Coast students use essays to tackle drug manace
Fast World University, in association with Lamu Archipelago University Students Organisation (LAUSO), has seen 33 students engage in an essay writing competition.
Under sponsorship of New Horizon Consultancy in partnership with Mount Kenya University, the project that was hosted at Ummul Quraa Educational Centre, focussed on the theme of drug abuse, a major problem in the Coast region.
The one-week programme, which saw 18-year-old Hassan Mohamed Fosi of Ummul Quraa Boys score 15 out of 20 marks had five participating schools from Lamu and Kilifi County.
“Basically as youth we are most affected and we want to make a difference. This competition served to show our understanding of the drug menace and how it can be tamed. As somebody who has witnessed the problem, I feel obliged to have a voice,” he said.
The programme was organised by Omar Kiprop, the founder of FWU and Principal of Ummul Quraa alongside Tashrifa Mohamed, a probation officer at Mpeketoni Police Station in Lamu County.
Mohamed, who is also the LAUSO chairlady, praised the initiative and promised to make a return next year.
“It is specifically moulded towards the young people so that we can have them grow up as responsible citizens.
We are partnering with schools around most affected communities so that we can help impact change even at a small level,” she said.
FWU is a mentorship platform created by various stakeholders with the intention of sharing insights on what elevated them to the peak.
