Youth Resiliency and Belonging Project

Our community is endowed by a community of youth who form the largest percentage of the population. In Makueni county, 16 per cent of the population is youth who engage in different socio-economic activities; small businesses, informal sector, internship and apprenticeship, and formal work. A large proportion of the population that are reported to engage in social irresponsibility are youth for a variety of reasons.

As a major concern across the globe, major actors in development have taken up the mandate to ensure youth development in the community. As a youth-led non-state actor in Makueni County, Kenya, Jumuisha Initiative in partnership with Firelight foundation seeks to resolve youth resiliency in Makueni County. This will be done using the community driven systems change approach that includes all state and non-state actors in the county to enhance youth development in the county.

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back after a tough period of time. Belonging is the capability to own and associate with something. By the definitions, and the situational analysis conducted by Jumuisha Initiative, youth in Makueni county are neither resilient nor have a sense of belonging. This is evident by the negligible percent of youth that can support their own families as well as own property. The Kamba culture among youth in Makueni is eroded and there is less involvement in socio economic development. The number of social issues reported in Makueni County, a larger percentage is youth.

The project will build on the existing systems and leverage on available resources to build resiliency among youth in Makueni county. Community based partnerships will be encouraged as an approach to ensure sustainability and community ownership.

The work is implemented in partnership with Firelight Foundation, National Government Youth Department, Social services department, as well as the local community, indigenous communities, and youth groups.

We envision a resilient community. A community that is self-sustainable. A community that is self-reliant. A community with a strong future generation.