Bungoma town mayor advises youths to be creative and innovative to enhance development in the county.

Bungoma town mayor advises youths to be creative and innovative to enhance development in the county.

Written by: Timothy Makokha and Dyline Wekesa

The Bungoma town mayor Mr. Patrick Masibo, regretted the presence of street children in town saying that the people who give birth to children should take care of them instead of leaving them to meander aimlessly along streets. He also said that there is an NGO based in Israel that has promised to donate kshs.17 million towards rehabilitating street children in Bungoma town.

The rehabilitation program is being organized by Rev. Shavuta from Ndengelwa who is liaising with the funding organization from Israel. It is believed that their main aim is to work on attitudes before providing clothing and other necessary material as well as transforming them into new beings.

The mayor suggested that street children whose parents are identified should be taken back to the parents and those whose parents are not known to be rehabilitated in children’s homes. He said that the main challenge they are facing as the town management is that some street children who were rehabilitated at the children’s home sneak back to the streets causing a security threat to the town dwellers.

He also called upon Christians who form the majority of Bungoma residents to take role in transforming the street children into fine tuned beings. This is because a serious partnership including the religious bodies, NGO’s, well wishers, and the government is needed to ease this process.

The mayor also warned youths against the ‘jobs in town’ mentality, saying that job opportunities are everywhere; it depends on how creative an individual is. Still on the same he urged leaders to alert youths to be creative and begin CBO’s, NGO’s and Sacco’s to uplift their living standards.

The mayor called upon youths to establish projects in villages and seek funding from the government’s youth fund, NGO’s, religious organizations and other well wishers.

The mayor added that the media can as well sensitize and transform society. He challenged journalists to not only report but also give skills to the youths encouraging them to be independent.

On the subject of prostitutes, he warned individuals to be careful with their lives and property to avoid being conned by prostitutes.

It is our responsibility and the responsibility of the church to weed out corruption and individualism from society. ‘People suffer because of lack of creativity and innovation’, said the mayor.  He quoted the River of Jordan orphanage at Musikoma in Bungoma town to have transformed several street children, reducing their number from the town. He also urged youths to establish soccer academies to tap talent and reduce boredom. 

More training centers on entrepreneurship to be established in the county, to help equip youths with necessary skills in their endeavors. ‘Let youths build own destiny, have unity and seek advice in order for them to excel in life’, said the mayor today in his office as he was addressing a group of journalists.