PS Fikirini calls for climate change youth-driven opportunities

Youth Affairs and Creative Economy PS Fikirini Jacobs Kahindi at a past event.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Principal Secretary for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs, has called on the youth to embrace Climate Change driven employment opportunities in the digital green economy.

He emphasised the need for innovations that can create employment opportunities and build self-sustaining financial systems that can help eradicate unemployment among young people.

"The Eastern African region boasts of a robust youth population that has the potential to make farming cool, by consistently engaging in digital innovations that harness indigenous and modern farming methods," he said.

He was speaking on Tuesday during the official launch of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Regional Youth Coalition on Climate and Climate Resilient Afri-Food Systems.

He also stated that the ongoing Nyota Program seeks to provide capital to some of the incubated Agri-based innovations that are positively impacting the youths in the informal sectors in rural and urban areas.

IGAD Director Climate Prediction and Application Centre, Dr. Abdi Fidar, highlighted that IGAD is ready to work and support green technology-focused communities in combating the adverse effects of climate change facing the Horn of Africa from famine, drought, and floods.

“Considering 60% of the population in the Horn of Africa is 25 years old and below, they can use their numbers to influence laws, policy, and investments. Digital media is a tool that young people can use to spread green technologies and waste management applications to reduce pollution on our continent,” he retaliated.

IGAD works with 48,000 young people in the Horn of Africa, village-based advisors, young people, and farmers, providing them with information and post-harvest management program guidelines on how to access markets for their produce.

Seed Balls Ethiopia CEO and Founder Helina  Teklu elaborated how she is helping her community in Ethiopia to reverse the effects of climate change by using Seed Balls, an innovation that involves concealing seeds inside a loop of clay soil mixed with compost before it's shaped into a ball.

This low-cost innovation is effective in preserving indigenous seeds, replenishing grasslands, and protecting seeds from harsh climates and predators until the rainy season can trigger germination of the seeds.

“In the next phase, we will use drone technologies to carry and drop seed balls remotely in mountainous, inaccessible areas in the Horn of Africa,” she concludes.

Mizizi Africa Founder Mwende Mugambi elaborated on how her organisation is using digital technology and artificial intelligence to educate young people on climate change and how to provide solutions. Her organisation develops chatbot AI by bidding into social media thread chats to simulate human-like climate conversation through text and voice.

“By using Chatbot AI, we can break complex climate documents, laws, and policies into simple and understandable formats for people living in rural and informal areas. Currently, we are working to develop a chatbot AI that can operate offline,” Mwende affirms.

The regional initiative was led by Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in collaboration with the IGAD Youth envoy, supported by AGRA, seeking to strengthen climate action and climate-resilient agriculture.