African youth, innovation and the changing society

What comes to mind when you hear the word “change”? What does it mean? What does it take to bring about change? Is it money? Power? Knowledge?
Given, there are many programmes aimed at enhancing the lives of young people. Some have been impactful, others have achieved only moderate success, while others have been total flops.

The big question is, are young people contributing to change as much as they should?

In what ways have young Kenyans actively initiated it? In June this year, a three-man Kenyan contingent attended the Youth Connekt Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

There they got to interact with senior government officials and policy makers from around the continent, and discussed policies, programmes and partnerships that could bring positive change in Africa.

The trio was honoured for championing change within their communities through the different empowerment initiatives that they are involved in. myNetwork spoke to them about these projects, the lessons they learnt from the summit, and their plans for the future.

Luke Muleka, founder Signs TV

Luke has a deaf sister. Growing up, he felt very sorry for her, as she seemed bored whenever he and his parents were watching TV programmes.

When he came of age, Luke vowed to find a way of making life more exciting for his sister, and other deaf people. This was the inspiration behind Signs TV, which he founded in 2017.

‘‘Deaf people have been neglected for many years, and I am happy to have come up with a solution for them.

‘‘Information is a key cog in the drive towards development. The drafters of the Sustainable Development Goals brought everyone on board, and ensured that the interests of all groups were taken into consideration. I consider my involvement in the empowerment for others as a personal triumph,’’ he adds.

What feedback has he got so far?

‘‘Persons living with disabilities really like our shows. Their families are also very thankful for our initiative. At Signs TV, we aim to fight against the discrimination of PLWDs,’’ he notes.

After just two years in operation, Signs TV came second in the 2018/2019 Kuza Awards by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) in the category of Programming Geared towards Addressing Issues of PLWDs.

‘‘This was an encouraging confirmation that our work hasn’t gone unnoticed. It also means that PLWDs are enjoying our programmes, and that the public is watching too.’’

Signs TV also won the 2018 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Ambassadors Award organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), British Council and ActionAid. At the Youth Connekt summit, the station also took home the Digital Innovation Award.

Luke says that “Kenya is a bedrock of innovations by the youth’’, and argues that this was demonstrated clearly at the Youth Connect Africa Awards where three out of the 12 finalists were young Kenyans.

‘‘The creative talent is there. What we lack are structures that promote innovations. Mentorship of young innovators is also necessary because it helps youth transform their creativity into income-generating enterprises,’’ Luke observes.

Participating in the summit made him realise that African youth are hungry for change, and are willing to take the lead.

To the young Kenyans who are determined to influence change but don’t know how to do so or where to start, Luke advises them to think of the day to day challenges that the people around them face.

‘‘If you dream of becoming a change maker, let your creation be anchored on positively impacting the lives of those around you. An invention’s success is measured by the number of people whose lives have changed for the better thanks to it.

“After you’ve come up with a suitable innovation, find ways of scaling it up. Any solution is only sustainable if it can be expanded to impact even more people in the community,” he notes.

Ashura Michael, TV show host

Ashura’s show on Signs TV uses sign language as a social, economic and political empowerment tool for persons living with disabilities (PLWDs). Her mission is to equip PLWDs with the information they need to reach their full potential.

At the conference in Kigali, she got a good opportunity to meet other young change makers across the continent.

‘‘I was happy to interact with top dignitaries, chief among them President Paul Kagame of Rwanda through an open forum of question and answers,’’ she says. ‘‘It’s always insightful to hear from leaders who are responsible for the welfare of the youth.’’

Key among the deliberations during the Kigali conference, she says, was a call on the African youth to ‘‘go to where the opportunities are, rather than to wait for them.”

‘‘The key theme was “I Take the Lead”. We were urged to take responsibility for our actions by using our talents to change the world around us,’’ she recounts.

Ashura says the government needs to create an enabling environment for young people to explore their creativity, and to contribute to the wellbeing of the country.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

She is however quick to add that Kenya has progressive laws and policies that, if implemented fully, would support trade, innovation, and spur economic and social development, but there is a hindrance: Lack of enforcement.

‘‘How come Rwandans are doing better than us in most areas of youth empowerment? It is because most of our policies and recommendations never reach the implementation stage,” she opines.

Like many young people in the country, Ashura has taken issue with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s move to appoint old people to plum positions in government, especially those that touch on youth affairs.

