Building Blocks
Even UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was surprised by the large number of people who greeted him in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya. But his surprise quickly became concern when he was told so many young people came to see him because they couldn't find work.
Inspired to act, Ban donated $100,000 of his own money to a UN-sponsored program that helps unemployed youth acquire vocational skills like carpentry, masonry, electrical wiring, plumbing and management. It's called the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP).
Students learn their trade through hands-on activities as they build a training facility that will allow YEP to expand its participant ranks. After graduation, many of the youth are placed in jobs or apprenticeships with private companies or UN-sponsored construction projects in Kibera.
The training program is part of a greater state- and UN-sponsored initiative to upgrade services and infrastructure in Nairobi's slums. Youth skills training also complements another UN-funded effort, the Urban Entrepreneurship Program, that helps to establish construction collectives and aid them in bidding on contracts.
Linus Sijenji, a youth coordinator in Kibera, notes that the combined efforts of the two programs are inspiring the youth and have opened up opportunities for them.
Our aim is to form our own companies that could competitively bid for such contracts on equal level with big companies. Much as this might seem far fetched, the idea is viable, especially with more training opportunities and resources like bank loans.
If these programs work as advertised, Ban will get an even bigger reception next time he comes to Kibera.
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Soccer for peace
Highrise Rovers sports club in pumwani are the founders for soccer for peace kenya through Highrise rovers fc-peace team since 2005. we have done much in nairobi eastlands especially in Kamukunji constituency which had an impact to our youth in sports in during post election violence Majengo and Kitwii slums had no single violence and safeguarded destruction or burning or the largest open air market in east and central Africa Gikomba market through this initiative of soccer for peace -Kenya to our youth only part of Kamukunji the Kiambio slum which had slight conflict we moved and shared our initiative with kiambio fc through friendly games with initiative play soccer and make peace and later invited them to Global peace Festival soccer for peace later in august 2008 organized by Universal peace federation where we shared more on peace and how to live for the sake of others we are very much touched by your programs we invite your partnership to enable us move to other parts of our country in need of peace and conciliation through sports, i told our youth in this slum on how to this service with or without money and that is why we are getting positive results through volunteering and that is why global peace festival -Kenya 2008 appointed me to organize GPF-Kenya soccer for peace festival with over 20 teams in participation throughout Nairobi and with final being held at Nairobi University at August 2008 in attentance was sports for peace coodinator Dr Aketch and president for Soccer for peace.
am so impressed about how you
am so impressed about how you involve our youths in peace building and the way you use sports to preach peace and i would like your assistance on how to initiate a soccer for peace in maai mahiu of naivasha since our country is being faced with challenge of the forth coming referendum and there are some fears that anything can happen and as you know prevention is better than cure.
thanks and hope to hear from you
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