OPINION | ‘Strengthen Social Capital Approach To Boost Opportunities For The Youth’

By, Dennis Wendo

NAIROBI,Kenya, Feb, 4 – Social capital, though with multiple definitions, interpretations and uses, it largely refers to the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society that enables them to function effectively.

 It involves the effective functioning of social groups  such as self-help groups, community based  organizations, Sacco’s,   registered entrepreneurial entities through interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity; understanding; norms; values; trust; cooperation and reciprocity.

Social capital measures the value of resources, both tangible and intangible and the impact that these relationships have on the resources involved in each relationship and on larger groups. It is a form of capital that produces public goods for a common purpose.

With less than 7 months to the next 2022 general elections; various competing political factions are fronting differing social economic models in their quest to excite voter’s ; greater targets being the youths who remain vulnerable yet energetic with no jobs or well  utilized opportunities to positively engage.

One of the major economic problems in Africa and Kenya in particular is its underdevelopment and poverty syndromes which have been confirmed by

various studies that have been done on various economies on the continent.

The general consensus is that until these major issues of Africa’s economy are addressed, the continent will remain excluded from the global economy arena, with poverty levels in escalation.

As we read and listen to the blue-prints and the various proposed “revolutionary economic models” of the presidential hopefuls; it remains critical for the youths to keenly interrogate each and bear witness to implementable ideologies, policies and not “hot-air” at the dangle of handouts and tokenism.

One approach of strengthening social capital power is to encourage the society to impress structured working associations that guarantee return on investments, growth, security and expanded opportunities by and large.

 Lack of information, interest, commitment and resilience remains an impediment among many in the society. Many of the youths are heedless or half-baked in understanding the formation and management of Self Help Groups, CBO’s, Sacco’s, sole proprietorship(s), partnerships and insurance packages that work well with common mwananchi.

Many remain unaware of the strength and benefits of such structured registered groups. A practical case view is the ballooning of Whatsapp groups’ in call and need for harambee(s) to either offset medical, burial or education expenses. The trend is becoming unbearable, fractious and a burden to many Kenyans who are struggling to make ends meet.

“Administrators of these whatsapp groups practice involuntary invitations and rarely collect meaningful amounts to offset the said bills. Conmen and scrupulous individuals have also taken the opportunity to fleece innocent Kenyans with fake whatsapp accounts in need of support” Strengthening structured groups can be a cure to such incidents.

As it is now the existing friendlier opportunities at Uwezo, Youth and Women enterprise fund, AGPO, KYEOP, as well as borrowing and investment offers in a majority of the established Sacco’s remain underutilized.

One better way to tame the misuse of youths and their over reliance on handouts is to increase information awareness campaigns led by media, the local administration, ministries of gender and social protection services, youth and sports, interior and national coordination, inter-faith based organization(s), civil societies among other key agents; let this bodies be key drivers in calling for the youths to coalesce and work under organized groups rather than individualism.   

Let the government support policies that encourage investment in social capital; either directly or by creating an environment friendly to the emergence and management of local associations.

Dennis Wendo, is the Founder- Integrated Development Network. Email: dambehi@gmail.com