A state of the art social innovation centre has been unveiled in Mombasa in a bid to support youth in entrepreneurship.
This follows a partnership by the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), French Embassy, container shipping company CMA-CGM Foundation and Mombasa County government.
The center will serve as a hub for creativity, problem solving, technology driven learning with a focus on nurturing talents in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
The model dubbed IO ME innovation hub has been opened in other counties in the coast region with KRCS promising to ensure they serve every Kenyan youth in the 47 counties with an innovation center.
Speaking during the launch, KRCS Secretary General Dr Ahmed Idris said that the innovation center will be a hub for youth to access technology solution information and trends, test them and scale them up.
“The space that we are launching today is meant to provide a collaborative space for young people to think about challenges in their community, find solutions, test them and scale up. They will be using the latest digital and manufacturing tools that are available and we will be working with the local leadership so that we can reach more people,” said Idris.
He said that the center marks a significant milestone in mission to support youth innovations adding that private partners have come out and embarked on a journey whereby they set up innovation hubs for youth to provide them with opportunities and skills to realize their dreams.
French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet said young people with digital skills will now have a chance to get support on digital skills and entrepreneurship skills that will help them address employment challenges they face.
Suquet said the French government will continue to support innovation in Kenya following the bilateral relationship between Kenya and France.
“The project is meant to give skills to youth because investing in young people is like investing for the whole country. Our government will continue to partner with Kenya and invest in any future innovation project that benefits the youth,” he said.
He commended the government, KRCS and CMA-CGM for providing support in realizing the project that is going to uplift the young people hoping that the facility will be of great use to the people of Mombasa.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir thanked the donors for the initiative and for helping Mombasa youth realize their dreams through innovation.
Nassir said that plans are underway to ensure there are youth centers in all the wards in Mombasa to reach as many of them as possible.
The governor pledged to invest more in the young people by coming up with other projects concerning the youth such as setting up a social innovation hub with artistic equipment where youth will nurture their talents and skills.
“This project is a game changer for the Mombasa youth and it has come at a time when the young people are deeply involved in key innovations,” he said.
By Chari Suche
