Meet Kisumu Businessman training the youth freely.

Meet Kisumu Businessman training the youth freely. 

Born to Okoth Akiri and Mama Syprose Akoth of Waondo village in Homa Bay County, Victor Okoth popularly known with his dread some moniker “Obingi” is giving hope to the many jobless youths in and around Kisumu city. 

Obingi has mastered the art of giving back to the society which he does through his community based organization, known as Rural and Urban Small Entrepreneurs CBO. (RSE CBO). 

“I have trained for free many youths. I can’t count them. Some nowadays run their own businesses, some have found short term contracts, some i don’t know their whereabouts but I trust they are doing well”, said Obingi. RSE CBO has been felt by the community resoundingly well. In the month of October, RSE CBO provided a free Medical Camp at Okore Ogonda primary school in Kisumu West that had more than 1000 people seeking Medicare. 

RSE CBO, has been offering various apprenticeship on the following areas, computer graphics, cyber café operations, Driving, masonry, tailoring, Beauty therapy and dress making. When asked, Mercy Magero one of the very many beneficiaries, Mercy stated that, she had heard of RSE CBO through Facebook and radio albeit, she was not sure that in this era, there are people training for free. “I did not trust them, I thought they were scammers. 

“I however, sent my application. I wanted to do beauty therapy and after about one week, I received a call from one called Brenda Adote whom introduced herself. She told me to report to their office. Which I did. They enrolled me immediately and today I am self-employed running my salon at Biashara market”.

When asked about RSE CBO, he had this to say. “RSE CBO is an indigenous Kenyan CBO registered as non-religious, non-political and non-profit organization. The organization is registered under Kenyan laws as a Community Based Organization Instituted, staffed, and managed by group of professionals. 

The organization has its base in Kisumu and works with communities living around L.Victoria region. The organization was officially strengthened and founded in January 2016 has now taken up the challenges of articulation and contribution to the country’s development priority agenda”, and true to his words upon carrying out our simple database analysis, we realized that RSE CBO has been in the forefront in changing the Kondele’s bad story. 

The CBO has extensively worked with various groups in Kondele with much focus on peace building, impartation of direct job skills among others.

Several women groups that have been mentored on financial literacy and entrepreneurial programs. 

“We have trained 11 women groups on what I call financial discipline, entrepreneurial skill development, tailoring and dressmaking. All these we do with a view to making more women self reliant, so that they don’t have to rely on their husbands including for petty necessities like salt and kiberiti, do you get my point. So we are here to change lives positively the only challenge is lack of financial support. Actually we are currently searching for organizations that can support even one program. 

I want to specifically talk to Mike Sonko; Please sir come in and help us, help us touch more lives:, said Mr Obingi as he took us through his rich database bearing a number of past activities.

From my standpoint, only few people can do what this group is doing. I challenge our leaders to find time and address youth related problems. They youths need skills, they need to know what the market demands, that way we shall have many youths opting for self employment rather than being political tools for hire.  

ENDS: