‘It is all well and good to learn about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, but we need jobs!’ This was the audience feedback given to Femina HIP, a civil society media platform in Tanzania. Since 2001, Femina HIP has provided information and provoked discussion about sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and healthy lifestyles, with youth as its major target group. In response to the demand for information related to livelihoods, Femina organized a youth conference in 2008 under the theme ‘Empowering Youth for Employment’. The conference was attended by youth from around the country, and it was soon clear that the demand for developing skills in entrepreneurship, business and income-generating activities was enormous (Helgesson and Ernest, 2008). In response, the economic empowerment initiative ‘Ruka Juu’ (Jump Up) was launched in early 2011.