‘‘The government has failed the youth. The president shouldn’t just talk about his government’s commitment to empower us. He should demonstrate this by giving those of us who are competent an opportunity to create solutions to the challenges we face,’’ she says.

Ashura, however, is happy that this year, the World Bank issued a Sh15 billion grant to enable young Kenyan entrepreneurs to start businesses.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

‘‘Another thing that I’m happy about is that after many years of waiting, we finally have the Kenya National Youth Policy, which will hopefully encourage more young Kenyans to contribute to the country’s sustainable development,’’ she says.

She further notes that the 2018 Kenya Vision 2030 Sector Progression Report shows that the country is on course as far as youth empowerment goes.
‘‘There is big opportunity for young Kenyans to achieve their goals,’’ she says, adding that what remains now is for the government and other entities to find ways of encouraging the youth to be actively involved in national development.

Ashura argues that the youth have a critical role to play in their own welfare, and notes that sometimes they contribute to their own woes.

‘‘Why do we allow leaders to exploit us? I’m particularly disappointed by our young parliamentarians. Most of them have failed to address our concerns. They are just after their own interests,’’ she laments.

‘‘If you dream about change, why wait? The future belongs to those who take the lead and do something to create change,’’ she says.
PLWDs, she says, must venture out and grab existing opportunities to improve their lives.

‘‘We can’t eradicate poverty when PLWDs are left out. Fifteen per cent of the world’s population are people living with disabilities. They must be involved in all plans and efforts that are aimed at improving lives.’’

Ambrose Mbuvi, founder Nico Organics

Nico Organics is an agribusiness start-up that offers agricultural training to small scale farmers with the aim of tackling food insecurity and eradicating poverty.

The organisation also helps farmers acquire beehives and other equipment required for them to practice beekeeping, and also connects them to new customers.

So, what inspired Mbuvi to start this initiative? What drives him?

‘‘More than 60 per cent of farmers in Kenya plant their crops on less than 100 acres of land. They are small-scale farmers. Most of them rely heavily on rain and practice poor farming techniques. This leads to poor harvests, which exposes them to hunger and poverty,’’ Mbuvi explains.

‘‘Our goal as Nico Organics is to equip farmers in rural areas with modern methods of farming, so that they can get better yields. We hope to transform the lives of 100,000 farmers through training.’’

PRODUCTIVE PLATFORM

Mbuvi describes his participation in the Youth Connekt Africa Summit as a timely eye-opener for him.

‘‘It was a productive platform to learn and network with fellow youth who are utilising their skills and expertise in different fields in their respective countries to come up with innovative solutions,’’ he says.

At the Youth Connekt Africa Awards in Kigali, Mbuvi won the Young Innovators Prosperity Award for Youth Economic Empowerment.

“That was a proud moment for me, but it was also a confirmation that I need to keep using my talent and resources to make a positive impact in my community,” he says.

COLLABORATIONS

"I learnt to believe in myself, to be open to collaborations with other like minded youth, and to always be ready to seize the opportunities that present themselves," he says.

"If you think you have a solution to any existing problem, all you need to do is get started. Don’t worry about lacking the required resources. Just take a leap of faith and you will be surprised by what you are capable of achieving,’’ Mbuvi observes.

"In today’s world, collaboration is key. Don’t spend hours competing with others. Instead, think of joining hands with those who have the same vision. There is strength in numbers.

"Africa is rising," he says with conviction. ‘‘The world is realising that there is so much potential in Africa. As youth, we must position ourselves strategically so that we can also rise," he says.

But how come programmes designed by government by Kenyan youth don’t always bear fruits?

GOOD OPPORTUNITIES

"When designing these projects, it is necessary to involve the youth from the very beginning. Even if the programme is practical and suitable for Kenyan youth, the idea will not appeal to them if they were left out at the conceptualisation stage," Mbuvi argues, noting that the government must start engaging the youth ‘‘as equals and not as an after-thought."

It has often been said that Kenyan youth often overlook some good opportunities. Mbuvi disagrees with this notion, and says that young people in the country are innovative and daring enough to take on any challenge.

‘‘It is out of determination to create meaningful change in the society that I chose this path. Providing training and capacity building among farmers is not as easy as it may sound. It requires sacrifice. Unfortunately, some of our laws and systems discourage and scare youth away from starting such initiatives.

“However, all is not lost. Kenyan youth are innovative and hard working. All they need is support, and an environment that allows them to be creative, to make mistakes, and to learn from them,’’ he argues.