The high rate of unemployment and poverty among the young people in developing countries like Kenya has forced many to look beyond borders in search of job opportunities. Despite academic qualifications, young people have been unable to secure jobs in the skilled and semi skilled labour markets compelling them to cross borders in search of work. This has been driven by their strong desire for self reliance and the need to provide for their loved ones.

Whereas securing jobs abroad is a sign of hope and a future it is also a cause for anxiety. As one plans to relocate, several questions run through the mind such as the nature of the inhabitants, their culture, lifestyle, basic laws that govern the country among others. While some may make deliberate efforts to acquire prior information, majority take off blindly only to suffer terrible culture shock. In some instances some get enticed by the sudden steady income, alluring lifestyles, and gradually lose sight of their primary reasons for migration.

The Youth Enterprise Development Plan through its pre-departure training programme has made significant efforts to address these concerns. In collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), relevant government ministries and accredited recruiting agencies, the Youth Fund has been facilitating pre-departure trainings for young people who are planning to relocate for more than two years. These training programmes seek to equip the young people with adequate knowledge and information on what to expect once they reach at their work destinations in foreign countries.

Prior understanding of issues such as language, culture, religion and basic legal systems indeed go a long way to assist labour migrants live more harmoniously and adapt to their new environment. More importantly young people are taught how to save and invest back home to improve standards of living and earn the country foreign exchange through remittances.

In addition, the pre- departure trainings provide an opportunity for the young labour migrants to go over their contracts to get a clear understanding of what their jobs entail. This includes job description, salaries, and working hours among others. This enables them make informed decisions on whether to take up the job or not.

Mr. Francis Chibeu, 27 year old, is one of the labour migrants who have undergone the pre-departure training facilitated by the Youth Fund. He says that the training has enabled him get a clear picture of what to expect and how to conduct himself once he travels to take up his new job as a security guard in one of the Hospitals in Bahrain. The holder of a higher diploma in business management has for the past two years tried to secure employment in Kenya without much success. It is in an effort to keep alive his dream of owning a successful business that has compelled him to seek work abroad. “I have looked for a job in Kenya for two years since I finished my diploma without success. I am glad that I have secured a job in Bahrain which is a step towards realizing my dream of one day owning a business” he says.

One of the mandates of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is to facilitate young people obtain jobs abroad through structured labour export. This has been achieved through provision of migration loans to the youth who obtain jobs abroad, processing of migration documents and facilitating pre-departure training. During the last financial year the Fund provided pre-departure training to over 3000 youth before leaving for jobs abroad.

Mr. Chibeu is among many young people who hope for a bright future and for those who have obtained employment abroad have had the chance to positively turn around their luck by creating wealth that has not only benefited them as individuals but the society as well.