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Realizing His Dream —The Story of Abdinoor
A year ago, Abdinoor Aden, 20, felt hopeless. He assumed he was destined to join his friends who were drug abusers due to idleness after failing to find a job after completing high school. These thoughts began to diminish when Abdinoor learned about the Garissa Youth Project (G-Youth), funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
Abdinoor was born and raised in Garissa County, in the Northeastern Province of Kenya. He was one of many youth in Garissa who watched days come and go without having a purpose or knowing what to do with his life.
Abdinoor completed secondary school in Wajir. After graduating, he had thoughts about becoming a journalist. As he began to talk to his parents about pursuing journalism as a career, he was met with a lot of pressure to pursue a more practical career as a teacher instead. He explains, “I set my career goal of joining the world of media, but my parents forced me to join Garissa Teachers Training College (GTTC) to pursue teaching. I tried to resist but had no power to confront them and had to follow their orders since they were the ones paying for my school.”
Abdinoor complied with his parents’ demands and joined GTTC. At GTTC, he joined a drama group by the name Garissa Post Test Club and started acting. This Club was a school based club which used acting to educate, inform and entertain the masses on issues such as HIV/AIDS and peace. He began to love acting so much that he began to dream about being an actor.
While at GTTC, Abdinoor heard about the G-Youth project which provides career counseling and work readiness training for youth. Abdinoor signed up for G-Youth’s Work Readiness Program and was among the first cohort of youth to undergo work readiness training and counseling. During the guidance and counseling sessions with G-Youth’s counselors, Abdinoor realized that he needed to pursue his love for acting and soon convinced his parents that he should leave GTTC to join Nairobi’s talent academy. His parents finally gave in and one year later, he successfully completed a certificate in film production at National Youth Talent Academy.
Abdinoor describes the work readiness training he received from the G-Youth Project as “God sent!” He explains, “The work readiness training was an eye opener for me. It gave me the courage to choose the career I desired the most.”
With G-Youth launched the second phase of the program in November 2010, the project presented more diverse training opportunities for youth. Abdinoor was among the first to join G-Youth’s new civic radio training that trains youth on journalism, radio production skills and management. This new training program in radio broadcasting and journalism has opened doors of opportunities for youth like Abdinoor whose dream was to one day be a journalist. Abdinoor was among the first youth to respond to G-Youth’s radio advertisement to join and gain skills on radio production techniques. After six months of extensive class work, field and practical work, Abdinoor has significantly improved his natural talent as a journalist. He says “G-Youth is a unique program that became a stepping stone for me and for many to realize dream careers.”
G-Youth Radio Productions is USAID-funded program implemented through a partnership between EDC/G-Youth and Star FM, a local radio station operating in North Eastern Kenya. G-Youth’s radio programs provide a much needed platform where the youth of Garissa can talk about issues that affect them and their communities. G-Youth’s radio programs are created by youth of Garissa and provides youth the independence to discuss and address thematic social issues, such as democracy, conflict resolution, peace building, Kenya’s new constitution and other national issues and generally to share information about what youth are doing in Garissa.
After just three months of starting radio journalism/broadcasting training, Abdinoor found a job with Risala FM, a newly established local radio station operating in Garissa. “I never dreamed that one day I would be working in a radio studio talking to my fellow youth on problems that affect us through the radio. I really thank G-Youth for not only giving me training but also linking us to these [job] opportunities locally to reap the fruits of our efforts. Today I proudly represent G-Youth at Risala FM. Whenever I present news programs, it’s like G-Youth speaking on radio,” says Abdinoor proudly.
Abdinoor is now a news and program presenter with Risala FM and has shown tremendous success in running his daily news programs. Risala FM on the other hand acknowledged G-Youth radio training as a program that provides the most needed skills to run the emerging local media in the region. “We give Abdinoor space to run radio programs and will continue to give more youth the chance to practice the skills they have and lead programs. I therefore ask G-Youth to continue with such a noble initiative that empowers youth,” said Mohamed Shire, the Risala FM Station Manager.
Abdinoor Aden (Right) inside the G-Youth Radio Production studio working on his weekly feature program to be aired on Star FM, a local and a partner radio station with EDC Inc.