Brussels — The Spouse of the Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi has completed a three days working tour of Belgium seeking opportunities for the boy-child.
Pastor Dorcas completed her tour at the BeCentral and Close the Gap-Kenya facilities in Brussels, two facilities that she will partner with in different boy-child programs in Nairobi and Mombasa.
The organizations which are based in Brussels have been working in Mombasa and have impacted the lives of many young men in the Coastal City.
“I firmly believe that when we empower the boychild, we inherently contribute to the well-being and empowerment of girls as well. The key to uplifting the boy child lies in providing them with valuable skills, ensuring their gainful employment, or supporting them in establishing their own enterprises,” she said.
Pastor Dorcas will partner with the organization in areas of Digital Space, Job creation, empowerment, skilling, among other areas for the boy child in the agenda of her office.
The Be Central facility at the heart of Brussels was renovated from an abandoned railway building to offer a hub for the youth in the digital space.
Pastor Dorcas is in the process of setting up such a facility through health villages that are already at an advanced stage in various parts of the country.
One such facility is under construction in Rumuruti of Laikipia County after she launched its construction a few weeks ago.
The facility will include a rehabilitation Centre, a health Centre, a vocational training facility, a sports academy among others.
“The model I witnessed in this hub today is truly commendable and serves as a best practice that we can adopt as we focus on skilling and upskilling the boychild in Kenya,” she said.
“In an era dominated by information, it is crucial that young men are equipped with the right digital skills to navigate the swiftly changing world, where digital transactions have become the norm,” she added.
She was taken to a tour of the facility by Stephan Salberter,the Co-Founder, BeCentral.Peter Manderick, the General Manager, Close The Gap and Didier Appels,Impact & Business Director,Close The Gap.The two organizations have set up facilities in Mombasa for the last 15 years.
“Startups, especially those driven by young men, require targeted training to sustain partnerships and foster self-reliance. Only through such empowerment can we truly consider them as thriving and contributing members of society,” she said.
On Wednesday Pastor Dorcas was at the Ghent University which she also seeks to partner in research and exchange programs for Kenyan students.
The University is currently home to more than 60 Kenyan students in various courses out of at least 1,000 students from Africa.
Pastor Dorcas however says the partnership will offer more opportunities for the youth in Kenya.
The partnership will also involve research on drugs and substance abuse being one of the universities with a strong background in such research across the world.
“With over 15 years of building academic collaboration with Africa the university also provides a good opportunity for exchange programs for our youths. “She said.
Pastor Dorcas also toured Bio Plant Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent,one of the leading Biotechnology firms in the world to explore areas of collaboration in research with Kenyan universities and other institutions as well as exchange programs for Kenyan students.
The firm expressed interest in partnering with the office of the spouse of the deputy president. – DPPs
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