proceeds generated will be distributed as thus; 60% amongst beneficiaries. 40% is kept in the bank and used as follows 20% for welfare, 10% maintenance of equipment and structure and 10% for utility bills.