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In Kenya, like in any other country in the world,young people are looking for leaders and role models with values that they can emulate.Unfortunately, leaders’ roles have often been assumed by persons of material advantage in society,negating what truly constitutes leadership: Values ,Character and vision we call it VCV.Leadership don’t require CV but VCV.

 

In many African counties, leadership is viewed as self-serving, dictatorial , and corrupt even to  apoint that it controls and limits the contribution, growth and potential of the people.

 

The youth in Kenya have not been adequately entrusted with opportunity to learn , grow and hone their leadership skills.This was evident in the aftermath of the post election violence of 2008.

The inter-community anger bred since independence ruptured during post-election violence.The turmoil confirmed that selfishness and tribalism had eventually been fully entrenched as criteria for election of leaders.The youth community were greatly affected not only by the effects of the skirmishes but also as perpetrators of the killings,looting and destruction of properties.The political class poisoned them with messages of hate-”we” versus ”them” They also gave them promises that provoked a false sense of liberation from their poor current economic status.

 

Singling out these problems,Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) decided through their Youth Development Programme to train 170 young people from all over Kenya on Leadership.This Trainings facilitaed by Quest Leadership Centre was done in Four Sections dubed CORE GROPS 1-4.The first group of young men were trained in 2008 and the last in July 2009.

 

All these 170 young people representing their NGOs,CBOs,FBOs,Youth groups etc agreed after the trainings on the following key activities:

• To take action and target other youth within their communities, share knowledge and influence them to participate in peace building.

• To establish partnership with local stakeholders such us government agencies ,non profit organizations to promote youth leadership,participation and cohesion among communities.

• To mobilize resource in partnership with KCDF to recruit and mentor more young people in their various communities.

 

At the end of 2009, this community had not only dubled but reported great work done in their various communities.KCDF then decided to bring them all together for experience-sharing forum in Bontana Hotel in Nakuru.This conference was attended by over 200 young persons most of whom were mentees.And at the end of the Conference on 4th November 2009, SHABAA MOVEMENT-A community of young dynamic people was born at a dinner party in Nakuru Social Hall.

 

Shabaa is derived from Swahili word Shabaha which means Goal or Vision.