Educate and Empower Street Children in Kenya

We're very pleased that our vocational skills youth had a 95% pass rate for their national exams this December!  All of the carpentry (5) and welding (6) students passed, as did 8 of the 9 tailoring students. These results are well above the national average!

The skills programs continue to grow, as we now have 17 students in welding (including 1 girl), 16 in carpentry and 19 in tailoring. These programs help prepare them for employment and the Zawadi Youth Enterprise Project.

In October, the Children and Youth Empowerment Centre established the Zawadi Youth Enterprise Project.  The Z-YEP is essentially a youth cooperative which will support the development of various enterprises in the business incubator and entrepreneurship program.  Initial enterprises are beekeeping, tailoring/handcrafts, livestock (starting with rabbits and goats) and horticulture.  The Z-YEP will help youth develop business and leadership skills and launch their own businesses as part of the exit strategy. 

Beekeeping  Four youth have learned how to manage hives, harvest honey and construct hives. They're starting to collect and sell honey locally.

Tailoring   Recent graduates of the tailoring program are making shoulder bags for sale domestically and in the US.  Profits from these bags are split among income for the girls, support for the CYEC and reinvestment in the Z-YEP.

Rabbits  Rabbits are the most cost-effective source of protein available!  CYEC youth have constructed hutches and will soon learn rabbit management to provide meat for the centre and income for themselves.

Horticulture  The youth are growing tomatoes in the greenhouse to sell and generate income.  They’re learning valuable agricultural production and business skills, while creating value for themselves and the CYEC!

Links:

• CYEC Website
• CYEC Facebook Fanpage