Finn Church Aid Goes For Women And Youths In A Bid To End Insecurity In Kerio Valley

By Benson Aswani,

Women and youths in the Kerio Valley region have been asked to be on the front line in the efforts to attain peace in the region.

Speaking to Kalya Digital, Finn Church Aid organization official West Pokot County Charles Apondu, said that apart from peace committees and security units, women and youth groups are in a better position to ensure peace due to their position in society.

“We have been depending on peace committees and security units for many years. But what we don’t know is that our women and youths have a better chance of ensuring peace in this region,” said Mr. Apondu.

Mr. Apondu further said that the residents from the Kerio Valley region should embrace alternative livelihoods and stop overdependence on livestock which has been the main cause of insecurity.

“Livestock is the main source of conflicts in the Kerio Valley region, as people end up fighting for limited resources due to climate changes. As an organization, we advocate for alternative livelihoods so that people don’t depend only on livestock,” he said.

According to the livelihood officer at Finn Church Aid Mrs. Purity Malel, the most affected are the mothers and children, calling on the government to develop strategies that will bring together the conflicting communities thus bringing stability.

“The conflicts in the area have caused loss of lives and displacement of people. The most affected are women, old people and children. The government should work collaboratively with other stakeholders to be able to facilitate different communities so that they can come together,” she said.