Kasipul Constituency residents are set to benefit from expanded community empowerment opportunities after Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) opened a new Community Resource Centre in Oyugis.

The 3-storey centre will host a community hall, a school library, a computer laboratory and an entire floor dedicated to women empowerment projects.

Nicholas Oduor, a Grade 4 pupil from Twilight Education Centre in Oyugis, said the new facility had brought hope to learners like him who previously struggled to access books outside classrooms.

“In our school, we do not have a library, and sometimes we only rely on a few books in class. Seeing shelves full of books here makes me very happy because now we have a place to read, and do research.

“This library will help us actualise our dreams of becoming better people in future. I want to be a doctor when I finish school,” Oduor said.

Already, 20 schools in Oyugis have registered to use the library.

Speaking during the launch, Dr. Kennedy Odede, SHOFCO’s founder and chief executive, said said his organisation was committed to creating spaces where young people and women could access tools needed to transform their lives.

“This centre belongs to the people of Kasipul Constituency and we urge you to use it well,” Dr. Odede said.

The launch of the resource centre coincided with the rollout of a youth business financing facility for young entrepreneurs under the Shofco Sacco. 

Unlike conventional donor-funded programmes, the financing is channelled through the SHOFCO Sacco, a community-owned financial institution, meaning repayments stay within the local economy rather than returning to an external funder. 

During the visit, Odede presided over the disbursement of low-interest loans to more than 391 youth, of which 70% were young women entrepreneurs already running businesses in Homa Bay County.

Among the entrepreneurs accessing the facility was Faith Atieno, a boutique trader, who said the funding would help her restock and expand her business.

“I have many school certificates and I have never gotten a job. I decided to start a business to employ myself. This support means a lot to me because I will now buy more stock and grow my boutique business,” Atieno said.

SHOFCO equipped two community-based organisations (CBOs) with machinery and grants to expand work opportunities for their 40 members, majority of whom are young women and young mothers. 

Among the equipment distributed were modern brick-making machines, and egg incubators.

Five other  CBOs were brought on board to support SHOFCO in reaching the most marginalized youth and build their capacity. 

Kevin Okeyo, a member of Twaweza CBO, welcomed the support, saying the machinery would help create employment opportunities while increasing production.

“This machine is a game-changer for our group. Before, we worked with limited tools and low production, but now we can make better quality bricks and increase income, employ more youth. 

“It means more work opportunities for young people and better income for members,” Okeyo said.