Mombasa devolves youth services in bid to improve their social economic status
By Harrison.Kivisu, July 6, 2023A new drive to improve the social economic status of thousands of Mombasa youth has begun in earnest, thanks to a partnership between Mombasa County government and youth-led organizations.
With the aspiration to unhook the youth from the danger of social vices, the partnership has led to the formation of at least five youth hubs to be built in the six sub-counties in Mombasa in the quest to accelerate youth social-economic development.
According to the youth engagement manager, Swahilipot Hub manager James Ndung’u, the new plan will see Swahilipot Hub partner with over 25 civil society groups within the sub-county level in nurturing youth in technology, creative arts and heritage.
“As the anchor partner for the Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN), we are dedicated to creating opportunities for youth economic empowerment, we have taken the services to sub-counties to seal the gap and cushion youth from travelling long distances to seek youth-related services,” Ndung’u said.
A majority of youth have been trapped in cycles of poverty, due to underlying factors among them lack of education, knowledge that led to inequalities. To break the cycle the organizations are now rolling their sleeves to create a long-lasting solution that will instill hope.
“We aim to increase access to economic opportunities and freedom of expression for the more than 373,000 youths in Mombasa, we want to give them opportunity to thrive economically,” he added, saying that the youth-targeted are between the ages of 18-35 years.
On his part, Dream Achievers Youth Organization (DAYO) executive officer Seif Jira said youth have for a long time missed opportunities due to lack of safe spaces where they can interact and engage mentors.
“We identify key areas for improvement in youth employment outcomes and prioritize solutions through grant funding and impact financing. We have established a Youth Hub Network (YHN) by engaging various organizations in Mombasa and this will have a ripple effect to social-economic development in future,” Jira said.
His sentiments were echoed by Give for good Kenya co-founder Sophia Wabosha who said the new plan will keep youth engaged and away from criminal vices.
They were speaking at the Swahilipot Hub during the launch of youth hub networks to be domiciled in all the six Mombasa sub-counties.
“This collaborative effort brings together over 40 youth spaces in the county to achieve the following objectives. Coordinate youth hubs in Mombasa County, ensuring sustainability and improved services,” Wabosha said.
Speaking during the event, Mombasa County Water and Natural Resources chief executive Emily Achieng said Mombasa has a huge number of youth who are jobless. She said the number will gradually be reduced through empowerment projects.
“We want to affirm our commitment as a government to youth-empowered programs, we want to create opportunities for the youth by partnering with organizations that have similar ambitions in the network,” Achieng stated.