Over 200 youths from Chevaywa Ward in Lugari Constituency have benefitted from a one-day career development and life skills empowerment forum to enhance their capability to navigate through life.
The one-day forum held at Nambilima Primary School, courtesy of EcoRising Alliance, targeted youth currently in form four, form four leavers, and those already in tertiary institutions.
Speaking after the forum, EcoRising Alliance Chief Executive Officer Collins Lugongo said there is need for all stakeholders to join hands, empower and steadfastly support the young people for a better future.
He said although his organisation mainly deals with environmental issues, it also tries to connect nature and humanity.
Lugongo said, “We believe in the mutual existence of people and nature.”
“Today we have successfully held our second edition of youth empowerment in the rural setup here in Chevaywa after identifying gaps in our community, where students, especially the rural youth, lack inspiration and information on career choice,” he said.
“We have hence held this career forum with the aim of bringing them together, giving them the necessary skills, and making them aware that courses offered at mid-level colleges are also important and they should pursue them,” he said.
Lugongo also noted that their objective is to increase the transition rate from secondary schools to tertiary institutions so that the community and the general society can be transformed since knowledge is power.
“Through such career forums we are engaging, equipping, and empowering our society because the teenagers and the young people need to be empowered for them to have a better future and for all of us to have a better society,” he stated, adding that the forums are insightful based on the diverse knowledge and skills shared by the various facilitators.
Dr. Jaluo Murunga, a Psychology Lecturer at the University of Eldoret, urged primary and secondary school leavers who did not attain university entry grades to seek placement in Ttraining Institutions and mid-level colleges to acquire practical job skills.
“All of us have been made to believe that the moment you have attained a university entry grade, you have succeeded. That is a false notion”, said Dr. Murunga.
“We have very good courses offered in Technical and Vocational Colleges, Medical Training Colleges and Teachers Training Colleges where graduates from them are able to pursue university education,” Murunga advised.
He said regardless of whether the child scored the lowest mean grade of ‘E’ he or she can be imparted with skills and made useful in the future.
“Currently the courses offered at technical colleges are the most marketable. Personally, as a lecturer, I cannot compete with someone who is in the beauty industry or a technician somewhere. Those are the courses that those who scored between mean grade E and C- can undertake,” he said.
Chevaywa Technical and Vocational College Deputy Principal Margret Mukulo and the area Ward Administrator Mercy Mukopi lauded the EcoRising alliance for organising the forum, saying it will enable the form four leavers to make wise career choices for the sake of their future.
Nambilima Secondary School Head Boy Werunga Kevin said the forum has been insightful, appealing to beneficiaries not to take it for granted.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
