Changing the world in my own small way [PYN CEO]
Having been born and brought up in the largest informal settlement in Mombasa Kenya [Bangladesh] I can say it was easy growing up in this area with people living in less than a dollar a day. Growing up and seeing youths facing several challenge like drugs and substance abuse and reproductive health rights challenge like unwanted pregnancy, new HIV infection and stigma to people living with HIV in the area, high unemployment rate among the youths and lastly infection of STI and STs
In Kenya today youth make up more than 54% of the national population according to the analysis this is the largest number of the young people the country has ever had since independent and with the money challenges the youth face it was indeed a great burden to the government and also to the familiars.
Having been brought up in the area with no local health facility I saw several girls get complication during birth with some even developing complication during their pregnancy for failure to attend to health services, the sad of it all was when I was in class 4 and losing a class mate who was tring to do a abortion .The cases of the death of the girl was an eye open to me and the community and from there the realization of a better health services for my people begun, having to see several youth within the community who contracted sti and were not going for treatment was also one of the push to help in the realization of a better health for my people
Through Pwani Youth Network and the Youth2youth network mission to have a youth friendly center for our youth started, Together with my fellow champion we advocate and lobbed the county government and also development partner like DSW to help in setting up a YFS for the youths in the area.
It has taken us two year of engaging the government and then non state actor and today as we put down this story through DSW state of art is under construction, we can say that the Journey was not an easy one. The youth center that would be attending to more than 10,000 annual is intend to help in reducing new infection and supporting youth living with HIV,It will support more young people with information and help increase uptake of health services.
Pwani Youth Network is working towards promoting sports, talent and film in the coastal region. I started doing film in the last three years and our first film was white doom that won several awards at the coast film festival, last year we did a film know as watamati and the film scooped several awards at the coast film festival and also won 1 categories at the coast film festival. This year we have done a movie know as the SCALES that would be launched next year. This film is targeting adolescent’s youth with HIV information and digging dip one why more young people are still get HIV infection.
One matter of talent promotion for the last two year we have started a youth music and photography studio and on top of that we have mentored several model who have one Mr. Coast region and Miss youth2youth coast
2017 We are planning to set up a youth multisectral center that would serve the youth on matter of talent, sports and film development. This center we hope would be able to serve youths from all sectors towards offering an alternative solution to most of the challenges they face.
Challenges⦁ Financial support has been a challenge considering that young people have lots of expectation from me.
⦁ The gap between the county leadership and some youths
⦁ Last year I lost all my business through a fire out break and that was my only source of income to support most of my work I do hence derailing my plans
⦁ Overwhelming number of young people expecting support from the program we implement at Pwani Youth
Achievements
⦁ Film I did won award at the Kalasha international film festival
⦁ Young Human rights activist from Kenya national human rights commission for pushing for better healthcare to the youths.
⦁ Hosted the USA ambassador to Kenya Mr Godec in Bangladesh for having the best youth program funded with the us government
⦁ Won the mentor of the year to the youths at 24years
⦁ Pwani Youth won the best youth serving organization with Mombasa county
⦁ More young people now receiving health cares services .
⦁ Supported model to venture into the film and won several awards
⦁ Stared a volunteer male circumcision program in bangle that offer the service to more than 1200 youths
⦁ Currently supporting 50 youth in realization of their talent and linking them to different opportunities
⦁ Peace champion for the peace work I do by the sub county heads
⦁ Travel to the Netherlands for the heart connection tour to inspire the youth in that country
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