Yes Youth Can Western Kenya programme
By Wanjala .B. Danson
Yes Youth Can Western project is a program that aims at improving youth’s status socially and economically in Western province.This includes leadership in peace building, social services, and economic propriety for holistic community development.
The project was started on March 2011 by Winlock International (WI) in partisanship with USAID Kenya, aimed at bring together 18-35 years old youths in Western province. The organization works in four counties of Bungoma, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia.
YYCW mobilize and organize themselves as legitimate organizations at village and county level with an aim of promoting youth’s voice in constituency, county and national policy dialogue. It leverages public-private partnerships to provide new live hood opportunities for youths.
Projects improve access to youth-friendly services, and use a gender-focused approach in monitoring and evaluating ensuring both woman and men benefit equally. Most activities VYB engage in range from agriculture, livestock pie educators and fishers. Village Bunges establish links with other county youth networks at national level hence operates in the whole country exchanging ideas about their projects.
“In Kenya we have 3,562 village youths Bunges have excellent structures to enhance rural development,” Said Mr. Martin Wafula, Deputy Director YYCW. He added that the main challenge facing YYCW is that youths are looking for quick solution for immediate monetary gains. This frustrates them.
One living example of YYCW is a 21years old Hussein Musa who belongs to Inuka mission Bunge. He works on the village Bunges vegetable farm and they earn a living by selling their produces locally. “With the money I make, I am able to assist my family make ends meet” said Hussein Musa, the village Bunge (VXB) president. With this project, youths have been able to clean up their town. For example youths cleaned Mumias town in Kakamega County.
In G-inue talent explosion held at Masinde Muliro University, YYCW youths participated in an exhibition on waste management and clinched on the first position. They were awarded adjudicators award for most innovative exhibition. Youths have opened a savings account where they save money received from their ventures and later use the saving in renting farms.
In Busia County, the project initiated the ID campaign where youths were educated and encouraged to get national identity card. The campaign called ‘my ID my life’ sees many youth to get IDs which enabled them to participant in the past general election in March, and also joining tertiary education institutes.
“The governor of Vihiga county Moses Akaranga , on seeing work well done by the YYCM in Vihiga county, allocated an office for Vihiga youth Bunge to operate from” Martin Wafula.
In Bungoma county youths have set up fisheries. Currently, YYCW is working with Lake Victoria North Water and have a project with Coca-Cola named ‘5 BY 8’ aimed at improving living standards of woman in region.