Drugs and substance abuse prevention: Contact NACADA Authority Kenya Counselors free on tel 1192

Drugs and substance abuse is widespread Globally and it interferes with brain development of the young people.Therefore sensitization on drugs and substance abuse among the young people need special emphasis  in order to rescue and save our future today. Early detection of drugs and substance abuse is vital for prevention and rehabilitation of the youth. According to NACADA (National Campaign against Drugs Abuse) authority Kenya, 75% of Kenyan population is made up of young people below 30 years.33% of the population consists of young people15-30 years.56% of criminals are youth  aged 24-25 years. The youth currently make up 33% of the Kenyans infected with HIV/AIDS. Young women 15-24 years are three times more likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than men of the same age. Among students research shows that 75% have tried alcohol at least once. Majority of the young people fall into these social vices during adolescent which is a period of rapid change and critical decision making in relation to:-

• Self identity: autonomy, independence, esteem and image
• Sexual identity : boy girl relationship
• Vocational identity: Career choice

When the youth were asked what led them to start this practices some of the answers were curiosity, to fit in, rebellion etc.

Stages of drugs and substance abuse

1. Experiential stage: This is when the youth are experimenting or trying
2. Social stage: the young people are seen with strange friends
3. Instrumental stage:The youth can remember the previous day's activities as the mind is not yet damaged
4. Habitual stage: the practice  becomes a habit/routene
5. Compulsory/ addiction stage: The youth can engage in any social vice including lies, stealing, theft ,prostitution and selling housewares for money money to sustain drugs and substance abuse.

Classification

1. Stimulants: increases activity e.g. tobacco, coccaine, miraa
2. Depressants: decreases activity e.g. codein, diazipan
3. Steroids: common with youth males, fosters formation of living tissues increasing muscular mass
4. Hallucinogens: causes hallucinations or pronounced alteration of perception, state of fantasy, illusions and being lost in the world of dreams e.g. cannabis, hashish
5. Prescription medicine e.g. codeine, morphine, valium, pethidine.   

Effects of drugs and substance abuse

• Developmental effects: When drugs and substance abuse starts before young people attain 21 years,  brain development is retarded
• Memory blackouts in young people
• Sexual problems i.e. lack of appeal or promiscuity
• Insomnia, moodiness, restlessness, hallucinations
• dread of facing people
• Injection marks
•  skin rash
• Watering eyes

This is a guide to identification of cases of drugs and substance abuse among the youth and young people. Be aware, be alert, be alive and support prevention!
More-http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/what-are-youth-saying.html

Read More

Success story of a Kenyan youth savings and credit co-operative society

Gatundu young traders Mpesa

Gatundu young traders’ savings and credit co-operative society is an organization founded by the youth for the youth. Their guiding slogan is ‘’Youth have all it takes to succeed as long as they unite’’. Gatundu young traders’ savings and credit co-operative society registered with the Kenya  ministry of cooperative Development and Marketing Reg Number C/S 12020 in February 2009 and the membership was 20 by then. To date Gatundu Young traders Savings and credit co-operative society has 200 members and a capital base of 2.5 million. The members get loans which they pay at a youth friendly interest rate.  45% of the loans are used in agriculture investment contributing to national food security. The Savings and credit co-operative society headquarters are located in Gatundu Town of Kiambu County in central Kenya region.

Members in a training session

This savings and credit co-operative society was started as a solution to the discrimination of the youth in kenya by the established financial institutions. The founder member Jonn Njoroge Munyua is the current chairman of Gatundu Young Traders savings and credit co-operative society and the vision bearer.  Njoroge is also the Managing Director of smart works Traders Company dealing with detergents chemicals in Gatundu town,in addition to being the secretary to original youth pioneers group based at kimunyu location Gatundu District. His leadership dates back ten years when he was elected the chairman of Vision Youth Group at the age of 30 years. Having grown up on the farm, he was introduced to farming by his parents who were good farmers. He developed interest in farming, worked on the family farm while young and latter on inherited piece of land.

Executive committee

He learnt about many profitable enterprises and technologies during agricultural trainings by agriculture extension officers, among which he started implementing installation of energy saving stoves services, manufacture of liquid detergents and making of fireless cookers for sale. Full of passion John Njoroge Munyua visited a bank seeking a loan for the projects implementation .He got a rude shock on realizing the bank required security/collateral which he didn’t have. The youth never got discouraged but conceived the idea of forming a revolving fund group consisting of young people, shared a few friends who supported the idea. The revolving fund group held its first meeting in June 2008 and latter registered as Gatundu young traders saving and credit co-operative society.  John Njoroge got his first loan from the revolving fund group which he used boost energy stoves installation services and detergents chemicals projects. The projects continue to flourish to this date greatly contributing to environmental conservation and community livelihood improvement.

