The word is positive
Youth Opportunities: Do we really gitch?
1Feb2010 Filed under: Society Author: alkagsI have just noticed this job announcement by KEPSA for managers who will oversee component two of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project (KYEP) – which I am hearing about for the first time, I admit. I consider myself generally a fairly up-to-date person in an “average Joe” and in many ways (including my age) a young person, but it seems I have never heard of KYEP. I take responsibility for that. I’m sure there have been many press articles about this programme and I just missed them. Or, at least there have been events that I missed hearing about. On the other hand, a cursory search on google for “Kenya youth empowerment project” yields only the announcement placed in this blog. There are no web sites, no facebook pages or press articles I can find.
KYEP is due to be in 2010-2014, where young people between 15 and 29, will be offered internships and work experience in companies in Kenya. Ran by KEPSA, the project is being run with the Prime Minister’s office (as part of the Prime Minister’s private sector round table), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the World Bank. I think it is a timely and important project from the sound of it and we definitely must support such initiatives.
However, it is possible that we may be missing the important point. Kenya has an unemployment rate of 40%. Fact. It was estimated at 40% in 2001 and in 2008 – but we can surmise that it went up in 2009, after post election violence and also with the increase in costs. If this is the case, why are we preparing our young people to be employees in a market that is not going to be able to absorb them?
For the last 30 years, we have been educating our children (we, the fading youth) to be employees. And there are no jobs. Anywhere. The US was an option, but that option is set to become a rare one – what, with Obama aggressive proposing tax cuts for small businesses in America, incentives for American companies that keep the jobs in the US and a host of other measures that will make it harder for Kenyan youth to lick that gravy train. Similar discussions are ongoing in Britain and other countries.
At the same time, there are significant challenges that we are having to deal with at local level in many parts of the country that we are not equipping our young people to deal with. I wager that programmes like “Kazi kwa Vijana” can only provide “band-aid” solutions that cannot ultimately take this country anywhere.
Should we not (in view of the unemployment and corresponding lack of employment opportunities in general) begin to re-socialize our young people to start and grow businesses? And when we do, should we not build on their ability to grow more meaningful businesses that have an opportunity to grow (rather than the mass produced businesses – car wash here, mama mboga there?) Should they not be pushed to be more creative in their business plans and enable them to find real solutions for real issues?
I am concerned that in our design of these programmes we are a little myopic and we simply do not gitch (colloquial for understand and appreciate in depth)
For thoughts, I tag Sonia Rasugu.
4 Responses to “Youth Opportunities: Do we really gitch?”
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About Al Kags
Al Kags is a poet and writer based in Nairobi Kenya. He is the Author of the Book - Living Memories (http://living.alkags.com), a collection of true stories narrated to him by ordinary people who lived in the extraordinary times of the 1950s.
As a poet, Al Kags has published the Quarterly Colour Series of Poetry, a series of ebooks since 2009, which have been read by over 1,000,000 people around the world and which are contributed to by people from all over the world.
For his day job, Al Kags is an acclaimed Marketer and project Manager.
Vee
February 1st, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Interesting project by the PM, The Ministry and World Bank but yes I am curious as to why I also haven’t heard about it.
I also think it’s a timely project but I agree with you that more than just have youth garner internships at various companies that they be empowered to run their own businesses.
I’ll take an example from my role model country Malaysia where in 2004/2005 there was a proposed Govt project in which offices were built (much like the likes of what we find in Anniversary Towers and Eden Square) where entrepreneurial youth were given one year to build their businesses while the govt paid the rent, elec, water, internet and telephone connections. They also were to get access to a laptops and other hardware that would help them set themselves up. They also got advise on writing a Business Plan and getting through the first two years of business which many know are the hardest. I never followed up on whether or not the project took off but I think it was quite noble and forward driven…
I think this is something KEPSA and can look into quite successfully by also assisting the youth to access the Youth Fund, Business Plans and other things that would get them off the ground.
Mel
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:21 pm
I will pisck up on one point you raised in the post which irks me: the fact that you (and me both, and I believe most other young Kenyans) had not heard about KYEP.
There is something seriously wrong with that, considering that we are the target for the program. I’m wondering how that can be changed…penny for anyone’s thoughts on this?
Ndagwe
February 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
I agree with you Al. My experience as I travel around the country is that the youth have been left out of the planning process. Majority of young Kenyans out there have no idea what to do with their lives. They are not equiped with the relevant information necessary to enable them use available opportunities and resources to enhance their lives.
Many young people and disenfranchised and do not even make an effort to seek solutions, we therefore need to find a way of holding their hands to move them to the next level.
Sonia Rasugu
February 10th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
The reason no one heard about KYEP before this is because it is only now that it is been finalized and an agreement signed between the World Bank and KEPSA.
Here’s what I know, from discussions with various individuals:
The World Bank has committed an odd US$50 – 60 million for youth development in Kenya as part of it’s Country Assistance Strategy. The focus is on creating employment and increasing employability of young people.
The strategy is to ensure that the largest number of young people benefit from this Programme. It is also anticipated that KEPSA will be able to re-design the much discussed and often ridiculed “kazi kwa vijana” programme by providing the training and linkages for savings and access to credit.
The Programme further anticipates that young people across the country can be linked to more experience entrepreneurs and business owners and also have access to larger markets for their products.
In all a noble cause. In strategy, KEPSA is embarking on new ground from a network entity of experienced (and professional) business leaders to working with youth in rural and urban areas. This is a challenge bigger than they anticipate. I hope they will consultant and engage appropriately with national and community level youth organizations to build ownership for the Programme and ensure it’s success.