County works with partners to empower youth with digital literacy

Written by Niva Kimutai

More than 260  youth in Nakuru County have benefited from digital literacy training through the collaboration between the County Government and Generation Kenya.

Currently, the training is ongoing at Shabaab Digital Centre with 80 youth benefiting from the digital freelancing program.

The training seeks to equip the youth with digital skills to work online and get a decent earning.

During the official launch of the program, the CECM for Education, ICT and E-Government Hon Zipporah Ngugi appreciated the impact the program has had in addressing the issue of unemployment hence changing the livelihood of the youth in the county.

“The objective of this partnership is geared towards addressing unemployment challenges among the youth through ICT in Nakuru County,” she noted.

Ms Ngugi further said that the administration under the leadership of H.E. Governor Susan Kihika is committed to empowering the youth hence the need to encourage more youth to venture into online work as an income earner.

“Through the program, our youth will be busy doing online work and it will reduce the rate of crime and substance abuse among youth in the County,” she added.

Generation Kenya  Program Officer Mr  Stephen Kihara thanked the County for the infrastructural support that makes the training successful.

Nakuru has 7 digital hubs spread across the county which are also running similar programs.

“The objective of the Digital Centres is to provide a platform for youths to train, and work online and also provide space for innovations and research at no cost as a way of reducing youth unemployment,” said the director of ICT Mr Leonard Kirui.

So far over, 15,000 farmers and over 10,000 SMEs have been trained in digital marketing courtesy of the partnership between ACWICT and the Stanbic Foundation.