The role of volunteer organizations in youth social development: A case of National Volunteer Network trust in Starehe Constituency; Nairobi Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to look at National Volunteer Network Trust as an organization, and its role in the attainment of social development among youths in Nairobi's Starehe constituency. The research objectives highlighted trainings, employer placement programme, management and youth development as well as level of stakeholder participation. In chapter three the study employed a descriptive survey design to get the perspectives and experiences of the volunteers in the sample group. The researcher used closed and open ended questionnaires and interviews as tools in the data collection. Purposive and convenient sampling was used to sample the management and the youth volunteers respectively. The study targeted a sample of 100 members of National Volunteer Network Trust, 15 of these from the management while the 85 were youth volunteer. The researcher then adopted both qualitative and descriptive statistics in the analysis of the data collected. The key findings point to high number of youths attending the trainings as well as the volunteer placement programme because of the impact in the previous volunteers as well as to open up avenues for social development. The management was also seen to involve youths in decision making by including them in the leadership structure through the committees. These findings were covered in chapter five. The conclusions of the study were that indeed NAVNET has played a role in youth social development through its trainings, employer placement and inclusion of youths in leadership. This adds to the other stakeholder efforts that aim at eradicating youth poverty and disillusionment thereby giving hope to youths in a time of high youth unemployment and disempowerment. The study recommends that the government takes a proactive role in policy formulation as well as ensuring youths' access capital for enterprise development. It also recommends that stakeholders from various sectors contribute to youth social development by partnering with National Volunteer Network Trust and take in more volunteers as interns.