Highlighting Changemakers during the Pandemic - Jackem Otete

I am Jackem Otete, the CEO of Bridge of Hope and Grassroots Coordinator for Global Youth Biodiversity Network-Kenya chapter. I was inspired to become a community activist after serving in the national voluntary service with challenges like FGM,  low school enrolment, inequality of access to clean water and sanitation and high prevalence rates of communicable diseases. Flooding is a seasonal crisis which results in inaccessibility to clean water and sanitation and is a major cause for school dropouts and poor performance in the southern region of Budalangi. We are trying to 'Bridge' the gap with the Northern area advocating for equality in terms of clean water to everyone regardless of their villages or geographical boundaries to community leaders. Our members help inform partners in flood mitigation, like the construction on permanent dykes along the River Nzioa.

Programs must be sustainable and need participation of key stakeholders at every stage of the project cycle. Community work always begins with identifying a problem to solve, linking up with like-minded youths and drawing up the goal, objectives, expected outcomes, target groups, activities, fundraising scheme and above all be self-driven. SDG 6 is the most important Goal as water drives every sphere of life. It will solve poverty and hunger. 

During COVID-19 we are implementing a youth volunteer program promoting hand washing, mask production, civic education on Covid-19 prevention measures, hand hygiene using locally assembled materials to make liquid soaps and training of youth on soap making.