This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the global economy, Kenya's youth have been hit particularly hard. With unemployment rates soaring and businesses struggling to stay afloat, many young people have been forced to rely on handouts and charity to get by.
However, as the article published on August 7, 2020, by Reactor Review highlights, this approach is not only inadequate but also exploitative and disempowering. Instead, the Kazi Mtaani program, which has put over 270,000 young people to work for a wage of Sh.400 per day for a period of three months, offers a more sustainable solution.
The program's success is evident in the fact that the families who benefited from it appealed to the government to bring in more youth into the program, even if it meant reducing the pay per day by half. The government's positive response, which increased the number of beneficiaries exponentially while putting the salary a little higher than the half requested by the youth, is a testament to the program's potential.
As the article notes, the salaries earned by the youth will have a multiplier effect, given the structure of Kenya's grassroots economies and the persistence of the extended family as a social insurance for ordinary people at times of economic crises. This is particularly important during an economic depression like the one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brings to bear a crisis for the extended family as a social welfare mechanism.
While the Kazi Mtaani program is not a panacea for Kenya's economic woes, it offers a much-needed lifeline for the country's youth. By providing a sustainable source of income and empowering young people to plan their lives on their own terms, the program can help Kenya recover from the economic crisis and build a more resilient future.
