Parents in Homa Bay County have been urged to be vigilant on the movement of their children during this festive season to curb the rising cases of early pregnancies in the region.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) statistics, Homa-Bay County has 33 per cent prevalence teenage pregnancies and is the second highest after Nairobi County.
Homa Bay County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Youth, Sports, Talent Development, Gender Inclusivity, Cultural Heritage and Social Services, Sarah Malit said that the protection of the children begins right from the family unit before it becomes a collective responsibility in the society.
“Let us as parents be vigilant with the children from the family level by showing them what to do,” said Malit.
Speaking during a press briefing Friday, Ms Malit said that parents should provide the basic needs of their children so that they don’t become vulnerable to sex predators.
She also challenged the local communities to ensure that orphans are catered for as a collective responsibility.
The CECM also urged Homa Bay youths to develop a positive attitude towards all jobs as white collar jobs were scarce.
She added that there are a lot of opportunities which could be exploited by youths and promised that the government would support them with seed capital.
“Instead of just sitting back at home waiting for white collar jobs, let’s learn to start small because even Rome was not built in a day,” she challenged youths.
The official also assured the youths that the government will give them priority whenever job opportunities arise.
On the same note, she promised to coordinate with other departments to consider youths, women and persons with disability when recruiting new employees.
“County funds are not enough but we are working closely with partners and stakeholders to mobilise resources to boost the wellbeing of our youths,” said Malit.
The County government also has a plan to construct a cultural Multi-Plex at Ndiru-Kagan in Rangwe Sub-County which will give several youths an opportunity to showcase their skills in handcrafts and other cultural activities.
She said her department is planning for several sporting activities like football, netball, martial arts among other games to engage youths as a way of minimising crime.
Malit said youths should exploit their talents to earn a living by joining big teams nationally and internationally.
“Governor Gladys Wanga has organised a tournament dubbed Genowa Governor’s Cup set to kick off soon and will be running annually during December holidays,” Malit stated.
By Brian Odhiambo and Davis Langat
