Young people across the country have been urged to explore opportunities in the agricultural sector to curb rising unemployment.
The Presiding Clerk of Friends Church Quakers Nairobi Yearly Meeting Mr Ben Simiyu said the church is among institutions that have been hit the hardest by the current harsh economic environment.
Speaking on Friday, during the official opening of the 35th Nairobi Young Adults of Friends Program (NYAFP) conference at Lavington Girls, Simiyu said the agriculture sector does not only hold tremendous employment opportunities but will also ensure the country becomes food secure.
The three-day conference under the theme ‘Reconstructing Youth for Future’ drawn from Hosea 6:1-6 brought together over 500 young people from Kericho, Nakuru, Narok, Kajiado, Machakos, Nairobi and the Coastal counties.
Mr Simiyu said there exist other opportunities in the IT and Construction sectors that the young generation should boldly explore.
“Praying alone is not effective, take the bold step and look for solutions. Be open to opportunities and when they come your way, use them as stepping stones to greatness,” said Mr Simiyu.
The clerk raised concerns about how the young people in the church have fallen victim to deadly cults.
“It is evident that the economy has become so harsh and many of the youth in church have become victims of religious conmen. Today I make a call to all young people to know and understand our environment knowing that miracles do not just fall from the skies,” he said.
While urging the youth to remain rooted in strong spiritual foundations, Mr Simiyu said the church should ensure that true worship and bible study guides remain central in their application of Quaker faith and practices.
His sentiments were echoed by General Superintendent Davis Webere who asked the young people to identify areas of their gifting and put to practice.
Mr Webere said a time has come for the youth within the church setting to fight to be at the center of decision-making.
“As young people, we must shun the mindset of wishing things would just happen miraculously and face the challenges head-on. We must fight to influence the decisions that are made and shape church policies for the future generation,” he said.
NYAFP President Donnex Wafula in his sentiments urged the young people to align themselves to godly teachings to save the image of the church.
“As we grapple with challenges of exposure to high unemployment that is crippling church operations and broken families, my plea is that as young people we stay true to ourselves and maintain high levels of integrity.
Wafula further challenged the church leadership to come out strong and handle the issues of LGBTQ that are slowly creeping into churches.
