Livelihood & Life Skills for Impoverished Youth

Dear Supporters,

Holiday Greetings and deep gratitude from Shauri Yako Youth Community Support Centre (SYSC). 

Our goal at SYSC is to empower youth with livelihood and life skills, providing a pathway out of poverty. Over the years, we have tried so many programs to achieve this goal. I'm so proud to have found a model that is really working - youth are seeking out and staying our program and going straight into employment in high-demand jobs upon graduation, changing their life's pathway. 

Construction skills training:

In 2023, SYSC's employment skills training program has trained 15 youth as construction artisans: 4 masons, 3 plumbers, 3 welders, 2 tile fitters, 2 carpenters, and 1 electrician. 10 masons, welders, and plumbers completed their training in October and are already placed in jobs. 5 additional trainees, who joined this round of trainees later due to high demand from the construction industry and our industry partner, Forest Hill, will graduate in February.

We have now started selecting another group of 12 youth for 2024 training who, if all goes well, will start in February 2024.

There are several factors behind our program's impact and success. For instance:

• We work with local government administration and church groups to identify high-need youth to participate and ensure they are registered with I.D. so they are eligible for worker's compensation.
• As we have learned how important it is to trainees' ability to participate and remain in the program, we also arrange housing with local community sponsors for women participants and rooming for men so they can live close to our training centre and avoid the complication of arriving by to training each day by bus. 
• Each participant is paid a half day's wage for each day that they are in training so they can afford food and basic self-care before they graduate. 

“Thank you for supporting me through this, I want to give back by training others” - 2023 Electrician Trainee -

Life skills training:

We also continue to offer Scouts and life skills training programming to promote leadership skills and positive social, and mental health of young persons. These initiatives play an important role in strengthening youth's coping strategies, decision-making capacity, self-confidence, and positive social behaviors. The program also teaches health and hygiene practices. 

Flood Damage Repair

Kenya is experiencing extra heavy rains this year, and it has caused damage to the parameter wall around our centre, and the building itself. We are currently rebuilding with the support of donors.  

As 2023 comes to a close, we want to express our profound gratitude to all of you. Please know that you touch the lives of so many people. As we come to the end of the year, we pray that we will be able to continue to empower more youth through your kind support.   

Be blessed.

Joe Mwai

Chair