Economic empowerment for women and youth in Ganda Ward, Malindi Sub-county in Kilifi County is taking root with the aim of creating employment for residents.
Already, 15 youth and women groups have received tools and equipment that will enable them create jobs and add value to local products.
The area Member of County Assembly (MCA) Oscar Wanje led the exercise of issuing the groups with various tools and equipment that included a brick making machine, fencing poles making tools, chairs, tents, kitchen ware, sewing machines at Msabaha grounds.
He said that he will also table a motion at the Kilifi County Assembly once the house resumes from recess that will seek to have contractors of county projects procure materials locally to boost local businesses.
The bill will also seek to set aside certain percentage of county projects to companies belonging to local youth and women groups.
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“The women who work at the quarries have had challenges at their work and they get injuries very often but we have brought them brick making and stone crushing machines that will be safer and produce more which will translate to more money,” he said.
Philista Katana, a resident who works at an informal quarry said that the brick making machine will help their work easier and also add value to the ballast they produce.
She added that, they have been using bare hands to break stones into ballast, an exercise that has occasionally led to hand injuries.
“We have received the brick making machine and we have been doing our work bare hands hence getting injuries and this machine will help work to be easier and our products fetch good money,” she said.
Zubeida Kazungu from the Mkilifini Women Group said that the chairs and tents will help them generate income through hiring them out for events such as weddings, funerals, parties and political rallies among others.
“The tents will help us earn income and reduce dependence on bursaries to educate our children and more youth and women will get engaged and do away with idleness that has made them muguka users,” she said.
Nehemiah Okwembah
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