Later this month, Mayiani will attend the World Diplomats Training Programme in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
Despite his humble background,, Douglas Mayiani is going places — and at the pace opportunities are opening up right before his eyes, the sky may be no limit at all.
Having finished his two-and-a-half-year Advanced Diploma in International Relations course at Zetech University in April, Mayiani has already obtained a scholarship to study at a reputable university abroad — namely, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India.
At Zetech, Mayiani was a student leader and was responsible for public participation, a position that enabled him to participate in many student and youth leadership forums. He came into contact with numerous student leaders and people engaged in governmental agencies as well as non-governmental organisations working on various social causes.
Sports
It is hard to believe that the young man from Imaroro Ward in Kajiado County is only 19 years old. He started his education early, he says, and entered secondary school at the tender age of 12 years. “In high school, I played for the Kenya national under-18 basketball team. I have been playing for the national team ever since. That has also helped me to get these opportunities.”
Through sports, Mayiani has travelled to various countries for competitions — including Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and South Africa.
Model UN Conference
This is how he also came to benefit from the World Diplomats Training Programme. Mayiani has been invited as a delegate of the Best Diplomats United Nations Simulation Conference to be held later this month, “When they did the selection, out of my participation in issues of human rights and charitable activities during the COVID-19 period, I was selected to represent the United Nations Youth Department in the conference in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.”
The conference has been organized in collaboration with Arab Youth International Model United Nations.
When the Kajiado Star caught up with him, Mayiani was in the process of preparing for his journey to report for his new studies in India, before later attending the conference in Dubai to be held from September 16-19. Apart from Mayiani, two other Kenyan youth will also be expected to attend the conference. Hundreds of young men and women from countries all over the world have been invited to the conference.
Opportunities
In India, Mayiani will study for a three-year Bachelor of Clinical Psychology degree, to be followed by a one-year internship in Australia. “These are the kind of opportunities the youth can take advantage of. It is 100 per cent funded, but also requires good performance because the competition is very high.”
Leaders, Mayiani says, should work hard to obtain more opportunities for the youth to study in various parts of the world. Former Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago comes in for special praise from the young scholar, who says the administrator has opened enormous opportunities for young people in Uasin Gishu County to study abroad.
“Nothing comes when you just sit back idling and waiting. Young people should know that there are places where they can get help.”
