Mary Mutula

Mary is a young leader who is passionate, deliberate, and intentional in mentoring and training youth, and more so young mothers to have skills for economic resilience and psychological wellbeing. Mary is currently Ms. President for Machakos County. She is further trained on advocacy for youth engagement in leadership hence her role in mentoring more youth into leadership. She is also trained in promoting resilient livelihoods among other youth.

Mary’s work also involves mentoring and training youth with digital marketing skills, 21st Century skills, civic education as well as advocacy and policy influencing, which are very key in guiding youth to be active citizens, and have a voice, including social accountability initiatives, in programs that are meant to support improve their lives.

Currently, Mary has reached over 10,000 youth with these trainings, and linked 6,000 to job and internship opportunities, with a further 50 linked to funding for them to start and grow their businesses.

As a facilitator and mentor under youth-led programmes, including the Peace-building Youth Leadership Innovation, Entrepreneurship Mentoring Program (PYLIEMgv) under the Strategic Initiatives in Executive Office of the President of Kenya, she has built the capacity of over 500 youth on conflict prevention, management and peacebuilding, enhancing a resilient ecosystem of Peace champions and Community change drivers in pre and post-electoral peacebuilding, electoral justice to prevent and mitigate election violence, and contribute to a peaceful political transition.

Mary is the Executive Director of Youth for Sustainable Development, Machakos Chapter, a youth-led organization whose aim is to empower youth socially, politically, and economically. She also champions climate change and environmental conservation for sustainable development. I am a youth representative in the Machakos County Technical working group on Ending Teenage Pregnancies, having currently empowered over 4500 girls against teenage pregnancy. She has led a team of youth and other stakeholders in developing a Youth Participation Model, which led to the drafting of the Machakos Public Participation policy.

Mary has led her team in effective planning, resource mobilization, and mobilization of youth forums for youth engagement in Agribusiness, where 1400 youth attended and 136 youth showcased their Agribusiness initiatives. She played a key role in organizing career fairs and exhibitions by bringing together government departments and 1000 youth.