Delivering on the promise to support the youth
In May 2018 the Poultry Club of Ole Nkuya Primary School in Narok County received a grant worth KES 36,000 (approximately USD $360) for the business development of the Poultry Club. The grant was presented to the school by Action Africa Help International’s (AAH-I) Project Officer Caroline Jepchumba.
The grant is part of business support projects under AAH Kenya’s Mara Community Livelihood Improvement Project (MCLIP) project in the Mara Division of Narok County. By supporting improved livelihoods through income generation, access to business services and empowerment of excluded community groups such as women and youth, the objective of MCLIP is to improve the standard of living of communities in Narok West sub-county. MCLIP is funded by Bread for the World.
AAH-I representatives visited the school in July 2018 to monitor the expenditure of the funds. “We used the grant to put up a chicken structure and bought 13 chickens and chicken feed. Their target is 300 chicken, which will see them sell eggs to make income. The eggs will be sold to the school and be fed to young pupils in nursery school and class one to curb malnutrition since the school is a beneficiary of school feeding program,” says the Club’s Patron Mr. Njenga. The Club has 40 members between class 5 and 7.
School Club officials – (L to R) Chairman Alex Kamakia, Treasurer Stanley Nkoyo and Secretary Silantoi Loso
The World Employment Social Outlook: Trends 2018 Report indicates that the number of unemployed in sub-Saharan Africa should increase by 1 million in 2018 due to the region’s high levels of labour force growth. AAH-I is working with different partners to find solutions to youth unemployment. Supporting youth to run businesses and building their entrepreneurship skills through school clubs is one such solution. The business clubs project kicked off in May 2018. Ole Nkuya Primary School is among five schools that have received grants to fund school business clubs.
“Being a pastoralist community, a majority of youth within the Maasai community would not ordinarily rear chicken or consider poultry farming as a viable source of income and nutrition. The project is helping to change these cultural attitudes to improve food and income security. Running the business club is also helping to build life skills, so that the young people can confidently pursue future business undertakings and become job creators,” says Caroline.