By Yoga David.
The 3rd cohort of Kisumu creatives posing for a group photo with CECM Beatrice Odongo/ Photos by Adams Claine
When young artists from Kisumu converged at Koru Country Club, Muhoroni this week, they were not just attending another training, they were stepping into new possibilities for their future.
Kisumu County through the Department of Sports, Culture, Gender and Youth Affairs, in partnership with the Sanara Program is equipping the 3rd cohort of Kisumu creatives with the tools to transform their talents into thriving enterprises.
CECM for Sports, Culture, Gender and Youth Affairs said the initiative is a turning point for the youth of Kisumu.
“This is a very big milestone for us as a county, we have artists being trained on how to package their artwork to make money, The Sanara program is training them to market their work, protect their intellectual property and develop business plans” said Ms Odongo.
“As a county we are so happy that we have a partner taking the training to the grassroots level. We encourage more artists, especially from our rural sub-counties to seize this opportunity and grow their talents” Ms Odongo added.
The Sanara Program is funded by Mastercard Foundation and HIVA Fund and implemented by SUNBX Ubuntu in collaboration with Godown Arts Centre and Baraza Media Lab.
It introduces participants to practical modules such as business strategy, marketing and communication, finance and taxation, people and processes and legal and intellectual property rights.
For participants, this is their first time learning to turn passion into profit. According to Melissa Phillips, Sanara Regional Coordinator for Kisumu County, the program goes beyond training.
“We train creatives on business development services and on how they can make money from their arts, as a program we offer grants and loans, we train them on writing business plans, after that we coach them” Phillips said.
She added “After coaching we hand them over to our upskilling partners like Baraza Media Lab and various upskilling partners under different value chains”
According to Phillips, so far more than 400 young creatives between the ages of and 18-35 have been trained across Kisumu, with over 70 percent being women, persons with disabilities and refugees
Two cohorts have already graduated and another graduation is planned for October and November.
The impact is being felt. 20 creatives from across 6 counties recently showcased their work at the Mashariki Expo in Tanzania, where they sold out all their products thanks to support from HIVA fund.
The Sanara Programme is currently being piloted in six counties, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nakuru, Nairobi, Mombasa and Turkana and continues to inspire hope for a new generation of young entrepreneurs.
For artists gathered in Koru, the message was clear, creativity is not just talent, it is a livelihood, and Kisumu County is determined to help them make the most of it.
