Last week I spent a few days in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where much of the post election violence occurred in 2007 and 2008. Signs of the devastation are everywhere.
I spent my time, however, visiting youth groups determined that it will not happen again.
Kenya officially defines “youth” as people between 18 and 35, roughly 40% of Kenya’s population (less than 20% is over age 35). Youth groups are relatively new. President Moi, whose autocratic rule lasted 24 years, didn’t allow them to exist.
The local communities, with the support of the government and NGO’s such as Mercy Corps, use a variety of tools to involve the youth age group in their own future and to encourage integration and acceptance of ethnic/tribal heritages. Those include registered youth self-help groups, trainings to develop life and economic skills, “cash for work” programs, and income generating activities.
In Eldoret and Kericho, I attended a leadership program, toured income generating operations, and visited a youth center. I came back to Nairobi with renewed hope that Kenya can and will become a better place for its people.
There are about 180 youth groups in the Rift Valley, with total membership of about 3000. Many of the members were involved in the violence in their community and view their participation as a way to pay back for the damage they helped cause. The groups include members from the different tribes who participated in the mayhem.
Although much in the minority, the groups actively seek to include women. That is an ongoing challenge. In addition to barriers caused by lack of education and tribal culture, many of them are married and mothers by the time they qualify to join (there is literally no family planning in the area). Those who do participate, however, are very involved and quite capable of holding their own.
The leadership program included about 30 local youth leaders in Eldoret. Well aware of the daunting problems and hurdles, they are determined to find answers and ways to move forward together, ranging from integrated local sports teams, a collective refusal to be used again by the politicians and creation of jobs where unemployment for their age group exceeds 40%.
One of the income generating groups in Eldoret is composed of carpenters and apprentices. Under the auspices of a professional carpenter and two housing engineers, its ethnically diverse 27 members find the trees, cure the wood, and design, manufacture and upholster furniture, which the group sells from its single facility located in the Kaybosa slum. The group also does local carpentry and roof work, and manufactures building bricks.
With no electricity, everything is done with hand tools. They have one treadle Singer sewing machine. They are obviously proud of their work and looking for ways to expand their operations.
In Kericho, another youth group that varies between 25-50 members built and now operates a green house that grows tomatoes. The group harvests 3 crops a year.
Kericho’s Jericho Youth Center is run by Dan, who was a high school teacher for a year and is now working on a masters in business. The center was full of young men reading the newspapers, playing pool and watching the local news on TV.
The center includes an HIV clinic. Attracting women is, again, a challenge. The Youth Center created a group called “Chick Flicks,” which is focused on ways to get them more involved.
This age group, once it discovers the power it has, can change Kenya’s future. The people I met last week seem up to the challenge. I pray they succeed.
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