Gatundu Young traders savings and credit co-operative society has grown tremendously and in the year 2010 and 2011 it was honored as the best organization in capacity building to the members, and best sustained and improved savings and credit co-operative society in Gatundu District respectively.In 2012 Gatundu young traders savings and credit organization has managed to roll their first M-pesa project which will generate income for the organization. Gatundu young traders’ savings and credit co-operative society is solely working with the members’ contribution and the funds are insufficient to meet all the requirements. The young traders are making efforts to pursue the Youth Development Enterprise Fund, a Kenya Government fund for assistance in overcoming inadequacy in a the working capital. The youth savings and credit co-operative society is a role model to many young traders and is therefore calling for any relevant support from like minded organizations and individuals, who have the objective of improving the livelihoods of the youth in Kenya. Glory to God on High and long live GYTS organization.

Read More

Youth in Agriculture Motivation and Government Policy

Involvement of youth in agriculture is not only a good idea but crucial for agricultural economies sustainability. Most African economies heavily depend on farming to earn foreign exchange, for employment of 70% of the population, to provide raw materials for agro-industries and for food security among the citizens. Therefore youth in agriculture campaign is necessary for succession and sustainability of the industry. It goes without saying that absence of young people in agricultural activities points to a future economic disaster for Africa and most developing countries ,confirming an African proverb which says that, ‘‘a herd without calves is headed for extinction’’. The future of the farming industry is in the hands of the young people. It is vital that young people are involved in the industry early in life.

But in reality, traditionally and economically little is done to seriously involve youth in agriculture, until later in life when most likely they have developed other priorities. In this case farming becomes a supplementary activity without its due importance. According to the African tradition inherited land is not released to the young people for farming until later in life when they get married, yet land is a principal factor of production in farming. This practice is mainly responsible for propagation of traditional subsistence farming which lacks  vision and innovation leading to low returns. Governments’ policies to encourage ownership of land by the young people should be  formulated urgently. This will enable the industry to absorb young people at the height of their talent, energy, optimism and innovativeness. Involvement of young people in farming should employ a multi-sector approach for success.

 
This can be achieved through integration of youth in agriculture policy with education policy, young people employment policy and the policies of all relevant government sectors. Agricultural extension services should also be modernized to embrace information and communication technologies. The traditional extension methodologies like field days are no longer effective for reaching the youth in agriculture. Use of information and communication technology will modernize and change the face of farming, improve farm income and improve food security to the communities. The information and communication technology should be used to deliver extension services, provide accurate market information and to link the youth in agriculture with consumers of their farm produce. This will give youth in agriculture comparative advantage and a superior position in the market place.

Read More

USAID’S “YES YOUTH CAN”Development Program ahead of 2013 general elections in Kenya

YES YOUTH CAN development program is a USAID supported 3-year post election recovery programme for young Kenyans covering six regions; Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Nairobi and Coast.  The implementation of the young peoples’ program is by Mercy Corps Kenya and the projects aims to Harness active participation of young Kenyans in the countries economic development, social development and policy development. In addition this program will instill, a positive attitude towards life issues, relevant life and economic skills, self-esteem, accountability and dependability among the young people. In 2008, Kenya had a highly ethicized election that prompted political and ethnic violence which led to 1,100 deaths and over, 300,000 internally displaced people. There was also enormous damage to property and the countries economy. Scores of hectares of cropland were destroyed in the rift valley province nicknamed “the granary of Kenya,’’ leading to reduction of agriculture activities and food insecurity in the subsequent years.

The majority of the people used by mischievous politicians to implement the mayhem were idle unemployed youths under the influence of drugs. Currently the fear of a repeat of this scenario is live in the air, among the young and elder Kenyans alike with the approaching Kenya 2012 general elections. This article is a wake up call for young people in agriculture to organize them-selves into groups which are being referred to as youth parliaments in the yes youth can program and undertake livelihood and community improvement projects. The youth parliaments require registration with the Ministry of Gender and Social Development in order to benefit from the youth empowerment program. In addition the parliaments need to sit and analyze their problems as a community and as young people. The youth parliament can then write a project proposal for solving livelihood /other problems for the young people or the community to Mercy Corps Kenya NGO for project support and capacity building.

