Introduction
Kisumu lies on South western Kenya along the shores of lake Victoria. As Kenya’s third largest town, Kisumu has a high population totalling close to half a million of which 53% live below the poverty line and at 48% urban poverty index Kisumu is the poorest urban centre against a national average of 29%. Kisumu and by extension Nyanza province leads in HIV/AIDS prevalence rate which has led to many children growing up as orphans. An estimated 5 000 children are full time or day time street children. Prostitution and petty crime is rife as young people barely in their early teens struggle to earn a livelihood. As witnessed during post election violence of 2007-2008 the idle, energetic, disfranchised and angry young people of Kisumu are a time bomb.
Youth Talent Nurturing Development Organisation (YOTANUDO) is a group of young people from Kisumu two main informal settlements (Manyatta and Nyarenda). Founded in 2008 by young people who had been displaced from Nairobi, Naivasha and Nakuru by ethnic charged post election violence, the group led by Ken Benson pulled their little resources together and set up a cyber cafe and a semi professional music studio. They rallied the local youth still recovering from the violence to come together explore their artistic talents, gather information and knowledge from each other and through the internet but most important collectively explore ways of engaging their talents to better their livelihoods. Since its founding YOTANUNDO who are YADEN Network coordinators in Kisumu has organised a series of projects among them an entrepreneurship sharing session, a GBV open discussion, a talent show, a monthly peace and diversity sharing sessions attended by youth groups representatives, produced development themed song from various talented musicians, training many youths on basic IT skills and facilitating them to access the internet and setting up a weekly sessions with street children where they engage rap and hip Hop music to express themselves.. YOTANUNDO future plans is to expand its work in other parts of Nyanza and assist the many nongovernmental organisations and government agencies in Kisumu to understand young people and their needs better.
Mission
To support youth to achieve socio-economic empowerment and improved livelihood by identify developing and nurturing their talents in partnership with other development partners, governmental institutions and the community.
Vision
An inclusive society supporting its youth to be positively engaged citizens I through promotion of their talents & potentials.
Income generating activity
- Edutainment
- Music Recording, production and Distribution
- Website design and IT training