Nicholas: Carrying the Torch Forward

After graduating from the Asante Africa Foundation Youth Livelihood Program, Nicholas, hailing from Samburu County in Kenya, felt compelled to contribute to his community. In the year 2023, he formed the Naisul youth group, which was able to cultivate 52 hectares of land in Samburu, ready to be harvested in October with maize, beans, and vegetables. The youth also practiced poultry farming and animal cross-breeding to earn more capital and improve the local breed. Inspired by his learnings, he kick started the Pay-It-Forward mentorship project. Now operational in Amhara, Oromia, and Somali regions in Ethiopia, this project strives to provide education and mentorship for a new, transformed generation. It ambitiously aims to promote peace development, uphold human rights through education and awareness among the youth, and foster a promising future. The project’s objectives extend to advocating for gender rights, bolstering Ethiopian youth towards academic achievements, nurturing leadership skills, and uplifting livelihoods via financial literacy training. 

Nicholas introduced a literacy program to improve reading and writing skills among the youth, particularly in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, to overcome language barriers in the near future. In Oromia, a senior secondary tree planting nursery project was introduced as part of the ‘Trees for Birthday’ initiative drive. Some of the trees were sold at a local market and the funds were used to provide sanitary towels to adolescent girls. 

With 13 million children dropping out of school every year in Ethiopia, there is a need to break this barrier. There is also a need to implement resources to keep girls in school. Four youths from Ethiopia and two from Kenya, including Nicholas, were trained in August 2023, as part of the implementation staff from Asante Africa Foundation. His team currently stands at 14 trained members. The programs taught are aimed at equipping learners with skills in digital literacy, gender & human rights, leadership, and entrepreneurship, as well as 21st-century digital skills, opening a huge opportunity for impact in Ethiopia.

Oromiya Senior Secondary tree planting nursery project, Ethiopia