Kiziah’s mission for African and Europe’s youth at global forum

Philbert Kiziah (second left) and his fellow Commonwealth youth leaders with Queen Elizabeth. RIGHT: Kiziah when he graduated from Moi University.  [PHOTOS: SAMMY MOSE/COURTESY/STANDARD]

BY MOHAMMED DOYO

Sri-Lanka: President Uhuru Kenyatta may have missed the Commonwealth Summit held in Sri-Lanka last year but a young Kenyan put the country on the global map.

Philbert Kiziah stood out among thousands of dignitaries who graced the occasion as he was elected to the helm of one of the largest international organisations.

Commonwealth youth elections were taking place in Sri-Lanka and hundreds of youthful leaders drawn from 86 Commonwealth countries were competing.

And among the officials elected was Kiziah; a Kenyan elected as the Executive in charge of Youth Affairs in two continents; Europe and Africa.

Ambassador Kiziah, 25, assumed the coveted position and thanks to it, he is currently rubbing shoulders with the high and the mighty on the global platform.

Recently, Kiziah and his fellow league of Commonwealth members met Queen Elizabeth at the Marlborough Palace during the Commonwealth Day celebrations to chat on matters affecting the youth across Africa and Europe.

Kiziah has also met with the Prince of Wales; Prince Charles on the same topic.

Noble work

Kiziah’s journey to leadership started at the university where he was actively involved in charitable affairs.

Then a Bachelor of Business Management (Finance & Accounting) student at Moi University, Kiziah founded “Sponsor-A-Child Kenya”; an initiative he used to put disadvantaged children, mostly from poor backgrounds in the North Rift region to pre-school by connecting them with sponsors and well-wishers; and donating books and other learning materials.

 Rather than begin with big donors, he convinced his fellow undergraduate students at the Eldoret based institution to give back to the society by spending part of the government grant;  Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) money – to sponsor one child from around the university to get to Kindergarten and later to Primary school.

 And with the initiative, he successfully put over a 100 poor children to school.

For his noble work, he was recognised in 2012 by Kenya Power Company, which sponsored him to an international conference bringing together young social entrepreneurs and leaders around the world to Pittsburgh, USA.

 It is at Pittsburgh that Kiziah got the urge to lead on a bigger platform.

 “I was compelled to work even harder for the society. I left USA knowing everything in this world is possible if we dared to dream,” says the man fondly called ‘super tall’ by his friends because of his over seven feet height.

 When Kiziah came back to Kenya, he founded Hunger Below Zero, a Non-Governmental Organisation geared towards ending biting hunger in parts of Kenya.

 “I studied various ways of improving agriculture in rural areas by conducting seminars in Western and Nyanza provinces,” says Kiziah; an alumnus of St Joseph’s Rapogi Boys Secondary School.

 His efforts were recognised when Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other bodies started inviting him to various food conferences.

 In Sri-Lanka, Kiziah says the journey to be elected to his position was not easy.

 “It was the hardest time in my youth leadership experience, the nomination was only given to the top in the world and luckily I was among them. Convincing the youth from across the globe to vote for me was a challenge too because of different development levels and cultural views but lucky enough, they voted me after a speech I made on the new ways of empowering the youth,” he notes.

 Kiziah graduated with a Second Class honours degree but this did not stop him from achieving his fete especially with his exemplary intrinsic negotiation skills.

 “This proves that everyone in the society has a chance,” he says in reference to children who are looked down upon for not posting excellent results at school.

Inspiration

 In his new position, Kiziah seeks to improve the lives of youth especially in Africa where he seeks to introduce various self-employment awareness projects. He also says he wants to network the youth between the two continents.

  The young ambassador who once served as Mr Moi University in 2011 says his passion has always been to offer genuine leadership to the society.

When asked whether he nurtures any political ambitions, his response is simple.

 “In fact it is not political ambition; it is leadership that I am offering to the youth and the world at large. Let politicians do their thing but be warned that leaders are coming up,” he says.

 Kiziah is yet to meet President Kenyatta and he is optimistic that he will meet him soon.

 “I want to speak to him about the need to empower the youth as well as the need to strengthen ties between Kenya and Commonwealth countries,” he says.

 Kiziah says his source of inspiration is God. He advises the youth to keep on trying and never to give up in life saying with hard work, determination, commitment and prayers, nothing is too difficult to achieve.