- Yet, for so many, this potential is being strangled by barriers that should have been dismantled long ago, leaving them trapped in survival mode.
- Our more marginalized groups, especially those living in informal settlements, as well as young women and people with disabilities, are impacted the most.
The International Youth Day is the moment Kenya needs to remember and celebrate the potential of its young people.
They are not just our future but our present, and they might just be the key to addressing our nation’s surging unemployment rates.
Yet, for so many, this potential is being strangled by barriers that should have been dismantled long ago, leaving them trapped in survival mode.
Our more marginalized groups, especially those living in informal settlements, as well as young women and people with disabilities, are impacted the most.
They lack access to vital services like skills training, financial literacy, and affordable loans—essential tools for starting businesses or pursuing higher education.
In informal settlements like Kibera, the youth unemployment rate reaches 46% among those aged 15-24.
This is more than just a statistic; it's a ticking time bomb that is leading to frustration, disillusionment, and, as we have witnessed recently on our streets, conflict and violence.
Although there are effective solutions demonstrating impact, our young and marginalized population needs more from us–more from institutions, governments, employers, and service providers.
Young people in informal settlements are desperate for opportunities, not just interventions.
They don't need us to dictate top-down solutions from afar, they need us to stand beside them, place the solutions in their hands, and provide enabling environments where they have access to the resources, knowledge, and positive community to succeed.
Yet, traditional financial institutions continue to deny these individuals access to finance because they don't meet unrealistic preconceptions of reliability.
To bring out this potential and address financial exclusion, financial products and services need to be tailored to the unique characteristics of young people.
The products should support youth businesses and provide accessible financing with competitive rates, limited collateral or guarantor requirements, and a shortened waiting period.
For youths to be eligible to access financial products, they must be enrolled in a compulsory financial literacy training program and gain access to sustainable livelihoods, skilling and employability programs that equip them with the tools to participate in meaningful and dignified work.
These youths then should go on to employ other youth.
There is also a key role for youth-led community-based organizations to play, which bring young people together to address their shared needs.
By providing young people with positive platforms to discuss their challenges and dreams, we are equipping them to solve Kenya’s unemployment problem and in doing so, unlocking the full potential of our nation.
However, the social sector cannot realize this potential alone.
We hope that International Youth Day will inspire other players, including the government, financial institutions, and the private sector, to join us in removing outdated barriers by committing more resources and providing more opportunities to our young people- especially those who are most marginalized.
John and Sylvia are the Youth Voice Director; and Governance and Advocacy Associate at SHOFCO respectively.