The Youth Enterprise Development Fund has literally gone Mashinani. In an effort to close the gap between the Fund and the youth, the Fund has launched a grassroots sensitization programme known as Mashinani (Kiswahili for grassroots).

The programme, which was launched in Embu by Youth and Sports Minister Paul Otuoma at the end of May, targets community and youth leaders in a county. Among those invited are all assistant chiefs, chiefs, Dos, DCs, PCs, councillors and members of parliament. Also invited are media practitioners, religious leaders, opinion leaders and other categories of leaders. The programme also targets 100 youth leaders per constituency, literally more than one per sublocation.

Mashinani is an interactive programme that disseminates localized and global information on the Fund and gives participants an opportunity to ask questions, give suggestions or convey their complaints. It is a parliament of some sort.

The Fund has so far covered Embu, Murang’a, Kisii and Mombasa Counties. Murang’a and Kisii had the highest turnout of stakeholders.

Community leaders have appreciated the recognition the Fund has given them as grassroots mobilisers. Youth leaders on their part have mainly focused on the kind of services they want, and how they want them delivered.

The Murang’a and Mombasa meetings were graced by Assistant Minister Wavinya Ndeti. She said she is happy that Fund officials are not sitting idly in Nairobi, noting that work is at the grassroots where people live.

Among the members of parliament that have attended these forums include assistant ministers Cecily Mbarire and Ramadhan Kajembe. Others are legislators Emilio Kathuri, Lenny Kivuti, and Ali Hassan Joho.

Reports from the four counties indicate an increase in applications for loans.