By E, KNA
National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) in Garissa County have been urged to lead the mobilization efforts for local youth in the area to make applications for the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project.
The project, which was recently launched by President William Ruto and officially rolled-out by Principal Secretaries nationwide, is sponsored by the World Bank and aims to reach 820,000 vulnerable young Kenyans, including refugees in gazetted camps in Garissa and Turkana, with targeted interventions that are practical, measurable, and sustainable.
Speaking during a sensitization forum for the project in Garissa, various stakeholders expressed concerns over the low network coverage, low access to electricity and the nomadic nature of the residents as the challenges likely to face the project in the area.
Low literacy levels, especially in the interior communities was also named as another challenge, which would affect the rate of applications from those specific areas.
However, responding to the concerns, shipping and Maritime Affairs Principal Secretary (PS), Aden Millah, who presided over the forum, urged Chiefs and their Assistants, to conduct sensitization meetings in their jurisdictions, to ensure that all eligible youths apply.
The PS further called for local partnerships with local politicians, County government, civil societies, private sector and community leaders, to ensure that outreach and selection is fair, inclusive, and transparent.
“This region has one of the youngest populations in the country, rich in energy, innovation, and resilience. However, challenges such as unemployment, low digital literacy, and limited market linkages, have hindered progress for many young people,” Millah said.
“I therefore urge our local Administrators, from Chiefs to Ward Administrators, to work closely with our technical teams to mobilize, verify, and support our youth throughout this journey,” he added
Senior assistant director in charge of Business Development Services at Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA), Abdinoor Hussein, on his part called on the youth to take advantage of the grants, to invest in income generation businesses and innovative start-ups.
He urged the youth to take the project as part of the solution to the unemployment crisis, and create businesses that will further provide a chain of employment opportunities for other people.