This website is invaluable for the youth in agriculture projects as it gives vital information for realization of your dream, project identification, choice of agribusiness enterprises, modern agriculture production, Food processing for value addition and food security, income generation and self employment; agriculture value chain development for market linkages, farm accounting to ensure profitability, and environmental conservation for sustainable agriculture development. In addition you may contact us for services on agriculture project identification, Project proposal writing, agriculture extension and agriculture project implementation advice. Take advantage of our well calculated modern agriculture development projects, suitable for the youth due to their:-

·        Innovation and uniqueness

·        High returns on investment

·        Low cost of investment

·        Small or no land requirement

·        Short period for returns

·        Favorable profit margins

·        Ease of implementation

Time is now and the opportunity is here for the young generation in Kenya, to take lead in personal and community development projects in their respective home areas, for the future of our young nation is in their hands.

Read More

Success Story of Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and ICT

75% of Kenyan population directly depends on small scale farming for their livelihood in the rural areas. The farming individuals are commonly elderly people between the ages of 45-65 years.However Geoffrey Mwamba has defied the common thinking of most Kenyans about agriculture. At the age of 27 years he is a proud owner of small scale tomato Farming business which he has named ever blazing farm, on 0.1ha or 1/4 acre of land. The farm is in Kiganjo Division,  Kiamwangi location, Ngenda sublocation, Gatundu District, Kiambu County in central Kenya region.             

Geoffrey mwamba practices agriculture with a difference employing youthful energy, enthusiasm and Knowledge attained from an Agricultural Training institution and business studies, to develop his agriculture business. Mwamba markets his tomatoes in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya and its environs, and the demand for his produce is so overwhelming that he recently started recruiting collaborators to grow tomatoes and capsicums for him.Mwamba extensively uses his mobile phone to send information to his customers and receive orders for his farming produce which greatly contributes to the expansion of his farming business. He also orders unique seeds which are not available in the local stores through the internet giving him comparative advantage in the bussiness.Geoffrey mwamba has no regrets and earns a decent living with  current gross earning amounting over KSH 120,000 per month from his tomato farming business. Mwamba attributes his success to determination, commitment, hard work, availability of a shallow well which belongs to his grandfather, encouragement and support from his parents and siblings.

 

On interviewing this youth in agriculture, he revealed big plans ahead to own additional land in order to expand his farming business, a mansion in a premium area of Nairobi City, the best car and the best family. His life goals are well written down in black and white and nothing will stop him from achieving them. He’s a role model and a mentor to youth in agriculture. Therefore there is no doubt youth can find rewarding employment in agriculture activities as evidenced by Geoffrey mwamba’s case.Read-http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/our-activities.html

Read More

Youth and Climate Change for livelihood sustainability

A large percentage of the world’s population today comprises of young people with about 2.2 billion people being less than 18 years old. In this era of global climate change, 85% of these 2.2 billion young people are a resource that can be used to change the society towards reduction of climate change for sustainability. Furthermore, the young people can play a key role in dealing with all the difficulties that are facing humanity.

One thing that sets the young people apart from the rest of the population is their enthusiasm, imagination, talent and energy. The young people are more likely to get involved in local actions, play the role of effective communicators within their communities and participate in international actions against climate change and un-sustainability. For this reason FAO and other international organizations have been working together to come up with activities and mechanisms that enhance awareness, and access to relevant knowledge and information among the youth. The main aim of these efforts is to encourage participation of young people in actions relating to environmental sustainability and social development issues such as global warming.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent has for a long time been on the forefront in involving the young people in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of global warming for sustainability.  For instance in 2009, the Red Cross organized the Youth on the Move convention in Solferino which had climate change as one of the main themes. During the convention, a large number of youth and teenagers received training from climate change experts encouraging livelihoods sustainability. Since the conclusion of this convention, there has been evidence of increased youth involvement in activities relating to climate change and sustainability.

In strategy 2020, the Red Cross reaffirms that it is committed to address climate change impacts on human livelihoods especially the young people who make up the larger proportion of the population and the hope of tomorrow. Strategic aim of strategy 2020 is geared towards ensuring that the public adopts an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. This will lead to reduction of green house gases emissions. Similarly, in Strategy 2020, the IFRC reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that youth continue to volunteer and develop strong Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.  This will build a strong culture of voluntary service among the youth encouraging sustainability and youth participation in community and national affairs.

Read More