A total of 205 youths in Elgeyo Marakwet County will benefit from a driving course sponsored by the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
According to the patron, the Women Representative Mrs Jane Kiptoo, the fund will spend sh 6 million to train one youth from each of the 205 sub Locations in the County.
The Elgeyo Marakwet MP said the fund had already been advertised for the course saying the adverts were in all the Assistant Chiefs’ Offices in the sub locations and called on the youths to apply for them to benefit.
Noting that the programme aimed at alleviating the problem of unemployment among the youths, the patron called on those applying and the committee vetting the applications to ensure that the youth selected is interested in driving to earn a living.
Mrs Kiptoo was speaking at the County Commissioner’s Hall in Iten when she presented cheques worth shs6.5 million to 26 women groups from Marakwet East, Marakwet West and Keiyo South Sub Counties.
Each of the group received sh250, 000 for table banking meant to empower women economically. She therefore advised the women to use the money to uplift themselves citing a group of Visually-Impaired Women from Marakwet East who bought a posho mill using the funds.
“The posho mill is now able to generate income for them thus placing them on the road to financial independence,” said the Women Representative.
Mrs Kiptoo said a group must have 100 members to qualify for funding saying the money which is given as seed capital has helped women elevate their lives since its inception.
“I am happy that some women have put the money to good use and in turn elevated their lives from extreme poverty to a much more manageable status,” she added.
The women representative alluded that NGAAF does not only focus on women but also the youth, those living with disabilities and the elderly.
By Rennish Okong’o
