Economic Growth Kenya Project #41623

Job Skills Training for Marginalized Kenyan Youth

by Shauri Yako Community Youth Support Centre (SYSC)

Project Report | May 13, 2024
April Report (apologies for cross-post)

By Joe Mwai | Chair of the Board

Masonry trainees

Dear Donors and Friends,

Greetings from Shauri Yako Youth Support Centre. Thank you very much for your ongoing support of our Livelihood and Life Skills Project. The purpose of this project is to provide unemployed and out-of-school youth with market-relevant job skills and to assist them in entering the employment market.

Construction skills training:

From February 2023 to February 2024, our Construction Skills program trained 18 youth in masonry, plumbing, welding, tiles fitting, carpentry, and electrician trades. Working with our construction industry partners, Options for Homes Kenya, Forest Hills and National Construction Authority (NCA), we then place graduates directly into jobs. The NCA certifies the training, enabling the trainees to enter into the work force or create self-employment. The program addresses the huge need for trade workers in Kenya's construction industry and supports the high number of unemployed and out-of-school young people who take part in the project. In March 2024, SYSC recruited 10 new trainees, who are currently training in masonry and welding. With your support, our aim is to train a total of 20 people through this program in 2024.

Every time we train and provide jobs, we know that we have reduced poverty for these people and their extended families.

Tailoring and dress-making:

In June, we are excited to resume our Tailoring and Dressmaking Skills 8-month course, which has been on hold as we recruited a new trainer. 6 of 8 youth trained through this program in 2022 have secured jobs in the government's National Youth Service and the other two are self-employed.

Maternal Health Education:

In the informal settlements of Nyeri town, the maternal mortality ratio (that is, the number of women dying of pregnancy-related causes) is high. 2019 census data showed 355 deaths per 100,000 live births in Kenya. The most affected are women who live in poor communities. Women who do not get recommended health care services before they get pregnant are more likely to die due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Women’s health before, during, and pregnancy can have a major impact on the infant’s health and well-being. The strategy is to help pregnant women to get medical care and to end preventable maternal and perinatal death, particularly to those at risk of being left behind especially those in informal urban settlements.

From March 2024, SYSC has been working in collaboration with the Nyeri County Government to promote maternal health for the urban poor living in Nyeri informal settlements. The government has trained and placed 3 Maternal Health Promoters at Shauri Yako Community Youth Centre who are responsible for serving the people of Shauri Yako, Manjengo and Kiawara informal settlements. We appreciate the support given by the Government of Japan through JOICFP organization to train maternal health promoters.

Life skills training:

Our longstanding Scouts and life skills training program helps to promote leadership skills, positive social and mental health of young persons and plays an important role in strengthening coping strategies, developing self-confidence and social behavior. The program also teaches health and hygiene practices and decision-making. Also very important, Scounts is a much-needed free community service.

Thank you very much. Asante sana!

We could not achieve what we do without your support and want to express our profound gratitude to all of you. Be blessed.

Jow Mwai, Chair

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Dec 28, 2023
We've tried so many things, but this works

By Joe Mwai | Chair

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

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Sep 5, 2023
An Update for Youth (& apologies for cross-posting

By Joe Mwai | Chair of the Board

Board Chair with trainees at certificate ceremony

Dear Friends and Donors,

OUR APOLOGIES IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS ALREADY.

Greetings from Shauri Yako Youth Support Centre, Kenya.

The project received $783.00 from your generous donations during the reporting period. We utilized these funds to support our Livelihood & Life Skills program activities.

Livelihood Training:

As you know, this project aims to provide unemployed and out-of-school youth with high-demand jobs and life skills and to assist them to enter the employment market.
Our current cohort includes 10 construction skills trainees in the following areas, who will graduate in October: 4 in masonry; 3 in plumbing; and 3 in welding.

Working with industry partners to ensure newly-skilled graduates get job placements as soon as they complete their training is a critical part of our model.
We’re thrilled to have already secured jobs for all 10 of our current trainees with Forest Hills Homes project - check out the attached photos to see them at work and at the National Construction Authority certificate presentation.

“I am now an experienced welder, I am empowered and confident. I will work hard and save to buy welding equipment so that I can become self-employed one day, train others, and hopefully create employment for somebody else. Thank you very much for your support”. - Current welding trainee -

Scouts & Life Skills Training:

Your support has also supported our Scouts and life skills training program, which helps to promote leadership skills and positive social and mental health of young persons.
It also plays an important role in strengthening coping strategies and developing self-confidence and social behavior. The program also teaches health and hygiene practices and decision-making

I want to express our profound gratitude to all of you. Please know that you touch the lives of so many people. Plans are in progress for selecting another youth cohort by December to start skills training in January 2024.

Thank you and be blessed. Asante sana!

Joe Mwai

Chair

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