YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CENTERS

This is a Kenya Vision 2030 flagship programme under the Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups sector of the Social Pillar. The YECs are modelled to be a ‘One Stop Centers to address their diverse and dynamic needs. The establishment of YECs is a unique response to challenges facing the youth such as inadequate capacity and access to ICT services, guidance and counselling on drugs and substance abuse, HIV-AIDS prevention among others.

Besides promoting and nurturing youth talent, the YECs serve as a platform for integrating services such as entrepreneurship training, information provision, ICT, counselling, games, community mobilisation and networking, making the YECs to be hubs for all Government activities involving the youth countrywide.

A fully-fledged YEC was to be constructed in three phases all constituting a Y- shape (meaning Youth) of an office complex. Wing A consisting of a library, cyber café, a guidance and counselling room, a room for indoor games, an office and a store and the National Government through the then Ministry of Devolution and Planning were to fund the establishment of this wing. The second phase (wing B) would comprise a large multipurpose hall, a physical fitness gymnasium, a reproductive health facility and changing rooms funded by the local National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG- CDF). The third and final phase (wing C) funded by the local County Governments was to comprise a conference room, counselling and testing room, a secretariat office, drugs, substance abuse facility, and a nutritionist facility.

Key partners have been instrumental in the process of operationalisation of the various Youth Empowerment Centres (YECs) countrywide they include; Spread Truth, UN-Habitat, I Choose Life, include Constituency Development Fund (NG- CDF), Ajira Digital Kenya, General Motors, Isuzu East Africa, PATH and World Vision. The partners have facilitated the provision of indoor and outdoor games, internet connectivity, computers and furniture among other items.