Kipkelion District Cooperative Union Youth Council (KYC) Annual Delegates Meeting

Kipkelion District Co-operative Union Youth Council (KYC) sprouted when a group of well-established local youth representatives within Fort Ternan, Kipkelion in Kericho County, came together to register a community based organization on the 6^th September, 2018. With an aim of promoting the interests of the members, and supporting the welfare and overall economic development of the Community. Kipkelion District is blessed with entrepreneurial potential in both, agriculture and service sector.

GKCD has been working closely with the KYC stakeholders, Co-operative department as well as the County government. Together we support KYC to implement the Strategic Plan which entails a major milestone: To formalize the Youth Council’s income generating activities by registering a new Multipurpose Service Co-operative. KYC is currently registered as a Community Based Organization, an entity which is aimed at community development rather than income generation.

On July 23^rd, 2021 guided by the COVID-19 prevention measures, Kipkelion Youth Council successfully conducted their first Annual Delegate Meeting since its inception in 2018. For the first time, more than 60 local women and men of less than 35 years of age, who represent the delegates of KYC, came together in a formal assembly.

A greater share of the lively meeting was utilized to discuss and vote on the future of KYC as a Multipurpose Service Co-operative. The Strategic Plan was approved and elections made.

The Kericho County Deputy Governor, who honored the Annual Delegate Meeting as chief guest, affirmed her support for the youth and encouraged them to go the co-operative way, as it will enable them to make use of the Co-operative Business Model and operative as a business entity.

Youths present during the meeting were also inspired by the success story of “Fundi Tech Service Co-operative Society” who happily shared their example with the audience. Fundi Tech was registered as the first craftsmen service co-operative in Kenya back in 2018. Since then, the cooperatively united craftsmen offer their services as pioneers in the construction industry of Kenya. The passionate experience sharing of Fundi Tech reassured the delegates of Kipkelion Youth Council to register a multipurpose service co-operative themselves. DGRC/GKCD is happy to walk this way together with our friends from KYC!