I recently had the opportunity of visiting Western Kenya with our close friends over at Mobile Movement who having been doing amazing work there for the past two years.
Mobile Movement have teamed up with USAID and Winrock International to create linkages between the groups in rural areas who create a Youth Bunge (Parliament) that has a representative who addresses the issues the groups are trying to face. Essentially in non-development talk, it's a legitimate voice of the youth that can express their needs and plans to the legislative powers of the Kenyan government who have formally recognized this initiative. Youth groups all across the region of Western Kenya are given smartphones that are equipped with technology that allows them to communicate and learn from global networks.
In the time I was there I was inspired by the new look on life the rural youth were expressing after wrapping their heads around the smartphone technology.
The county president of Busia district for the Yes Youth Can Bunge Eric Wandera Oketha represents over 60,000 youth. He said;
"Now with this technology, youth are seeing that they don't need to travel to the city or outside of their village to find work. They are realizing that opportunities exist where they are and that they just need to use this technology to help them find the markets which will allow them to become self employed"
I wish more youth worldwide could have this mentality!
The youth groups start income generating activities they can advertise worldwide with the smartphone technology. This group in Budalangi constituency rears pigs which they sell locally.
Myself and the and the ultra cool youth of Mbale
Im gonna let the video I made do the bulk of the explaining because thats what video does best!
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