The MWARP has rolled out a transformative three-year civic education programme aimed at enhancing leadership capabilities and civic engagement among young people in Kwale County. It includes the attainment of critical leadership skills, in-depth knowledge of the budget-making process, and key principles of governance among the targeted groups of youths, women, and persons with disabilities.
The program’s objective is to ensure targeted groups turn out to be influential leaders who are active contributors towards good governance and economic growth. By ending these historical feelings of marginalization from the country’s massive development initiatives at the county and national government level, the program aims to have marginalized groups in a position to become key leaders and decision-makers in the future.
The program identifies the importance of civic engagement and public participation. It targets educating participants on how policy functions, from formulation to the process of implementation, and the oversight roles they can play. In the end, it enables them to be proactive for the betterment of social justice and economic prosperity within their communities.
It will include several civic education workshops held at various wards in Kwale County, and also focus on aspects of leadership skills, principles of governance, the process of budget-making, among others. Additionally, youths will attend them to understand how local and national governments operate.
The programme aims at raising agroup of able and responsible leaders through specialized training sessions. These training sessions entail core leadership skills, effective communication, and strategic planning. In the seminars, participants will learn how to navigate the complex governance process and incentivized to take up leadership within their communities.
According to MWARP’s Coordinator, Mwalimu Ali, the youth, women, and people living with disabilities were sidestepped in the budget-making process, generally in the development agenda. The programme closes the gap so that all sectors have a voice in shaping their future.
The participants of the programme testified to personal growth and got a new understanding of governance. One of the youth participants, Nasra Salim, said, “The programme has been much enlightenment to me, just like opportunities given to one in growth and learning. I used to blame leaders before attending this programme. I have realised we have a role to play ourselves through public participation and development.”.
Another participant, Hemedi Hamisi, said it was more like the empowerment aspect that, in his opinion, he drew from the project. He now understands governance and the proper channeling of complaints for effective and proper leadership. “The knowledge acquired through the project has empowered me and my peers to advocate transparency and accountability in leadership,” added Hamisi.