Sos children’s villages launches “YouthCan”employability project in Kenya
SOS Children Villages ,Youth Can Project Launched in Kenya/Photo James Gitaka
By Wambui Kamau
The Sos children’s villages the world’s largest non-governmental organization focused on supporting children without parental care and families at risk has launched a project “Youth can’, in Kenya that will help solve unemployment and encourage entrepreneurship among the youth.
Speaking during the event, Walter Odhiambo, the National director at Sos children’s villages in Kenya, says the Youth Can project seeks to address the challenges facing young people, including unemployment.
“The Youth Can project will address the challenges of young people and support them by encouraging entrepreneurship among the youth,” he said.
The Sos Childres Villages in conjunction with like-minded partners has been implementing an action plan intended to end violence against children, and offer protection against emotional and sexual abuse.
“The organization focuses on safeguarding children which includes offering Protection against any form of abuse, whether emotional or sexual abuse,” said Odhiambo.
According to Peter Muthini the Deputy Director Youth development and the deputy National project coordinator Kenya Youth employment and opportunities project , the Government has gone a long way in supporting the youth, including the provision of the hustler fund that will provide start up loans to help the youth create employment opportunities.
“The government has supported the youth by providing entrepreneurial training and also provided funds that will encourage entrepreneurship among the youth, “Said Muthini who was the Chief guest at the Launch of the National Youth Can project in Kenya.
Violet Ochieng a resident of Kibera slums in Nairobi and the founder of Veekture social enterprise that involves teen mothers making laptop bags and diapers using environmental friendly materials says the youth are ready to engage in entrepreneurship but needed a lot of support from government especially in cutting down the many taxes imposed by government on SMEs,
“Through Veekture we have many teen mothers who are now self-employed but as the youth we have a challenge of Taxes on SMES and unavailability of readily available raw materials and this discourages many youth to competitively engage in many businesses ‘Said Ochieng.
Youth Can is a global partnership for youth employability targeting young people without parental care or at risk of losing it by supporting their transition to independence and decent work.
In 2021, it reached 14,485 young people in 42 Countries around the world and was officially launched in Kenya From Eldoret on Friday.
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