Communities affected by geothermal exploration in Narok and Nakuru counties are set to benefit from a Sh780m four-year learning and business project.
Under the programme, a Swedish organisation will contribute 63 per cent in the, while the counties will use Sh140 million. Communities in Lapland and Suswa areas will be the beneficiaries.
Residents in the two pilot areas will benefit from adult education, while youths will be sponsored in various vocational centres.
This comes days after the government identified areas inhabited by pastoralists as leading in illiteracy levels at 42 per cent.
According to Jackson Obare from Forumsyd, they are targeting the two areas as they are marginalised and residents have been affected by geothermal exploration.
He said that Swedish International Development Agency, Akira Geothermal Company and the two counties would sponsor the programme.
“Under this $7.8 million programme, we shall embark on adult education, train youths on enterprises and vocational courses meant to empower them,” he said in Lapland area of Naivasha.
Obare said that the funds would be channelled through Forumsyd organization that had already been used to hire 25 trainers.
“We have embarked on the process of hiring another 300 trainers around Suswa and Lapland areas which have been affected by geothermal exploration,” he said.
Project national coordinator Isaac Kiema said they were already working with some vocational colleges in the two counties to support the youths.
“Those who will benefit from this project include the youth, women and those vulnerable in the community,” he said.
“Nakuru and Narok counties have signed an MoU into this programme which will now be called Public Private Development Partnership,” he said.
Director of Social Services in Nakuru Josphat Kimemia said the county assembly was in the process formulating a bill to address the issue of daycare centres.
He noted that for years it was not clear who was supposed to license and monitor daycare centres and called for public participation from the community.
“Currently the county has 26 vocational training institutes and the process is underway to fully equip them,” he said.
Last week, during celebrations to mark World Literacy Day, it emerged that 28 per cent of the population in Nakuru was illiterate.
