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UNV Kenya
VOLUNTEERING FOR CHANGE A newsletter of the United Nations
Volunteers Programme in Kenya| September 2012
INSIDE
:: UNV Supports Training for Students on Volunteering for Peace :: UN Volunteer Edwin Kilong Brokers Peace in Mt. Elgon :: Investing in Livelihoods – UN Volunteer Lizzy Otieno
2012. With them is Assistant Lands Minister and Bumula MP, Hon. Bifwoli Wakoli.
www.onlinevolunteering.org
UN Volunteer Lizzy Otieno has
spent the last three years working on
restoring livelihoods in Uasin Gishu
County among communities
affected by the 2007/2008 Post-
election violence…
UN Volunteer Lizzy Otieno Contributes to Livelihoods in Uasin Gishu In 2009, UN Volunteer Lizzy Otieno was sent by UNDP to Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County to help set up a
District Business Solutions Center. Three years later, the Eldoret DBSC is one of the most successful in the
country, providing a model for the other centers and leading livelihoods restoration efforts in the wake of the
2007/2008 post-election violence.
Working with and supporting the Ministry of Trade, Lizzy has seen the center grow to a business solutions center,
providing business skills training for the community, paying special interest to young people and women, as well
as giving out low-interest revolving funds for individuals and groups to start businesses. The DBSC also serves as
an information center for the business community, with a cyber café for internet and typesetting services. Lizzy
points out that investing in business skills for young people has been a worthy gamble:
“These young people have very unique and innovative ideas for businesses and livelihoods and they’re taking the
initiative. It’s very encouraging to watch what they can do with the training and support we are able to give them
– from rearing red worms for making organic fertilizer, to making detergent and recycling garbage, they’re doing
it all…”
Wycliffe Wesonga, the center’s manager, was seconded there by the Ministry of Trade, and echoes these
sentiments:
“We’ve so far done trainings in 3 districts, benefitting up to 1,800 people. Out of these, more than 60% have gone
ahead to start their own businesses and are doing well. Now we’re building on this by investing in teaching them
packaging and marketing skills as well as linking them with financial institutions.”
Beyond the business center, Lizzy has also overseen the facilitation of restoration of livelihoods for those who
were affected by the post-election violence through different interventions. These have included provision of farm
inputs and livestock, restoration of a community dam, enabling access to markets, setting up greenhouses for
community groups and even setting up a modern milk cooling plant for a cooperative society in Eldoret East. 16
different groups have been supported since the project started.
Continued…
For more information on this Newsletter, the UNV programme or to submit stories of your volunteering, contact the UNV Communications Officer in