There is a lesson for youths connected with cooperative movement in the country to be learnt from Kenyan example. US President was unusually generous in lauding the role played by youths in Kanya in its reconstruction.
“I’m hopeful because of a young man named Richard Ruto Todosia. Richard helped build Yes Youth Can—I like that phrase, ‘Yes Youth Can’… After the violence of 2007 and 2008, Yes Youth Can stood up to incitement and helped bring opportunity to young people that were scarred by conflict”, these are the words of US President who was on a visit to Kenya.
On his recent visit to Kenya, United States President Obama highlighted a youth project supported by the USA’s National Business Co-operative Association. The White House leader mentioned Yes Youth Can as a successful case study of what youth can achieve in Kenya.
“There are some amazing examples of what’s going on right now with young people,” said the President, who was in Kenya to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
Yes Youth Can is a USD $1.9m (£1.2m) project aimed at giving young people the skills to govern their own programmes as well as speak out about the issues affecting them. Funded by USAID, the United States’ Agency for International Development, the programme is implemented in Nairobi and Kenya’s coast region by NCBA CLUSA. Yes Youth Can is now the most prominent civil society organisation in Kenya, comprising one million members. The project brings together young entrepreneurs and leaders that have developed credit unions or small businesses.
Through Yes Youth Can over 43,000 young people, 40% of whom are women, have been elected to leadership roles in village councils, local health committees, women’s groups, farmers groups or co-operatives. Since the beginning of the programme in 2011, 87% more youth are involved in the coast provinces and 67% more in Nairobi.
“When it comes to the people of Kenya – particularly the youth – I believe there is no limit to what you can achieve … We are investing in the young people of Kenya and the young people of this continent … and it’s the young people who must take the lead,” said Barack Obama.
Courtsey- Cooperative news
