How young mothers can access Ksh 16,000 from NYOTA Program

Last Updated on October 8, 2025 by Turkana County News Online

For many young women working in the informal sector, maternity or illness often means lost income and deepened financial challenges. However, the situation is different for those enrolled under the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project.
Young mothers registered under NYOTA Project will access a maternity benefit of Ksh 4,000 monthly for a period of four months, which is a total of Ksh 16,000. This financial cushion during this critical period is expected to help ease the burden for the young mothers.

However, this is not automatic. You have to be aged 18-29 or up to 35 for persons with disabilities and be actively contributing under the National Social Security Fund’s Haba Haba Scheme.

This is because all those registered for the four initiatives under the NYOTA Project namely; on-the-job training, supporting young entrepreneurs, youth empowerment initiatives and financial literacy skills, will be automatically enrolled into National Social Security Fund’s Haba Haba Scheme as part of efforts to promote a culture of saving among the youth. “For NYOTA beneficiaries, NYOTA contributes Ksh 1,000 per month to your Haba Haba account for the first six months,” according to the NYOTA Project website.

Those who continue saving after six months will get a matching incentive at the rate of one shilling for every two shillings saved, capped at Ksh 3,000.

Active female NYOTA members will access a maternity benefit of Ksh 16,000 spread over a period of four months if they voluntarily “save an additional Ksh 400 per month for four months” prior to the delivery of their baby.

The NYOTA Program has partnered with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to cultivate consistent saving habits, with a focus on long-term financial security. “The goal is to empower youth with the financial discipline and knowledge to manage their earnings effectively and secure their future,” according to the NYOTA Project website.

In addition to cultivating a culture of saving, the NYOTA Project offers financial literacy training on budgeting, investment, and responsible money management to the youth, whose population is projected to hit 22.3 million by 2030.

The NYOTA Program is a five-year initiative by the National Government in collaboration with the World Bank. It targets to unlock the potential of the youth by addressing unemployment, expanding income-generating opportunities as well as fostering a culture of savings and entrepreneurship. The NYOTA Program is open to unemployed or underemployed youth with a Form 4 education or lower.