How Youth Can Help Build a More Sustainable and Equitable Future

International Youth Day

All youth, including those from pastoralist communities are eager for opportunities to live a meaningful, dignified life and to contribute to their communities. Livelihood opportunities, however, are often hard to come by—and are made worse by the climate crisis.

In these communities, droughts have dried up vegetation that many families depend on for their livelihood, and some have been forced to make the difficult decision to marry off their young daughters for survival.

Amidst this crisis, young people are taking action to create a more equitable and sustainable future. Alice Saamakopito, 21 year-old entrepreneur and a mother of two children from Kenya’s Kajiado County, is one of them. The recent droughts have severely impacted Alice’s business, where she sells and herds livestock including chickens, cows and goats, and cooking oil.

Alice is a member of The Emishoi Sidai Self-Help Group, a community-based organization (CBO) that empowers women to take charge of their own lives while also tackling the climate crisis. The group is supported by Nareto Latia, a CBO that advocates for the fundamental rights of women and youth from indigenous communities and empowers them to address poverty. Nareto Latia is a CBO partner of Firelight Foundation, which we’re proud to support.

We spoke with Alice to hear her perspective on how we can empower youth and co-create a more sustainable and equitable future.

What challenges do young people in your community navigate as they seek education or ways to earn a living?

As a pastoralist community, we rely on our cattle to make a living. Due to climate change, drought has affected our community and most families have lost their livestock. This has made it difficult for families to prioritize education for their children. Children sometimes stay at home because our schools do not have enough food and water for learners. Some of young people who are entrepreneurs also lack the skills to sustain their businesses and market their products and services [during this time].

How can young people lead and create a sustainable future?

It is quite evident that we cannot ignore climate change. Even as we seek to take charge of our lives and find work opportunities, we must ensure that our communities can withstand the effects of climate change. Young people can be environmental champions in their communities, volunteer in initiatives such as planting trees, and explore ways of earning an income that do not compromise the environment. I also encourage young people to seize opportunities in their communities. Even by volunteering, they can network and learn a lot.

When you think about your future for youth and that of other women in the community, what do you imagine in it?

I would like to see more young people in the workforce, as the lack of unemployment has made them lose hope for the future. I would love for every young woman in the community to have enough income so they don’t have to suffer while caring for their family. Skilling women and young people in business is a powerful tool for change. This way, education will become a priority in most households.

Tell us about your women-led group and how it’s impacting the community.

We are a group of about 20 women who came together in 2020 to seek solutions to our challenges. As women, we carry the burden of supporting our children, and empowering ourselves is vital. Under the mentorship of Nareto Latia, we have acquired skills like beekeeping, value addition, rearing animals for profit and how to market our cultural hand-made beads to other regions. We have also ventured into hiring out tents during community events. All these initiatives are helping us earn an income, educate our children and take care of the needs of our families. Another big part of our mandate is to champion the planting of trees in our community. We create awareness on why taking care of our environment is essential if women and young people are to thrive in the coming years.

What inspires you to do the work that you do?

I feel proud when I can take care of my children without worrying about their needs. Other women also inspire me in my self-help group. We are resilient and with our numbers growing, we can support each other and our families. I’m also hoping to return to school and pursue a course in social work.