As part of its youth empowerment efforts under the EU Youth Empowerment Fund Network Solutions, YMCA Kenya hosted a Youth Coffee Bar dialogue at YMCA Naivasha in Nakuru County, offering a platform for young people and duty bearers to come together over coffee to discuss pressing community issues and co-create localised solutions.
This forum was held under YMCA Kenya’s wider project, Change Maker Hubs: Youth Leading in Digital Skills, Green Economy, and Mental Health, which aims to equip young people with tools to lead in areas critical to their wellbeing and their future.
Themed Youth Access to Justice, the session brought together youth and key local leaders, including representatives from the Police, the Office of the Public Prosecutor, and the area Member of County Assembly. The discussion surfaced a range of concerns affecting youth in the region:
- Victimisation and abduction of youth who speak out against the government
- Harassment during daily activities, particularly at night
- A rise in gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide
- Limited legal aid for youth in prison
- Exclusion of youth from decision-making processes
Participants proposed several locally driven solutions to address these challenges:
- Training on positive, peace-promoting social media content
- Establishment of legal clinics and training of paralegals to support incarcerated youth
- Strengthened community policing
- Expansion of youth coffee bars and activities to build stronger relationships with local authorities
- Increased trust and inclusion of youth in local governance
- Better street lighting and more police patrols
- More awareness campaigns on GBV and available channels for support
This Youth Coffee Bar is one of several youth-led interventions that YMCA Kenya supports to promote dialogue, justice and community-led change.
This project is part of the Youth Empowerment Fund, a partnership between the European Union and the Big Six Youth organisations through Global Youth Mobilization.