 The active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is key to achieving sustainable, inclusive and stable societies. Bob Bogonco, a young enthusiastic Kenyan man, speaks about his zeal for youth participation and development. The construction industry, building construction industry, and then also do general supplies. Yes, also do hotel accommodation, also do visa facilitation to various countries. Yes, and also business entrepreneurship, and then also do consultancies on project management. Yes, and also geological reports and research, qualitative and quantitative research methods. Yes, and also baseline and end line service for projects and organizations. So basically I'm an administrator by profession. I really encourage the youth to always come on board and participate in public participation forums. Like for me whenever we have a public participation forum here in Nairobi County, you'll never miss me. I always come and attend those sessions and actually even listen and even contribute and ensure that the youth agenda is actually pushed. So youth need to participate in public participation forums. The ability to establish support networks in order to fully participate in community life and effect positive social change is what Bob has displayed through his organization that aims at empowering the girl child. Sister for Sister is an organization that we basically deal with the girl child empowerment. This is basically peer to peer engagement. We mentor girls on how they can go through their menstrual cycle. Then the other thing is that we also do sanitary travel distribution to informal settlements. We also do food distribution, dry food staff distribution, and then we also give them training and mentorship skills on career development and also some skills that they can use in order to maybe earn income generation activities in the community where they are based. Our vision as an organization is to basically ensure every girl living in informal settlement get access to quality education, get access to sanitary travel without hustling, without struggling. So we started with Nairobi. Then because we are an organization we started in 2014. So we are growing day by day, we are growing day by day. We identified Kibera as one of them, a place called Soweto and Rila Village. And then the other place is also Mogumueni Ward, it's in the size of Langata. And then the other place is Kamkunji and Iseli as well. And then also going to Jogorod as well. And then Mukuru Kwa Jenga in South Bim. So those are the places that we've actually worked there, gone down the ground and actually made an impact with them. Capsion sister for sister, the organization as Bob states and tells different activities that he is able to achieve through the help of interested parties. Before we do any activity we have to conduct something called research. So we go on the ground, we do qualitative and quantitative research. Basically we map out and see which areas, which informal segments we have and actually has highest number of girls living in that society. So this data is actually goted by the KNBS, Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics, Minister of Evolution. So this data is actually there by the government's website. So once we get that we go to the chief, we talk to the chief and then we talk to them and tell them how we can partner with them. So then they actually give us a list and actually help us to identify the exact VGG where those girls stay and they need agent attention for us to give them the sanitary travel support. So that's actually how we identify them through the government documentation statistics and then also UN has been there, WHO, World Food Program, World Vision, AMREF, Kenya. So we've also been in touch with them and have actually helped us to identify and map out this KGG that desperately needs so we go and give them their training and also sanitary travel distribution. Bob's Centre of Interest is the informal settlements where the worst threats and challenges to sustainable development such as unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, hunger just to name but a few are at a high rate. When you go to any informal settlements, people go through a lot of challenges people really go through a lot of issues here and there so maybe they lost their parents, they are orphans, some don't have maybe elder siblings or relatives who can actually hold their hand and help them to be able to finish primary education. So you find that for a girl to grow up and actually feel part and parcel of the society and even boost their self esteem, they need what? They need sanitary travel. In an informal settlement, most people they live through, they live below $1 a day. So it's very hard for them to actually access basic needs and at the same time during the menstrual cycle, they need a sanitary travel. So as sister for sister we come in to bridge in the gap. How do you bridge in the gap? We do proposals, we have donors here and there who come in asisters to do work, to come in and be able to facilitate that to them. We actually even whenever we have them, we put them in a chief's camp so that they can be able to access them, we even go to children's home there so they can even actually come and get them. We actually even go to primary schools, we talk to some few principals here and there and then it's actually a point where they can come and collect the sanitary towels and feel confident in their life. I engage the youth within communities, schools, organizations, peer groups and families in a manner that is productive and constructive, says Bob. Actually a primary goal is sanitary travel distribution. Then number two, you know you can't just come and give a girl child who lives in an informal settlement just sanitary travel without giving them food. So we actually went back and revised our strategic plan and decided to come up with another, decided to add some other outputs which is actually food distribution. So we also do food distribution and then among us in our organization I have some young youths whom I