By Betty Luke
Mohammed Noor Adan from Isiolo’s Kinna ward would be in the grazing fields looking after his family’s livestock but not any more.
Since completing secondary education years ago, he hasn’t been able to join a tertiary institution due to financial constraints and has been relying on casual jobs for a living.
He says life has been difficult as pastoralism which is the region’s main economic stay remains under immense threat due to climate change which has seen the county and over 20 others in the Arid and Semi-Arid lands face perennial drought which results in massive loss of livestock, impoverishing communities.
But his hope of starting own business and earning a stable income has been rekindled after benefiting from a three-month mobile vocational training offered by a Non Governmental Organisation.
“I am so happy that besides the free training in electrical and solar installation, I have been provided with a start up kit which is a major resource in my self entrepreneurship endeavours,” he said during Ujuzi Manyattani graduation in Garbatulla where he and 109 others from conservancies in Kinna and Garbatulla were awarded certificates for various courses.
Like young warriors (Morans) from other pastoralist communities, Mohammed was at risk of engaging in cattle rustling to replenish family stock lost to previous natural catastrophes but is confident enlisting more youth into the program would contribute to a dip in crime.
“The skills acquired will enable me to seize existing opportunities and local market demand for artisans, thereby earning income for improved livelihood,” he noted.
Garbatulla’s Zeinab Mohammed and Rukia Ali Kunno were elated after successfully completing mobile phone repair and catering courses respectively.
Zeinab broke cultural barriers that portray women as weaker sex by taking a mobile phone repair course that is considered masculine and which was offered at Garbatulla multipurpose hall during weekdays.
“I want to be an encouragement to other women who believe we can as well thrive in courses previously considered masculine,” she said.
She intends to open up a small kiosk within Garbatulla town where she will be offering the services. “I have already established there is a demand and I am committed to filling it”.
The Ujuzi Manyattani program being implemented by Mashinani Works in partnership with technical colleges provides mobile and village based training to people living within community conservancies in mechanics, hairdressing and beauty therapy, welding, plumbing, tailoring, masonry, motorcycle and mobile phone repair among other courses.
The training seeks to equip youth and women, including those who have never set foot in a classroom, from poor backgrounds, skills to start their own businesses for reliable income and diversify their sources of livelihood.
The sessions by trainers from Laikipia North Technical and Vocational College and Kiirua Technical Training Institute are done in the villages to ensure little or no disruption of the trainees way of life.
Mashinani Works CEO Vishal Shah said the skills would enable the youth and women diversify their sources of income and cushion themselves against climatic shocks.
“They will help reduce over reliance on pastoralism which has become unreliable and build their financial resilience because the skills are not reliant on climate,” Vishal said.
The start up kits, he said, would aid the graduates to start earning income while at home, as they prepare to open up their business premises and shops.
The program has since its inception in 2019 benefited a total of 1523 youth and women, 88 percent of whom are running their own businesses, injecting a whooping Sh147.5 million into the local economies.
Besides helping communities diversify their livelihoods, the program also seeks to ensure the young population is well equipped to grab opportunities in upcoming mega State projects.
The program is also undertaken in West Pokot, Lamu, Garissa, Marsabit, Samburu, Baringo and Laikipia counties.
Northern Rangelands Trust CEO Tom Lalampaa decried a low number of people living with disability taking up the vocational training and encouraged them to seize the opportunity.
He hailed the vocational colleges including the Nyeri National Polytechnic and Isiolo county government for the success of the program, saying it would not have been possible without partnership.
“The graduates will receive nationally recognized certificates following recognition of Prior Learning assessments by the Nyeri Polytechnic,” he said, while conferring the artisan and national skills certificates at the graduation held in Garbatulla town.
In attendance was NRT Eastern region coordinator Dida Dayo, Isiolo Central and North Conservancy Coordinator Abdia Dabaso, Laikipia North TVET Principal Njane Maina, Garbatulla Sub-County administrator Idris Golicha and county Chief officers Nura Diba and Diba Abduba of Gender and Youth respectively.
Youth chief officer implored the local communities to support the graduates by seeking services from them as the Sub-County administrator asked the youths not to sell the kits but use the items to earn income.
