Journey to crime-free society as MIDRIFT HURINET steps up mission to transform lives of young people in Nakuru slums

When you mention slum areas of Nakuru East and Nakuru West Sub counties, what comes to the mind of many Nakurians is the illegal and organized criminal groups such as the Confirm gang that for the past has terrorized innocent members of the public.
However, intervention by Nakuru-based Non-governmental organization MIDRIFT HURINET will see the script change.
The NGO in partnership with GCERF, National Counter Terrorism Centre, and  Act Change Transform-Act!,  has been engaging youth from various slum areas in Nakuru with a key aim being preventing criminal activities and violent extremism.
The program has seen a number of youth shun criminal activities and are now a reformed lot.
But even after their reform, MIDRIFT HURINET has gone a step further to ensure the young re-formed are taken through socio-economic empowerment.
This is through trainings with facilitators being from TVET centres, Affirmative Action Funds Managers as well as private sectors.
Walter Mwania from MIDRIFT HURINET says economic empowerment for young people is key especially those who have reformed from the criminal activities is key.
“Young people are vulnerable and if the gap on economic empowerment is not addressed, then they will end up in crime. For this reason, as MIDRIFT HURINET together with our donors and partners, we decided this is the way to go in assisting the reformed youth,” said Mwania.
Sentiments echoed by Moses Chavene from MIDRIFT HURINET.
Chavene spoke on February 15, 2024 during a phase 2 socio economic training for reformed youth from Nakuru East and Nakuru West Sub-counties.
He noted that sensitization on affirmative action funds will help the youth have business oriented minds hence engage in meaningful socio-economic activities.
“We want to see these young people engaged in meaningful socio-economic activities and that is why the empowerment. With clear collaboration with local administrators, we shall also do a follow-up through MIDRIFT HURINET’s monitoring Department,” he noted.
During the training sessions, the reformed youth are taken through capacity building on financial literacy, group formation and dynamics, Table banking, and how to access financial services.
Speaking on behalf of administrators, Assistant County Commissioner Irene Cheptum lauded MIDRIFT HURINET for coming up with such a program.
According to the ACC, the program is timely as majority of youth in slum areas of Nakuru are unemployed posing a threat to security.
She was however quick to note that with such program, then young people will be empowered, get linkages to affirmative action funds and start businesses for self reliance.
“Such programs will really help our youth. We shall have a better society free of crime,” she stated.
While noting that sustainability is key, the administrator called on youth to embrace entrepreneurship and tap into the many opportunities that the government has provided.
Similar sentiments echoed by Mercy Nyanchama from Bahati Enterprise, Lindah Kageha from Kenya National Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Nakuru Chapter and Susan Njuguna from Kenya Association of Manufactures.
The trio called for more collaboration and sensitization on the available opportunities so that young people can tap in the same.
The program has been embraced by youth in Nakuru.
Led by Danstan Ndung’u and Susan Njeri, they lauded MIDRIFT HURINET.
They say the training is key in opening their eyes to more opportunities that will see their lives transformed.
“Such trainings open our eyes and as youth we need to shun crime and focus on legal activities that can help us economically,” said Susan.
With such, MIDRIFT HURINET is on the right track of triggering a sense of agency and authority among the youth to take charge of their social economic status and refrain from crime and the cycles of poverty.
It is a platform for encouraging the youth to embrace shared responsibility for decisions and actions that affects them within a context that acknowledges and values their contribution to peace and security through economic empowerment and financial freedom.
MIDRIFT HURINET also endeavors to capacity strengthen young people to challenge the status quo and be on the fore front to address systemic challenges limiting their access to affirmative action funds.
Pristone Mambili
Author: Pristone Mambili

A trained Journalist with passion for Radio and online Writing.

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