Yetu Awards Spotlight: Busia’s Hidden Stars
By Emmanuel Jumaah
Teso South Member of Parliament Mary Emaase has called on leaders across the country to take a more active role in nurturing and supporting youth talents, particularly among those engaged in community service initiatives.
Speaking during a youth talent recognition event in Busia County, Emaase noted that many young people are increasingly stepping forward to showcase their abilities while also contributing positively to their communities. She emphasized that such efforts not only highlight creativity and innovation among the youth but also play a key role in improving livelihoods.
Emaase urged leaders and stakeholders to create enabling environments where young talents can be identified, developed, and transformed into sustainable economic opportunities.
"We have young people coming up, but what they need is support. We need to find a way as leaders, how do we bring these young people together, let all the young people join our colleges and get certain skills .once they have this skills its very easy to put young people together best on what skills they have and be able to help them start up a venture" ~ Hon Mary Emaase
At the same event, Juliet Akayi, the founder of the Yetu Awards, explained that the initiative was born out of the need to recognize untapped talent among young people in Busia.
According to Akayi, many talented youths in the region have long gone unnoticed, lacking platforms to showcase their abilities. The Yetu Awards were therefore established to bring these hidden talents into the public eye, making it easier for them to be identified, supported, and nurtured.
"I noticed we have amazing champions in our county, and no one has ever thought of recognising them , I just want to bring these people to the public, I want them to be seen, to be recognised and to be supported. I want to recognise alot of people, I want to give them spaces, I want youths to be the change they can be" ~ Juliet Akayi CEO
She added that the awards have since become a vital platform for empowering young people by giving them visibility and connecting them with opportunities for growth and development.
The initiative is now seen as a significant step toward unlocking youth potential and fostering community-driven progress in the region.
