The high levels of unemployment in the country have made the youth come up with more innovative ways to create employment for themselves and earn a living. In this regard, the Kangema youth empowerment center, a brainchild of the area Member of Parliament Peter Kihungi, and the youth affairs office, in conjunction with DoT Kenya, have embarked on empowering the youth with ICT-related knowledge and skills, entrepreneurial knowledge, and essential life skills. The two-monthly digital training program is aimed at equipping the over 40 youths from the constituency’s three wards with the skills and knowledge necessary to seize the numerous online opportunities available. ‘Unemployment is a great challenge in our country today, which is why we want to equip these youths with the skills and know-how of accessing the digital world that is laden with employment opportunities,’ observed Stanley Mwangi, the Sub-county youth officer. ‘By teaching them the skills, they will be able to access digital jobs, which are unlimited, and this is a sure way of curbing other menaces facing us like drugs and substance abuse, alcohol abuse, insecurity, and lawlessness,’ he added. The youth officer opined that if the youth can employ themselves and earn a livelihood, the region will reduce unemployment. The out-of-school youth were also advised to use the digital platform with caution and desist from carrying out vices like cybercrime so as not to jeopardize their employability. One of the youth trainees, Alvin Mwangi, 20, who could not hide his joy at the eminent opportunity for growth before him, expressed his gratitude for the program, noting that it will help him network and access digital jobs. ‘This program will keep me occupied, and I plan to utilize this opportunity so that I can better my future. Considering that the government is also digitizing all its services, this program has come at a good time,’ he quipped.

Source: Kenya News Agency