NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 8 – The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Week Kenya edition, which aims to celebrate the youth and women, has been launched.
The event was launched yesterday by the Director of Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Development (NuPEA), Erick Ohaga.
The event will happen in Kajiado County and aims to amplify awareness about the SDGs among the youth and the women who are regarded as the underserved groups.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls.
The event will be attended by youth leaders, government officials, and policymakers; civil society organizations and NGOs (PWDLS) academia and research institutions; private sector and community-based leaders; and women-led organizations.
According to Ohanga, the event will offer a platform for the youths to display diverse innovations for sustainable development.
Ohanga cemented that there is a great need for the youth to leverage innovation through technology to drive the desired change for the actualization of SDGs.
According to Next Einstein Forum Kenyan Ambassador and SDGs Week organizer Grace Nzivo, the SDGs week will be fundamental in the youth’s participation and leadership and their immense contribution in accelerating positive change in the community.
“The SDGs week event will happen in urban and rural areas specifically in Kajiado County to sensitize the youth and women more on the importance of adoption of SDGs at the village levels which promotes and inspires collective action,” noted Nzivo.
Over the past decade, notable progress has been made in advancing the Agenda 2030 goals worldwide, with clear contrasts between countries in the Global North and Global South.
“According to the UN’s 2024 SDG Progress Report, only 17% of the goals are on track to be met.
While 18% have made moderate progress, 30% show marginal progress, and a worrying 35% are
either stagnating or regressing,” she added.
“Multiple global crises, including the aftermath of the COVID-19
pandemic, escalating conϐlicts, geopolitical tensions, and the growing climate crisis—as witnessed
here in Kenya with recent ϐloods—have severely hindered our progress. Kenya currently ranks
123rd out of 167 countries in terms of SDG progress.”
