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Happy International Day of Families to you! The day is celebrated on the 15th of May and is recognized by the United Nations since 1993. While the celebrations are a big deal for organizations such as Optiven Group, that are family centric, there is a new shift in how families exist in this century.
It is no longer the norm for families to be dependent on one another as was the case in the 1980’s where every opportunity to gather members was a time to look forward to and celebrate. In any case, the support for both celebration and need such as health, illness and even death was core to ensuring that family names are protected and members are comfortable.
The bane of the current lifestyle where a majority of families remain scattered, has not only affected the relationships between the younger generation but similarly the lives of octogenerians many of them either retired honorably or retrenched owing to ill health or simply old age.
In a country where the rate of employment is a sore thumb and the available jobs are too few to cater for the ballooning number of experienced workforce or even the millions of graduates being churned out from universities, it is no wonder that by the time one is 35 years of age, they are considered to be too old to work.
At that point no family members are willing to take on the baggage of another member seeing that they themselves are struggling to make ends meet. But what has happened to families in the recent past? In some countries especially in Europe, the care of older parents has been left to homes for older people – perhaps because no one has time for anyone anymore.
The trend though yet to hit Kenya shows all the signs of being adapted in this African nation at least in the next 10 or 20 years to come. Society is no longer obliged to ensure that children are left with inheritance of land as was the case in the 1960’s. The situation is made more complicated amidst rising urbanization and the movement of people from the cities to peri urban areas.
The reality is that life has changed and with that change, the need for one to consider how their current investments will advise the future. Gone are the days when people retired to go back to rural areas because now the land is no longer there. It is also dawning that indeed east or west, home is not always the best especially if you do not have your own to call home.
It is this reality that led the Optiven Group to consider how to walk the youth to a more comfortable future through offering affordable investments in real estate. George Wachiuri, the Chief Executive at Optiven Group is not new to youth empowerment and is a keen enabler towards achieving the corporate goal of social and economical empowerment of the society.
This year, the company kicked off a new campaign aimed at enabling the youth to acquire land in simple installments either individually or as a group. According to Wachiuri, the initiative is the second that the company has embraced to widen the number of youth placing their money in future ventures as opposed to spending it on betting and unprofitable lifestyles. Wachiuri who is a much called-upon speaker at SACCO Annual General Meetings, Universities, Corporate meetings and government forums says, ‘as a country we will be sorry that we did not guide our youth to invest because we saw their plight and did nothing about it’.
This he said was the catalyst that led Optiven Limited to provide the youth with an opportunity to invest in real estate with minimal monthly deposits that lead them to meeting the dream of land ownership. ‘It is through offering youth with opportunities in real estate that they are able to appreciate what difference it can provide in their lives’, he said.
His comments come shortly after the company launched a new campaign that will enable youth to acquire property by paying a minimum of 16000 per month for a period of 48 months. He noted that the initiative is not only a tool to empower youth and the society, but also as a way to give back.
He sums his comments thus :”for us at Optiven we have put the families of this country at the heart of all that we do in the four areas of focus which are High Performance Culture, Automation, Innovation and Cost Management. This is because we value families and encourage them to invest together”.
This will definitely make a difference in the lives of someone whom hopefully will in the next few years open the doors of their homes to family and friends, because of their investment today. After all it is said that a tree with a shade is a result of a seed grown in the past.
As the world celebrates families today, it then advises the decision of men and women alike to make deliberate decisions and make investments that will ensure a comfortable future such as in real estate. In resonance with the theme for the 2019 International Day for Families – Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13 – we wish you all happiness and continued unity in your families.
FROM THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR FAMILIES 2019
Although families all over the world have transformed greatly over the past decades, they are still recognized as the basic unit of society. The International Day of Families provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting them.
It has inspired a series of awareness-raising events, including national family days. In many countries, including Kenya, this day is an opportunity to highlight different areas of interest and importance to families.
The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. 2019 Theme: “Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13 which targets improvement of education and integration of climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
Thoughts by:
George Wachiuri: A Leading Entrepreneur, a Published Author, Philanthropist, Youth Empowerment Enthusiast, a Family man and CEO of Optiven Group
Contact Optiven Group: 0790 300 300
Email: admin@optiven.co.ke
Website: https://www.optiven.co.ke
