NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenya will expand its volunteer programme of service to the community by pre-University and University students to include more fields of expertise beneficial to the socio-economic development of the country.
Speaking on Wednesday during the occasion to mark 50th anniversary of Kenya and Japan volunteer programme at his Karen residence, Deputy President William Ruto pointed out that Kenya will build its own volunteer programme based on the Japanese model where students going to university will render free services in agriculture, health, environmental science and education among others.
He noted that with the support of Japan, Kenya last year started her own volunteer programme where university students and those about to join universities were currently involved in building capacity of the students in schools especially in computer literacy, a programme, he said, is set to be expanded to other fields.
“We hope to bring more young people into the programme to help achieve that which the government is limited in achieving,” he said.
The DP lauded the Japan volunteer programme for being instrumental in the improvement of the lives of Kenyans in the countryside, noting that since their advent in the country in nearly 50 years ago, their work was discernable in the many areas in the country.
Said the DP: “ This is a clear testimony of the relations Kenya and Japan have enjoyed over the years in bridging gaps by building people to people and government to government interactions to create synergy in the socio-economic welfare of the peoples of the two countries.”
The Charge’ d’affaires at the Japanese Embassy Mr. Mikio Mori said Japan was keen on building on that relationship for the betterment of the peoples of the two nations.
He pointed out that though the volunteer programme was currently in a few counties, it will be expanded to cover the whole country with the volunteers living and working with rural communities to better their lives.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join