“Many youth are idle and their greatest desire is to have jobs or a source of livelihood but unemployment is a major challenge. This make the youth a soft target to drug barons and others,“ explains Ali Hassan. Many young people in Kenya, especially in the coastal parts of the country, are faced with the challenge of drugs and substance abuses.
“Once I decided to quit drugs, my friends introduced me to the Red Cross that got me enrolled in a youth programme; which renewed my hopes and enables me to keep off drugs and other vices. I was told to give the list of the tools I would require for my workshop to be supported and that made me determined”, continues Ali. The EU Trust Fund for Africa is supporting the Red Cross in the implementation of the project "Conflict prevention, peace and economic opportunities for the youth"; which targets a total of 4,500 youths in eight counties in East and Coastal Kenya providing livelihood skills and vocational training.
“Now that I have changed, my father has allowed me to work in his workshop. My father never trusted me at all but now he entrusts me with his valuable tools to facilitate my work. My advice to young people is to stop using drugs”, urges Ali. “My plan is to run a workshop, earn a living and eventually marry and life will be good. The community used to refer to me as a drug addict but now they know me as a skilled person, a carpenter.”
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Details
- Publication date
- 19 April 2018
- Region
- Kenya
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- Red Cross Kenya