personally mentor and I've actually brought them on board. So some of them they volunteer. In this noble course they bind to my vision so they volunteer and work. So for me I re-branded them and they call them change agents. So we have a WhatsApp group for them whereby I mentor them. So now these change agents, most of them are actually professionals who work in various companies. Some also young youths who are looking for jobs. Some of them are even college students, university students. So I tapo to them in their skills, I engage them and then we do peer-to-peer, peer-to-peer training. So most of them are actually ladies. So personally I go with them, train them and I help them understand their concept about cancelling because I'm a trained professional counselor. I started that in campus, community development from my university. So all these skills that have been trained so these change agents that I meet them, I talk to them, have one-on-one sessions with them and then from there it will be easier now for me to bring them to pass the message home to the community affected because you know sometimes you can't go to a community and distribute sanitary towel to a girl and then you're a gentleman. So it can be a bit tricky here. But actually most of the girls in the various institutions we meet like Ambreff, the great child in need project because one of the beneficiaries of our project so we really work with them and at least that stigma has been able to remove. Youth are the touchbearers of the 2030 agenda as young people all over the world are contributing to achieving the sustainable development goals. Bob therefore through his organization is playing a big role in supporting the vision 2030. For a community to feel that they're actually doing well and succeeding in life, they basically need some few skills. One is go through primary and secondary education then the other one is to basically also empower them in the various skills that they have. So us as an institution, us as an organization how we become sustainable is very simple. We ensure that we promote the vision 2030 document. We talk about every child has to finish high school at least secondary school. Another pillar of vision 2030 for us to achieve the vision 2030 document is the economic pillar. How do we achieve economic pillar? We basically put them into various groups especially those who are above 23 years and 23 years and below. So we put them into very many groups we call them self-help groups. Then also through our donors we talk to them tell them to come up with we help them do proposals business plans so these business plans will help them come up with a way on how they're going to they're going to come up with a way on how we're going to support their business plan then actually do income generating activities like they can sell mandazi, they can sell tomatoes, green house projects among others, the rare chicken pigs so we encourage them to do that and then once they get that we also encourage them to do savings. Actually that's one of our long-term goals to encourage the youth to develop a savings culture. Participating in a local NGO is a worthwhile way of supporting sustainable development efforts and therefore Bob is playing a positive role to the enhancing of the economical growth. Our role as an organization in the economy of Kenya we've divided it into two categories one, for an economy to grow we need to empower skills we need to instill skills to the young people so that those skills they can use it now to go to the manufacturing industry and actually bring and actually do innovations and make money through innovations. Now then the other thing is with our organization we also have various people who are actually well networked in their companies, organizations government offices they influential in very many institutions so we talk to them and we tell them we share with them our database and tell them we have change agents like I told you before young youths in my mind I call them change agents who give back to the staff or sister so I share with them the database and tell them we have this youths place if you have any internship opportunities kindly remember them because some of them are actually graduates in different skills so how we contribute the economy is basically by that we talk to our networks we give them our database we tell them kindly help these youths in your office if you have an opening and then also when they are given internships or maybe short term contracts they will be able to pay tax then the other thing is how we contribute to the economy is basically like I told you very passionate about also entrepreneurship like I told you I also run a company called Iluad Company Limited so I basically also train and motivate youths to actually start a business and do agribusiness basically and also general supplies and then also to actually and even do things that they actually like to do them as a passion so when you tell the youths to do these activities and tell them to do these entrepreneurship activities it will basically open up their minds open up their ideas they will have a very wide scope on what to do and what to focus on so when they tap into that then in our networks within the organization we know like Etolo NCCA Kenya National Chamber of Commerce we know Angaf National Government Affirmative Action Fund we know CDF we know various county governments leadership, governors first lady, county first ladies and other partners on board we talk to them and tell them hey we have these young youths please kindly support their entrepreneurial activities and without way it will help to boost the GDP of our country Kenya despite the inevitable challenges experienced he has been able to achieve a lot challenges number one is the most common is a funds constraints you know sometimes it's a it's very tricky specially when maybe you don't maybe you know sometimes you can go to you can walk to a donor agency company and do a proposal they even tell you to come and do a PowerPoint presentation and then maybe you're not successful so