Inclusion and Integration of Youth Needs in Youth Empowerment Programmes: A Mixed-Method Study of Nairobi and Trans Nzoia Counties
Abstract
The youth bulge, a rapid population increase among young people caused by reduced infant mortality without a corresponding decrease in fertility rates, has recently become a pressing reality in Africa. It has triggered calls for concerted efforts from all development actors in the continent to ensure that youths are engaged in meaningful socio-economic and political advancement in their respective nations. As a result, many state and non-state youth empowerment programmes (YEPs) have been developed in Kenya over the last two decades, even as concerns continue to be raised about their efficacy and sustainability. This paper focuses on exploring the extent of youth inclusion and the integration of youth needs in YEPs in two counties: Nairobi, an urban setting, and Trans Nzoia, a rural setting. The study adopted a mixed-method research approach. First, a comparative youth survey was conducted in Nairobi and Trans Nzoia counties. The cross-sectional survey involved 244 youth respondents in the two counties and was complemented by Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews, and observation. Descriptive analysis through SPSS and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The study established that youths participating in Youth Empowerment Programmes (YEPs) are primarily engaged as groups, rather than as individuals. In addition, youth inclusion in YEPs is generally lacking, with a majority of participants in both counties, 53.1% in Nairobi and 59.7% in Trans Nzoia, disagreeing with the statement that youth have a say in the programmes run in their respective areas. Regarding the integration of youth needs, the study found that young people experience limitations in accessing finance and support from programme officers. The study recommends enhancing avenues for youth engagement to facilitate greater efficacy in the conceptualization and execution of YEPs in Kenya.
Downloads
Metrics
PlumX Statistics
References
2. Commonwealth (2020). Youth development index results report. Commonwealth Secretariat Publication: United Kingdom. Retrieved from
https://youth-developmentindex.thecommonwealth.org/assets/pdf/global-youth-development-report-2020.pdf
3. Dirastile, K. (2020). Accelerating youth empowerment for sustainable development in Botswana: Assessment of potential, prospects and development. In Politics and Sustainable Development in Africa (pp. 10-21). Centre for Democracy; Nairobi.
4. Farm Africa (2017). Annual Impact Report 2017. Retrieved from https://www.farmafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/farm-africa-impact-report-2017.pdf
5. Farm Africa (2021). How vegetable farming is creating brighter futures for rural youth. News. Retrieved from https://www.farmafrica.org/how-vegetable-farming-is-creating-brighter-futures-for-rural-youth/
6. Fukuda, M. & Zusman, E. (2024). "Meaningful Youth Engagement in Sustainability Processes in Japan and Finland: A Comparative Assessment". Sustainability 16, no. 15: 6415.
7. Giddens, A. (2009). Sociology. 6th Edition. Philip W. Sulton (Eds). Polity Press, Cambridge.
8. Government of Kenya (2010). The Constitution of Kenya 2010. Nairobi. Government Printer
9. Hart, Roger. (1992). Children Participation from Tokenism to Citizenship. Florence, UNICEF Innocent Research Centre
10. Hodgson, D. (1995). Power to the child. Social Work Today, 12: 12 -13
11. Issaka, J., Francis, H. A., Emmanuel, N., & Barbara, A. K. (2022). Assessing the Role of Youth Groups in Community Development in the Nkwanta South Municipality. Social Education 3 Issue 1,133-147
12. Isioma, I. & Evans, Boadu, S. (2018). The paradox of youth empowerment: Exploring youth Intervention programme in Ghana. Cogent Social Sciences 4 (1), 1-15
13. Jennings, L. B., Parra- Medina, D. M., Messias, D. K. H., & Mcloughin, K. (2006). Towards a critical social theory of youth empowerment. Journal of Community Practice, 14(1/2), 31-55
14. Kasoli, K. M. & Mutiso, J. (2020). Determinants of sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Machakos County in Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 7 (3) 112 - 132
15. Kempe, R. H. (2012): Engaging the youth in Kenya: empowerment, education, and employment. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 17(4), 221-236
16. Kenya Youth Development Policy (2019). Empowered Youth for Sustainable Development. Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs. Nairobi. Government Printer
17. Kirtzel, C. & Lorenz, A. (2023). How to make projects to enhance youth participation successful. A comparative analysis of six youth dialogue projects. EU Citizenship Beyond Urban Centres, 111-124
18. Krzalewska, E., Martelli, A., & Pitti, I. (2023). NextGenerationEU as a (more) youth-friendly Europe? International Review of Sociology, 33 (1), 65-79
19. Mburu, M. & Makori, M. (2015). Management challenges facing the implementation of youth development projects in Kenya. A case study of Youth Enterprise Development Projects in Nairobi Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2(34), 636 - 661
20. Morton, M. H. & Montgomery, P. (2013). Youth empowerment programmes for improving adolescents self-efficacy and self- esteem. A systematic review. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(1), 22-33.
21. Peterson, A. N. (2014). Empowerment theory: Clarifying the nature of high-order multidimensional constructs. American Journal of Community Psychology, 53 (1-2), 96-108.
22. Pettit, J. (2012). Empowerment and participation; bridging the gap between understanding and practice. United Nations Headquarters, New York. 10-12 September 2012
23. Pilar, Pineda - Herrero, Pilar, Ingrid Agud-Morell, Anna Ciraso-Carli & Pere Soler-Maso (2018). In their own words: Elements of youth empowerment in Spain. Journal of Social Service Research, 44(5), 601 – 613
24. Sikenyi, M. (2017). Does Kenya’s youth enterprise development fund serve young people? In IDS Bulletin, Transforming Development Knowledge, 48(3), 127 – 139
25. Taole-Kolisang, L., Makamane, A., & Khetsha, Z. (2024). Enhancing Rural Livelihoods and Empowering Youth Through Agripreneurship: An Analysis of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in QwaQwa, Free State, South Africa. International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management 5(2), 1-17
26. Tsekoura, M. (2016). Spaces for youth participation and youth empowerment: Case studies from the UK and Greece. Young 24(4), 326 - 341.
27. United Nations (2020). World Youth Report: Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda. United Nations
28. USAID (2019). Agency Financial Report for FY 2019: Promoting a Path to Self-Reliance and Resilience. USAID Publication. Washington, DC
29. Youth Enterprise Development Fund Strategic Plan (2020/21-2023/24. Retrieved from https://www.youthfund.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/YEDF-STRATEGIC-PLAN-2020-TO-2024.pdf
30. Xavier, U. M., Manel, J. M., Pere S. M., & Jaume T. B. (2017). Exploring the conceptualization and research of empowerment in the field of youth. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 22 (4), 405 – 418
31. Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory: Psychological organizational and community levels of analysis. In J. Rappaport & E. Seidman (Eds), Handbook of community psychology 2, (pp 43-63). New York: Plenum
Copyright (c) 2024 Catherine Mbugua, Karuti Kanyinga, Paul Mbatia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.