Asha Suleiman, SCORE CVE Youth Business Plan Competition beneficiary

I completed my studies in Bachelor of Business Information Technology at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and currently engaged as an intern at Ummah Initiative Group. Since April 2016 when I left campus I could not find an opportunity for attachment until 1st October 2016 when Ummah Initiative began engaging me through the SCORE program. I sincerely thank USAID for sponsoring the SCORE program and further extend my appreciation to Base Titanium who are sponsoring my internship at Ummah Initiative through the SCORE program.
Limited opportunities for youth engagement in internship, job placement and lack of capacity among Kwale youth to engage in meaningful business ventures has significantly contributed to idleness among the youth and to a large extent contributed to radicalization and violent extremism. As a direct beneficiary of the SCORE program I have become aware of many opportunities in government, the mining sector and the hotel sector that I can utilize to improve my economic well-being. The internship at Ummah Initiative has helped me sharpen my professional skills hence enhance my employ-ability.

More importantly I engage directly with about 800 youth members of 40 youth groups benefiting from the Ummah SCORE program. I am using my professional skills in Business Information Technology to help Kwale youth acquire PIN registration, tax compliance, AGPO certification and market access. Together we sort out the challenges that have contributed to idleness and exposure to misuse by such radical groups as MRC and Al Shabaab. In addition, I engage myself with various activities in the office like compiling reports, monitoring of field activities undertaken by different SCORE beneficiary youth groups, ensure proper record management of files and do EPL searches for suppliers which is a USAID donor requirement.

I am among those privileged youth who attended the SCORE CVE Youth Business Plan Competition, Round table Forum and Mining Awards 2016 at Leisure Lodge. The greatest thing about this event was the value added in business networking platform for youth benefiting under SCORE program.

It was possible for me and my fellow youth to freely interact with key people in government and the private sector. We shared our challenges with the right people in government and acquired valuable information in regard to tenders, youth fund, the County Revolving Fund and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund. Most of us are currently busy with the compliance requirements and we thank Ummah for according us the necessary support through the SCORE program.
Currently I am participating in the Ummah Magazine team and I feel very happy to compile stories of hope among Kwale youth and share with the wider community messages of peace and mutual coexistence. I was also privileged to attend the exhibition at the Kwale County ICT Consumer Forum held on 26th to 27th at Ukunda showground hosted by Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) a regulatory authority for communications sector in Kenya responsible for managing the country’s numbering and frequency spectrum resources as well as protecting the interests of consumers of ICT services. The forum included an exhibition which ran for two days. The exhibition included the provision of onsite customer care, support and information services. Local banks, academic institutions, innovators, and youth & women groups were invited. I participated as an exhibitor for Ummah initiative group. This gave me an opportunity to showcase what our organization does and also enable us to provide some information on how we leverage on technology to provide our services.
We were privileged since the governor of Kwale County Hon. Salim Mvurya appreciated the work our organization does especially in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). I was also able to sell the Ummah magazine which contained valuable information that can be used to create awareness to youth on available opportunities in Kwale County. I also attended the DCMT and COEC forum held on 30th October at Nyumba mbovu hall in Kinondo. DCMT is responsible for empowering women to take a stand against violent extremism in their communities. The forum included a brief introduction from the SCORE partners i.e. ACT, HURIA, NCCK, Ummah Initiative Group. Women from different wards in Kwale County were also invited. We were able to watch a documentary on how terrorist activities begin, how young people are easily convinced to join those radicalized groups, and the impact they cause to their families and loved ones behind. There was also a learning session on how women should nature their children as they grow. We were also taught about the characteristics of a good parent, what changes you’ll see in a child that will enable a parent know that his or her child has abruptly changed. We were able to ask questions and they could be answered back. This gave me and other women a chance to engage with the DCMT and COEC on issues that we may have relating to Women against Violent Extremism. Thanks to this forum I am more enlightened on issues relating to women and the problem of radicalization and violent extremism. I am better equipped as a female youth ambassador of peace and it gives pleasure to be able to play a role in the war against terror.
Attending the 4th SCORE Partners coordination meeting at Amani Beach in Tiwi was another unique privilege that allowed me to interact with key organizations and persons involved in CVE.
I learnt so much from USAID top SCORE Program officials, Program technical persons from Act! and key SCORE program implementers drawn from all the 6 counties in the region. Even as my internship at Ummah Initiative comes to an end my connection to Ummah Initiative and the Kwale youth community continues. I am a proud member of the Youth Citizen Oversight Council under the Amkeni Vijana Ugatuzi na Haki UNDP funded program for change. This is a program which I helped build from scratch as I was part of the team that Ummah selected to write the proposal. Thanks to this program as a youth I have managed to interact one on one with senior county government officials including county executive members, chief officers, directors, the speaker of the county assembly, the clerk and members of the county assembly. To be honest Ummah Initiative Group does its best to create opportunities, spaces and linkages for Kwale youth. I am a proud youth committed to peaceful coexistence of communities in Kwale County, and committed to the maximization of opportunities and potential fo the Kwale youth. Jimbo Letu, Wajibu Wetu, Maendelo Yetu!

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