By D, KNA
More than 300 youth on Friday attended an empowerment seminar at PCEA Ibiriga Parish in Tharaka Nithi County, organized by AscentChange International in collaboration with Ibiriga Parish Youth Workshop.
AscentChange International Co-founder Debora Kangai, a community development advocate, urged the young people to embrace personal growth, take advantage of available opportunities, and develop skills that can help them create jobs for themselves and others.
She encouraged them to focus on innovation, discipline, and service to their communities, saying empowered youth are vital to achieving Kenya’s social and economic goals.
Reverend Patrick Kirimi warned the young people against unhealthy relationships noting that this could undermine education and personal stability.
Eric Wafula, an expert in drug and substance abuse prevention, cautioned that addiction often begins with peer influence, poor parental guidance, and unregulated social media use.
He called for awareness campaigns in schools and stronger partnerships between the government, parents, and community organizations to address the problem.
Organizers praised the church’s role in complementing government efforts to promote youth empowerment, noting that such forums help advance the country’s youth development agenda, in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
They said similar events should be rolled out to support national objectives on skills development, job creation, and social cohesion.