Speaker urges youths to grab opportunities in agriculture sector

Youths across the country have been urged to 'wake up from slumber' and grab opportunities in various sectors for economic sustainability.

Elisha Jack Oraro, Kisumu County Assembly Speaker says massive opportunities exist in agriculture, climate change and vocational training, urging young people to embrace them.

He said young people, instead of being job seekers, can become job creators if only they embrace an attitude change.

"You can simply become your own boss. Change your perception, change your attitude. Start doing something, however little it may seem to be," he said.

He spoke on Tuesday at a Kisumu hotel, during the opening of the Vijana Twaweza Conference, organised by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Nyanza region chapter.

The Speaker said business pays, taking the youths down memory lane of how he managed to pay his school fees from standard three to University, through running businesses 'here and there.'

Oraro said youths consist of 25% of the Country's population. In Kisumu County, the Speaker said almost 500, 000 residents are youths from the County's 1.3 million population.

"Remember, age is not with you. Today you are a youth, tommorrow you are not," he added.

His sentiments were echoed by Beatrice Akinyi Odongo, the Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Sports, Youths and Gender Affairs.

She urged youths to try their luck by submitting applications, when a chance is advertised instead of just brushing off.

"Most of the young people do not take chances. Believe in yourself. Get out of the comfort zone. If a chance comes up, try."

The 2023 Nyanza region Vijana Twaweza conference is themed 'Youths for Peace, Cohesion and Dignified Livelihoods.'

It comes few days after Azimio leader Raila Odinga called off the two weeks bi-weekly protests.

Youths were actively involved in the demos.

Several people died and property worth millions of shillings destroyed in Nairobi and Kisumu, after violent confrontations between the police and rioters took centre stage.