Jeremiah; why I am passionate about the youth

A political scientist from Nandi County, Jeremiah Korir is quickly building a brand of his own; a champion for the youth. Born and brought up in Nandi Hills constituency, the young man understands the challenges faced by his peers.

It is this understanding that prompted him to come up with an initiative dubbed ''Tusome Tujitegemee'' which is aimed at equipping youth with technical skills to help them navigate the murky roads of unemployment that has continued to rock the country.

''I came up with the initiative as a means to combat the menace of idle youth in Nandi, especially in my constituency, Nandi Hills.'' ''Over the years we have seen a steady increase in the number of unemployed youth within the constituency and the country at large.'' Said Jeremiah.

He noted that according to recent statistics, out of ten youth who clear form four, a paltry number of about four manage to proceed to institutions of higher learning. Of the four who are lucky, two will struggle to raise their school fees. The remainder of the young men and women are left idling at home not knowing what course of life to take.

''The rest of the form four leavers are left at home not knowing what to do, they are left idling in our town centres while others resort to substance abuse, early marriages among other vices.'' He said.

''What we aim to achieve through this initiative is to see our young men equipped with technical skills that are in high demand. These skills will be used to create employment and make them earn a living rather than wallow in abject poverty.'' He stated.

He mentioned that the initiative has so far identified thirty students from humble backgrounds within the constituency and mobilized funds to support them in joining technical schools to pursue courses such as electrical installation, plumbing, mechanical engineering, tailoring, building and construction, ICT among other technical courses.

He says that the first group that benefitted from the initiative joined school in may after a successful fundraiser and are now in their second term awaiting HELB loans provided by the government, which would cater for the rest of their tuition fees.

''Our target is to enroll about 500 youth in the next one year into technical institutions. We plan to leverage on the government's commitment towards funding technical institutions. We are indeed grateful for the government's effort in reviving technical centers.'' Said Jeremiah.

''We are also looking into holding motivational and empowerment talks in schools with the aim of encouraging the younger generations to work hard and inculcate the virtues of honesty and competency in whatever they do.'' He added.

Parting Shot

''The youth are an untapped resource who can transform the society. That is why we should strive to give them practical skills that they can use to fend for their families. With the skills, we can be able to grow our local economies and eventually lead to a better life and economic empowerment in the country.''