Mombasa county has witnessed an alarming increase in youth unemployment and economic vulnerability since the onset of COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, Mombasa had experienced youth unemployment rates at close to 44%. A steep slow-down in economic activity produced by stringent lockdown measures and restricted access to education and training means that youth in Mombasa now face an even greater challenge navigating a path to employable skills, income, and employment
In July 2020, popular local job website Brighter Monday registered a staggering 58% drop in local job listings (Muiruri, 2020). At the time of writing this report county, public schools have been closed for six consecutive months and it remains unclear when students will be able to return to the classroom.
GOYN Mombasa conducted a youth survey across the six Mombasa sub-counties exploring youth perceptions of the impact of COVID-19. The survey had two key objectives :
- Gauge youth perceptions on the impacts of COVID-19 in Mombasa
- Health impact: i.e. mental health, and physical health as relates to COVID-19
- Employment impact: i.e. ability to secure income and earn a livelihood
- Understand OY capacity to engage in online learning, collaboration, and job-seeking and identify barriers to access
The survey included 194 Youth in Mombasa County i/e youth aged 18-35. These youth were selected through a convenience sampling method to ensure diversity of sub-county and ward. Surveys were conducted via phone where youth were interviewed by GOYN Youth Advisory Group members who advise the GOYN work on a regular basis. 53.1% of respondents were male and 45.9% were female. 22.4% were persons with disabilities. Over 50% were aged 18-24 with an almost equal representation from each of the sub-counties of Mombasa.
Survey results indicate that youth in Mombasa are anxious about the impact COVID-19 may have on their employment prospects but remain hopeful the government and their communities can devise solutions to effectively respond to the challenge. The survey also highlights a striking gap in digital access for young people, a circumstance that If left unaddressed, will deepen the socioeconomic divide between those who can afford regular internet access and connected devices and those who cannot. You can find the full report on our website
https://goyn.org/#knowledge