Lake region youths to benefit from fish project
Some one million youths from the Lake region are set to benefit from a fish value chain development project.
Christened ‘Jobless Lives Matter’, the initiative has been rolled out in Busia, Siaya, Kisumu and Kakamega counties.
The noble course seeks to engage the young people, majority of whom lost their jobs and sources of livelihood in aquaculture and other areas along the fish value chain to Covid-19 pandemic. The project is also expected to control overfishing in Lake Victoria.
Through financial support from the World Bank, the respective county governments will harness resources to promote fish farming, establish markets and develop fish value chain hence create job opportunities for the youth.
Timothy Odende, the project’s secretariat coordinator, said fish farming has the potential to turn around the lives of the youths to save them from depression and engaging in vices such as drug abuse.
“This project is going to help our young people who are jobless to earn a living.
It will at the same time improve the economy of this region,” Odende said during the launch of the project in Kisumu yesterday.
First ladies from the four counties will coordinate the two-year project. They have been tasked with the responsibility of identifying beneficiaries.
Odende disclosed that the recruitment will be undertaken at grassroots with each ward in the four counties expected to produce 4,000 youths.
First ladies will use their networks to identify other viable projects to be funded along the fish value chain.
Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga said the county governments will allocate requisite resources and seek partnerships with development partners to make the project a success.
The youth will also be engaged in construction of fishponds and other infrastructure required to roll out the project.
