US youth programme timely, worthy

Kenyans should not take attacks on the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), US President Barack Obama’s youth mentorship programme launched in December 2013, seriously

Some have questioned the process and value of the programme, publicly querying the selection procedure and the relevance of the curriculum.

The intentions behind these comments seem suspect, especially because, contrary to the accusations, the YALI programme is transparent about its selection criteria.

Submit applications

According to the programme, the youth across the continent were invited to submit applications.

In Kenya about 5000 youth applied and 46 were selected through an open and transparent process that involved review of applications, interviews and background checks.

In this first round of YALI, 500 young people from across the continent, including 46 from Kenya, have undergone six weeks of training in some of the best universities in the United States.

These youth are trained in one of three key areas namely business and entrepreneurship, public management and civic leadership.

What is critical is that YALI fellows are then expected to “bring it all back home”, and apply their skills and knowledge to tackle the pressing challenges that affect their communities and countries.

Such skills and knowledge are required not only here in Kenya, but continent-wide. Today, 65 per cent of Africa’s population, or roughly 650 million people are below the age of 35 years.

The youth account for 60 per cent of Africa’s jobless people, according to a study that was conducted by the World Bank last year.

Young population

Youth unemployment and poor leadership continue to threaten development in many African countries and unless Africa has a young population with the skills to help them, the “Africa rising” narrative will remain nothing more than a dream.

It is only people who fear youth empowerment who should feel threatened by such initiative’s designed to build young African leaders

For those of us in the youth empowerment field, the programme is an exciting development, and provides a template for others to follow.

It recognises how crucial mentorship is in any successful model of youth development. A mentor can guide the person being mentored to develop professional skills, networks and experience that they need to grow.

Secondly, the YALI programme is built on the foundational belief that young people do not only have to be passive recipients of help. In fact, they can be part of the search for solution to their own problems, and indeed those affecting their communities.

While the initiative is a comprehensive youth development programme, Kenya and other African countries must create their own programme’s to support and complement Obama’s mentorship programme.

African governments have established countless youth empowerment programmes. But they don’t seem to be making headway in addressing the challenges facing young people.

Accountable leaders

We need to create our own leadership programme’s that can give rise to a new generation of bold, visionary and accountable leaders. We can deny it as much as we want but the truth is that there is scarcity of good leaders in Africa.

Beyond including leadership in school curriculum, Africa should set up centers and strategic initiatives to equip young people with knowledge on good governance.

Governments must allocate enough funding and staff to match the expectations and the demand for youth empowerment.

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Defense spending in Africa increased by 8.6 per cent in 2013, while recording negligible increase in allocation for youth development.

African leaders must match their words with concrete action. They must invest resources in youth service and empowerment programmes to address youth unemployment.

Governments should also develop the technology, oversight systems, technical experience and the training that will give their youth the tools to participate fully in the modern global economy.

The action that the Obama administration took, despite the former President’s attempt to pour cold water, is a step in the right direction. African governments should take inspiration from it and build around it.