More than 10,000 youths are targeted to be enrolled in agribusiness and environmental conservation for income generations.
The initiative by Green World Organisation that empowers the community through agribusiness and environmental conservation, seeks to make the youths self-reliant.
The organisation’s secretary general Isaac Otieno said they target to enlist 5,000 youths by April and 10,000 by end of the year for the programme.
He said they advocate for food security and environment conservation. The youth will be enrolled from Nyando, Seme, Kisumu Central, Nyakach, Kisumu East, Muhoroni and Kisumu West subcounties.
The project will increase income for the youth as they acquire knowledge and skills in poultry farming, which they implement in various subcounties. Beneficiaries will also grow sorghum and trees for income generation.
The agribusiness programmes targeting youths and inmates will make them self reliant. The produce will be sold with proceeds given to the youths.
Otieno said they plan to engage the beneficiaries on environment poultry farming, conservation, sorghum and vegetables farming.
He spoke during the Kenya Young Entrepreneurs Connect forum organised by British Council and Youth Enterprise Development Fund at Rotary Vocational Training Centre in Kisumu.
Other stakeholders included Maseno University, Kisumu county government and Practical action among others.
Youth Enterprise Development Fund Josiah Moriasi, Kisumu county commissioner Josephine Ouko and Kisumu sports and youth executive Beatrice Odongo were present.
More than 200 youths attended the meeting and were sensitised on entrepreneurial skills and financial management to boost their income and savings.
The forum gave the youth various opportunities for entrepreneurs to get links to financial institutions to support their business dreams.
Otieno termed agribusiness and environment conservation as one of the best ways to empower thousands of unemployed youths.
Under the programme, the organisation registers the youths and gets funds from partners and manages for prudent utilisation on various agribusinesses.
“We have come up with a model that will ensure youth groups who acquire loans pay back to the financial institutions,” Otieno said.
He said profit from the sales in different agribusiness ventures goes directly to the pockets of the youths.
“This model targets to instil financial discipline among the youth and ease payments of loans,” he said.
Otieno said they have partnered with SMEP and KCB bank where they opened accounts for the youths.
The secretary general noted there have been growing concern among the financial institutions of low uptake of loans and non-payments.
“This is the culture that we want to eradicate through our model and ensure the money the young people get is properly invested and managed,” Otieno said.
He said Moriasi has agreed to partner with Green World on matters of financial support and empowerment programmes.
Otieno lauded Moriasi for collaborating with the organisation to support the youths through a well-structured way that will enable registered youths to access loans to start businesses.
To ensure prudent utilisation and payments, he said the organisations will manage the acquired loans on behalf of the youths on intended agribusiness and conservation projects.
Green World operates in 10 counties of Kisumu, Homa Bay, Narok, Kisii, Nyamira, Siaya, Kakamega, Vihiga, Migori and Busia.
-Edited by SKanyara
