In the rugged highlands of Laikipia at the Gallman Memorial Wildlife Conservancy, Kenyan youth met for three days to turn energy and creativity into projects with goals, targeted audiences and intended outcomes. The workshop was facilitated by USIP Senior Program Officer Jacki Wilson with consultant Dr. Eran Fraenkel.
In the rugged highlands of Laikipia at the Gallman Memorial Wildlife Conservancy, Kenyan youth met for three days to turn energy and creativity into projects with goals, targeted audiences and intended outcomes. The workshop was facilitated by USIP Senior Program Officer Jacki Wilson with consultant Dr. Eran Fraenkel. This event was designed to build upon a previous USIP-funded workshop held in February, 2008, in response to the post-election violence that afflicted much of Kenya. Following the first workshop, a group of highly motivated and talented youth returned to the slum areas of Nairobi and other parts of the country determined to tackle some of the issues that had fueled this violence.
The current program tapped into their enthusiasm to infuse the youth with a renew sense of purpose and direction. Plans that emerged from the workshop include radio programs in local languages aimed at specific audiences to increase their understanding of events throughout the country; efforts to reduce violence among 14-18-year old boys by keeping them in school; a jointly planted and tended vegetable for youth from the Pokot and Samburu tribes, which are still experiencing sporadic bouts of armed violence. Workshop participants as well as USIP fully intend to continue to develop project ideas that will increase the role of youth to the development of sustainable peace in Kenya.
