Establishment And Operationalization Of Mandera One Stop Youth Resource Center

PROBLEM STATEMENTAround the country (Kenya), young people and children are growing up in an environment of dynamic change. For some, this complexity provides opportunity and choices; for others, it means a struggle for survival. They have been excluded from designing, planning and implementing programs and policies that affect them. Many who are productive and energetic remain unemployed, continue to suffer from poor health, and lack sufficient support. Those living with HIV/AIDS, on the streets, girls and those with disabilities require special attention. Young people’s needs vary tremendously depending on their stage of life and on the context in which they live.  While this diversity makes it difficult to make any generalization, meeting the needs of youth and children today is critical for a wide range of policies and programs, because their actions will shape the size, health, security, culture, economic, political and prosperity of the Counties future population. The National Youth Policy and in general has highlighted the need for empowering young people in this respect, but still not much has been achieved since its launch in the year 2006. JUSTIFICATIONMuch of the emphasis in urban management today focuses on developing local governance as opposed to local government - where contributions by local stakeholders to local development is achieving greater recognition as a means to good urban governance. The new paradigm of local governance involves making young people active agents for change and development. The Habitat Agenda has several clauses, which calls upon governments and other actors to empower youth for local action. The challenge demands a closer look at the real situation facing most youth at the local level, and their youth organisations. In many cases, it is quite evident that youth organisations are not in a strong position to effectively and efficiently promote and implement recommendations in local development plans in cities and towns. Furthermore, it is important to highlight the fact that at the community and national level in Kenya, youth organisations do not have adequate capacity to empower themselves to work as equals to local government and other civil society actors.The current policies on development in Kenya place much emphasis on economic growth. It is assumed that if Kenya increases its economic growth rate, problems of social development will be resolved. In this regard, young people must be in a position to make their own case for economic growth of counties, and turn their informal sector activities into more than just meager survival activities. This means that they must have the necessary information, knowledge, skills, attitude, will, and organizational capacity to effectively advocate for youth participation in the creation and benefits of urban life.Equally, for policymakers to be able to effectively understand the development of their cities and towns, one key component is a broader appreciation and understanding of the practices and local knowledge of their dwellers, including the youth, who possess a larger numerical strength of those localities.