BRIEF

Youth groups during the awarding of material support at Lake Basin Mall

The Lake Basin Development Authority and the National Counter Terrorism Center through a European Union Funds are implementing on pilot basis a program aimed at capacity building of youths and women against radicalization. For a start the program selected 15 organized groups from Kisumu and another 15 from Siaya Counties for engagement. Through partnership with other Regional Development Authorities, the program will be rolled out in other Counties in the Republic

 Project:

One member of a Youth Group poses with a brand new ‘peng’ given to their group as per their business proposal

The Project was conceived in 2017 and by both LBDA the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC). The overall goal of the project is to train, equip and transform youths into responsible citizens engaged in productive ventures and contributing to socio-economic development of the country and to see a reduction in the number of youths radicalized. In 2019, the NCTC received European Union’s (EU) final committed funds to the implementation of the Project to be undertaken in collaboration with Regional Development Authorities (RDAs).

The Implementation Framework however is such that RDAs are to identify some 15 Organized Youth Groups (OYGs) in selected Counties initially on a Pilot basis for sensitization about the Government’s intention to enlist them for economic empowerment. LBDA identified Siaya and Kisumu Counties for the Pilot Phase.

Objectives:

The specific objectives were but not limited to:

  1. To prepare and equip the youth for participation in socio-economic activities that contribute to their wellbeing and national development.
  2. To create jobs for the youth.
  3. To empower youths towards self-actualization and to contribute to food security, income generation, employment creation and conservation of the environment.
  4. To reduce number of idle youths exposed to recruitment by terror groups.
  5. To engage the youth in environmental conservation
  6. To assess impact of the interventions

 PROGRESS OF ACTIVITIES

  1. Training of 3 officials from each group

30 Youth groups were trained on entrepreneurship

Upon identification of the groups, three (3) days training was conducted for three officials of each of the groups in both Siaya and Kisumu Counties. The training focused on enhancement of entrepreneurial and business skills; group dynamics and maintenance of cohesion; understanding radicalization and terrorism; and proposal writing. Roles and mandates of LBDA and NCTC were also shares with the participants. In Siaya, a total of 45 Participants were trained at Siaya Country Club Resort   from 23rd – 25th October 2019. For Kisumu, a total of 43 Participants were trained at Mills View Hotel   from – 28th – 30th October 2019. After the training, each group embarked of proposal writing and request for funds for their desired projects. The funding limit for each group was set at a maximum of Ksh. 300,000.00.

 

  1. Training of 3 officials from each group

The evaluation and Awards of best 20 proposals by OYGs done in Nairobi on 20th and 21st November 2019 and the current program is to hand over materials that the groups requested for in the proposals.