Implementation Area: Mombasa County Kenya and Hatcliffe extension Zimbabwe

Target Population:  Grass root youth groups 

Supported By ;LSU

Young People are an essential component of a nation’s development and the realization of Kenya Vision 2030, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will largely depend on the development of Kenya’s and Zimbabwe’s human resources, of which the youth are the majority. Regrettably though, they have been relegated to the backburners and are at the periphery of all major decision making processes.


Everywhere around the world, young people desire more access not just to job opportunities, but to a better quality of life. They resent being marginalized in government development process and are eager to have greater control over their lives. Youths participating in development plans have been left un-addressed; hence conflict, violence and a missed generation for global development are the costs of neglect that the society is paying one way or another. Oftentimes, problems facing the youth in Kenya and Zimbabwe have characteristically been narrowed down to a mere rhetoric of unemployment. How about the drugs menace? Non-inclusion by various stakeholders? Poor governance? Unemployment is a simplistic way of looking at challenges facing the youth. Aren’t there employed youths who are still disillusioned about the state of affairs in the country?


The number of frustrated and disillusioned youths in the country is slowly forming juvenile gang groups of idle people who can be easily manipulated. The situation has been left unmitigated, and now we have youths who have become gangs for hire to the highest bidder. They are the armed militias who see no evil engaging in crime, as they try to survive in an environment where opportunities and resources are unequally distributed.


The youth should be the change drivers. In the annals of history making are three groups of men: Change drivers who steer the process; change waiters who watch, wait to see what happens next and change spectators who are undecided history viewers. The youth also need to take a leading role in advocating for the speedy and full implementation of the ongoing reform process. The current reform initiatives should be made a reality to the youth and must be driven by both the inspirations and aspirations of young people, especially in the socio-economic and political realms. This will give hope to the youth whose only future lies on the suggested fundamental reforms that would transform the country into a more democratic, open and equitable society.


It is through this background that as an organization in Partnership with Young Achievement Sport for Development a youth led community based organization that uses sport to mentor, develop and build the capacity of young people from slum communities in Hatcliffe extension Zimbabwe we are implementing a joint project. I Vote I Participate (I-VIP) project  seeks to empower 12 (Twelve)  grass root youth groups in Mombasa county  to actively and meaningfully  participate in government development planning process ,  Increasing the awareness of 2% population in Hatcliffe extension Zimbabwe on civic education to actively and peacefully participate in the fourth coming electoral process in Zimbabwe  and Advocating for youth representation in both Kenya and Zimbabwe to seat in government development planning committees.