Promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
STI plays a significant role as far as national development is concerned. YADSTI is passionate about engaging youth in the promotion of STI and development of STI capacities across the different sectors of the economy as envisioned in the Kenya Vision 2030 and other continental development strategies.
Youth Empowerment through Capacity Building in STI.
It is widely acknowledged that there exists a mismatch between the skills gained by youth in the current education systems and the demands of the industry. This can be attributed to theory-oriented curriculum that places little emphasis on practical application of knowledge. As a result, majority of the youth do not possess requisite technical skills in STI, thus limiting their ability to create employment opportunities for themselves and the community through entrepreneurship. Through and integrated and dynamic system of networked STI Hubs, YADSTI is undertaking a number of activities to empower the youth to wield STI tools for development.
Promotion of Entrepreneurship in STI for Job and Wealth Creation.
The world is facing an escalating crisis of youth unemployment. Africa’s youth—who constitute approximately 25% of Africa’s total population represent a rich array of untapped talent that if properly resourced and supported could be an engine for Africa’s development. Given the limited opportunities for formal employment, entrepreneurship offers a natural solution to the unemployment crisis. However, majority of the youth lack entrepreneurship skills. In addition, majority of the young innovators have challenges with safeguarding their innovative ideas through patenting and translating those ideas into viable business enterprises (commercialization). YADSTI seeks to empower these youth to be job creators instead of job seekers.
Knowledge Sharing and Transfer in STI.
Although Kenya’s future development will largely depend on enlightened citizens, a significant number of youth do not posses adequate knowledge in STI and other important topical issues. There is also lack of adequate avenues and mechanisms for effective knowledge sharing and transfer among them. As Kenya works towards becoming a knowledge-driven economy, YADSTI has positioned itself to provide a platform where youth from different institutional, disciplinary and regional backgrounds can network and share knowledge amongst themselves as they learn from one another. Through a mentorship arrangement, mentors will be able to transfer knowledge on topical issues of interest to their mentees, hence motivating them to scale up the ladder of success in life.