sometimes can be discouraging so lack of funds is a challenge and then like I told you we are planning to now go to Mofistan and also the coastal regions to talk about family planning and also talk about poverty eradication and also menstrual cycle in those areas so when you go there you find that sometimes road accessibility to some roads are actually a challenge because I've been there in Samburu, Marsabit to Kana so road networks sometimes those areas road networks are banned then those are challenges we face is sometimes you can hostility from the community members you can go there to the community you have a nice concept you've been given authority by the area chief maybe government agency around to help you like you've been given the approvals for you to do your activity so when you go there maybe they comment may not accept you may not host you on board so it becomes a challenge for you to for you to go through that one of my greatest achievements is I'll take you back to them again the vision to infected document and also we'll refine it to to the SDGs sustainable development goals laid out by the UN promote number two is to is to ensure that food food security is to achieve food security so when we do donation of food staff we are achieving goal number two and then the other one is maternal and child healthcare Amrif has been a partner to us so we've been engaging even beyond zero have been attending their their runs and even mobile clinics we actually personally went to a spoke water and when we launched the mobile clinic there and it was very good because we were able to achieve maternal and mortality we were able to eradicate child mortality then the other thing, the other achievement we've done is environmental sustainability like actually this coming third day we are marking one anniversary since we did a very major cleanup in Nairobi west world which was greatly funded by Nairobi Governor Meksanko which actually help us to ensure that you know Betty let me tell you something here in Nairobi Kenyans we have we really lack moral sometimes guys they eat a maize cob they throw it on the streets you can have your biscuit you throw it on the streets so after three months it goes in clothes into the sewer line we come there's a lot of blockage and then that area becomes flooded so we knew so this cleanup activities that I did last time it was very very big and Stathmo University student leadership they came and also gave their volunteers to come and support and so this activities they actually help you to achieve what we call environmental sustainability currently working on a water project thanks his vinyl remarks on how to achieve success right now with COVID-19 we actually we've actually been tasked by he's actually the president that we actually need to ensure that water is there because water is an essential service so what you've done as a ministry we've actually worked and done we've done open for tenders that guys do boreholes guys have been bidding for waterpans then we've actually sent out a team to go and contractors to go on the field and do and dig boreholes so that we can be able to access them and also earth dams and waterpans so these are projects which are actually ongoing so right now as a ministry we actually first tracking those projects I'd really like to encourage the youth to always put their focus high always trust in God do not relent in putting your faith in God respect your parents respect your elders radiobibol every day and always have friends who are going to hold you tight who are going to encourage you to keep your best foot be active in church don't despise other people respect other people's opinions and with that when you trust in God like I've said you're going to make it and I'll finish with a quote that says is basically step forward without the attachment of an ego enhancing young people's strength and providing opportunities fostering positive relationships and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strength is something that many if not all should push for some of our donors we've been working with actually in Nairobi city county government we also have Mavono church and we have a program Mavono called spread the love we usually do it once a year every every every august that's when we mark our university as a church Mavono and I'm very passionate and I'm one of the serving Mavono church in all capacities of one of the leaders in charge of outreach department community development programs so Mavono church is actually one of our our partners and donors and then also that one is KNCCI Kenya national chamber of commerce industry I've been in touch with the business development manager madam Virginia whom they actually came up with with a department for the youth and actually help youth who come up with proposals to to do business and then also our other partners is actually donors is actually minister of health now how do minister of health come in minister of health they give us actually the knowledge the knowledge know how so that when you go to a community and talk to them about menstrual cycle so the girls whom I train take them through a course training in minister of health it's one or two weeks training through NASCOP and NACCA national AIDS control council so they train them and take them through the simple training course then from there they can go now to give the training back to the community and the other one is AMREF whenever we do proposal they link us up with the donor then we talk to them we meet them in maybe conferences so whenever there are conferences or seminars we actually called on board to maybe participate as a delegate or maybe as a session speaker and it actually helps you to actually get a platform and even lobby for more funding and then also have county governments respective county governments this is through the office of the first lady office of Marsabit County Garisa and also Women Rep Nairobi County and also Kisi because I come from Kisi our county government has also been very supportive there through their respective county assembly