Programme Activities

(a) Youth and Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Management Program

This is one of the core program activities of KYF. It focuses on rural youth as well as peri urban youth who are involved in Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Natural Resource Management. It entails provision of resource materials for capacity building, mobilizing youth to form Agricultural and Environmental Groups, offer opportunity for exchange program, organization of Youth Agricultural Shows and organizing environmental clean ups, planting of trees and Campaign & advocacy for cleaner environment, Advocacy for better agricultural policies to take future farmers into consideration. This program is currently being implemented in Western Kenya in Schools and out of schools youth groups. The network is already existing in the region and the program is picking well. The current phase is to launch pilot projects in selected schools in the region as well as selected out of school youth groups.

(b) Youth and Health Program.

This program is basically focusing on youth reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, access to better health services by youth and advocating for review of health policies. This program is centered on advocacy and campaign for behavioral change among the youth to tackle the unwanted pregnancies, the spread of HIV/AIDS and STIs. The program provides IEC materials, carryout public demonstration, conduct capacity building workshops for youth and engaged in Theater education for passing the message of HIV/AIDS. The program is soon setting mobile counseling services for the youth. The Network is created in Western Kenya and Nairobi where the program is being implemented.

(c) Youth and Gender, Democracy and Peace Program

This program is currently being implemented by KYF and its affiliates. Program aims at engendering development as well as providing and facilitating civic education on human rights, constitution and international conventions aimed at building peace and harmony in Kenya. The program has built the necessary networks both in Nairobi (Nairobi Youth for Peace Network Initiatives) and Western Kenya (Kisumu Rural Constituency). The approach used is organizing peaceful processions, open forums, Theater Education, essay competition for youth on improving Democratic participation of Kenyans in decision making, conducting civic education for Constitutional review process in Kenya. For all these activities women representation is mandatory.

(d) Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening Program

This program is very important to the organization, members, affiliate organizations and youth. It is aiming at improving the capacity of the youth, organization, affiliate organizations as well as members of the organization. Members of Management Committee have benefited in this initiative. Many youth members are also benefiting by being taken to workshops, seminars, conferences to acquire more skills of managing their lives and engaging in productive undertakings. The capacity building initiative has enabled some youth members even to travel outside Kenya to learn and experience youth work in other countries. The KYF has been organizing capacity building activities for youth in Kenya. (forums, seminars, games, exchange visits, writing competitions).

Part of the organization’s institutional strengthening is through mobilizing human, technical and financial resources for the expansion of organization’s program coverage. KYF recently received a second hand computer from Germany. Five young graduates have joined the organization as volunteers. This program is key to our expansion because our ability to reach throughout the country has been hampered by lack of resources to strengthen the organization’s programs. The current strategy is to mobilize as many resources as possible to expand the structure and scope of the organization.

(e) Youth and Volunteerism, Internship, Attachment and Exchange Program

This program was started in KYF to assist in enabling youth to acquire work experience through volunteering, internship, attachment and exchange program. In Kenya the kind of education system that Children/youth go through offer very little practical experience hence many of them are handicapped in doing practical work. According to this program, KYF is providing vacancy for the youth as well as second them in other organizations through this initiative.  This program continue to receive application from youth both locally and internationally who are interested in the program. This program is yet to achieve it’s objective based on resource capacity of the organization. Through Volunteering the organization has benefited a lot because the current staff of the organization are volunteers with no financial remuneration. KYF is focused to strengthen this program because it is very important for the development of youth.

(f) Consultancy and Counseling Services Program

This program is very important because it is focused towards Internally mobilizing resources for the organization. The program is bringing together young professionals  with various academic and professional background to offer consultancy services especially on development issues. The strength of this program is that there are many young professional whose services are not engaged due high level of unemployment in Kenya. Through collaboration with some NGOs/CSOs, young professional members of KYF will get opportunity to conduct baseline studies, report development, situational analysis, proposal writing, Workshop/Seminar facilitation, data collection and analysis, survey, monitoring & evaluation  among others. The focus is to strengthen and expand this program to attract more young professionals to generate income for themselves and the organization.

Counseling Services is yet to start and the focus is on youth who are anti social, abused & abusers, neglected, child prostitutes, child mothers, street children among others. The program aims at recruiting young counselors, peer counselors and health professionals to launch the program. Resource is the key to strengthening this program.

(g)  Youth Micro - Enterprise Program

This program is targeting youth in urban, peri- urban and rural settings. KYF facilitates self- reliance capacity building projects aimed at income generation and wealth creation for the youth. This is through a well established structures and initiatives such as youth self help groups undertaking development and income generating activities. KYF targets both in - schools and out - of school youth groups to benefit from this program. The groups are encouraged to register with government or already undertaking an income generating activity(ies) to qualify for support.

The activity undertaken is to create a Revolving Credit  Fund Scheme and aims at :

·         Encourage the growth of development skills more so among the out of school youth through informal education and skill training.

·         Provide bridge between funding sources and the needy youth groups

·         Encourage and promote strategic and sustainable development practices through popular participation by beneficiaries themselves

·         Motivate and encourage self help activities for enhancement of economic empowerment and self reliance among the disadvantaged youth.  

At the moment KYF is providing capacity building for organized youth groups on group management, mobilization of local resources, community development, volunteering and leadership skills. This program is expected to expand by seeking seed fund to establish the Revolving Credit Fund Scheme which will be loaned to various youth groups to support their income generation activities.  

Other KYF Programs

Other National and International activities KYF is involved in are:

• World Environment Day(UNEP)

• World Aids Day (MOH/WHO)

• World Food Day (FAO)

• Preparation for World Food Summit 2002 (FAO)

• Value Based Water Education (HABITAT)

• Horn of Africa Initiative for Enhancing Community Led Food Security Program in Bondo District (KFFHC/FAO/MOA)

• Youth Thematic Group on Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Consultation and Implementation (MOF&P)

• Preparation for World Summit for Sustainable Development (UNDP)

• Harambee Youth Week (Ministry of Home Affairs, Heritage and Sports)

• Nairobi Youth for Peace Initiative Network

• Civic Education Program for Constitutional Review Process in Kenya

• Review of the Kenya National Food Policy

• Stakeholders’ Consultation for the New Forest Bill 2000 (FAN)