Efforts to strengthen peace and address cross-border challenges in Marsabit County have received a boost through community peace committees working to protect children, empower women and promote peaceful coexistence along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
The initiative, implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) under the Kenya Community Engagement and Resilience Programme, brings together communities to tackle issues such as human trafficking, school dropouts, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) while supporting livelihoods.
Speaking during a community engagement forum, SND Programme Officer Wako Boru said the programme is equipping women and young people with skills and opportunities to improve their livelihoods and reduce their vulnerability to crime and violent extremism.
“We are supporting women and young people through income-generating activities such as beekeeping so they can earn a living and improve their lives. We are also linking them to markets for their products to help them become self-reliant,” said Boru.
He said creating economic opportunities for young people helps reduce idleness and lowers the risk of them being lured into criminal activities.
Human rights activist and Chairperson of the Moyale Cross Border Peace Committee Shamsia Abdullahi said the peace committees have strengthened cooperation between communities living on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
“We have committees that deal with peace, school dropouts and child protection. Whenever a child drops out of school or crosses the border, we communicate quickly with teachers and other stakeholders so the child can be traced and returned to school,” she said.
Abdullahi said the committees have also helped respond to cases of human trafficking, child marriage and FGM through close collaboration between communities.
“There is nothing more important than peace. Without peace, there can be no development because people cannot live or work in a stable environment,” she said.
She urged parents to guide their children and protect them from people who may exploit them to engage in violence or other illegal activities.
As the country prepares for future elections, Abdullahi called on political leaders to promote peaceful campaigns.
“We are asking leaders and all Kenyans to preach peace. We should not destroy property or fight one another because this country belongs to all of us. Peace is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
She also appealed to young people not to allow themselves to be used to cause violence, saying lasting peace is essential for development and the well-being of communities.
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