The Kenya Red Cross has rolled out the Youth Excel Implementation Research program in Murang’a County to address emerging issues among the youth and increase their participation in its activities. Murang’a County Red Cross Coordinator Immaculate Iteba announced it at a local hotel, saying that as per their strategic plan, the organization was obligated to sensitize the youth.
She said the programme seeks to understand challenges facing the young people and try to address them within the county. The 15 youthful researchers will venture into all sub-counties for inclusivity and find solutions for the challenges identified. We want to involve all young people in our projects irrespective of their gender or disabilities,” she said.
She urged the youth to cooperate with fellow youth conducting the research, adding that they should feel free to share their views pertaining to challenges facing them. She said the one-year programme will zero in on livelihood activities involving business ventures and funding of start-ups so that the youth become self-reliant.
According to Alex Ayub, the Youth Programmes Coordinator at the Red Cross, the institution has partnered with USAID to ensure that the study allows them to involve the youth effectively in various programmes. The programme will be carried out in Murang’a and Nyeri counties after a similar initiative in Kisumu County.
Ayub explained that the research targets counties that, compared to counties in Northern Kenya, often get passed over by humanitarian organizations since visible challenges in those counties are lesser. “We intend to identify the challenges in those counties and possibly provide solutions,” he added.
The findings will inform future youth-centred initiatives across the country. Ayub emphasized the commitment of the Red Cross to inclusivity and collaboration with the youth to develop solutions that would be specifically tailored to tackle their challenges.
The local youth leader, Bossbaby Mwongela, said the project had empowered the youth by giving them a voice and urged them to give the programmes like this relevance in affecting their lives and those of others. The county youth and gender officer, Ruth Njoroge, asked the youths to reach out to the available funds set up by the government, such as the Uwezo Fund and Youth Enterprise Fund, so that they would support them with finances and literacy on fund management and life issues generally.