What the youths can do to better their lives

The youth have time and again been seen as an important part on the development of the Kenyan economy, however nothing much has been done to ensure that these youths and their numerous ideas are tapped into to ensure that their productivity is maximized on. The Kenyan youth are a unique bunch owing to the fact that they are focused so much on innovations. Most of these youths however lack on capital to see their ideas move to the next level. So, what next for the Kenyan youth?

The Kenyan economy is mainly driven by the small scale enterprises that form the tax base of the economy. The youth play a major role in the establishment and the daily administration of these enterprises. As a youth I believe there are numerous opportunities for us to tap into in our country. I believe if the youths pull their resources and ideas together, then we will be able to better our livelihoods and also boost the Kenyan economy.

In agriculture for example, the youth through venturing into agribusiness can ensure that there is a constant supply of various commodities especially by linking farmers from the rural areas with markets in major towns and cities. In Nairobi for example, most fast food joints make use of potatoes to make French fries, the youth could seek this produce from the farmers at the rural areas and sell it directly to these joints at a profit. Better still the youth could add value to the potatoes for example by making potato Crips and selling it to supermarkets making enough profits. The opportunities in agribusiness are numerous depending on the market that needs to be satisfied.

The transport sector is one other area that can accommodate as many people as possible. Most of the commodities need to be taken to a market; the transport sector in our country has improved tremendously in the past decade. This has made it easier to access markets within the east Africa region and most areas have been opened up and are now easily accessible. Labor can now move easily from one point to the other. This therefore provides an opportunity like no other. Goods and people can move from one area to the other in a record time. The better roads, the opening up of air spaces has made it easier for new entrants to venture into the transport sector business.

The penetration of internet has created new opportunities that have been underutilized by the youths. There are millions of opportunities in this new era of the internet. Marketing firms have been able to open online shops and have been able to rake in millions of shillings in revenues just by being able to market their produce online. Online shopping sites such as Jumia and Killimal have made a killing by linking producers and the consumers at a fee. The youth can use the time they spend online by trying to market goods and services at a fee. Instead of wasting man-hours online without making any profits they could venture into this line of business.

The government has introduced funds such as the Uwezo Fund and the youth funds that are aimed at assisting the youths who want to venture into business access capital at a cheaper rate compared to the loans from banks. The youths however haven’t maximized on the uptake of these moneys. What the government should do however is to ensure that the youth are educated on the importance of getting the funds to be able to boost their businesses.