Build Skills with the "lost" Youth in Kenya

This quarter has commenced on a highly positive and promising note, marked by significant partnerships in student enrollment, sponsorship, skills development, sports, and community engagement.

Sergoek Vocational Training Centre, renowned for its well-developed infrastructure and commitment to sustainable green energy, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Foundation to sponsor 172 students on full scholarships. The beneficiaries will pursue training in various disciplines, including Food and Beverage Production, Electrical Engineering, Plumbing, Fashion and Design, Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, and Welding and Fabrication. This partnership demonstrates the confidence that stakeholders and development partners have in our institution's ability to deliver quality technical and vocational education and training.

Koshin Technical Training Institute (KTTI), in collaboration with the Government of Kenya, has launched a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. This initiative is designed to benefit individuals who have acquired skills through informal or non-formal learning pathways by providing them with an opportunity to obtain formally recognised qualifications. Participants will undergo capacity-building sessions and competency assessments before being awarded certification by KTTI. To date, 150 learners have enrolled in the programme. This initiative is expected to have a significant impact on the community, particularly among individuals working in the informal sector who possess valuable skills but lack recognised academic credentials.

As an institution located in the Home of Athletic Champions, KTTI continues to promote sporting excellence. In partnership with Kiprun, the institute successfully organised its first marathon training programme. Members of the KTTI athletics team benefited from professional marathon training conducted by international coaches. This collaboration aims to nurture and develop talented athletes, equipping them with the skills and expertise needed to compete successfully at national and international levels and ultimately contributing to Kenya’s rich legacy of producing world-class marathon champions.

In addition, KTTI hosted one of the largest athletics and indoor sports championships in Kenya's North Rift region. The event brought together over 600 sportsmen and sportswomen from 27 TVET institutions, providing a platform for competition, talent identification, and regional integration.

Our longstanding partner, Loyola High School of the United Republic of Tanzania, has initiated a leadership and community service programme in collaboration with our institution. The primary objective of this initiative is to strengthen the culture of community service among students, in line with the core values of Rafiki ya Maisha. The programme seeks to develop responsible leaders who are committed to serving their communities and creating positive social impact.

In conclusion, this quarter has been characterised by remarkable achievements and vibrant activities across academic, skills development, sports, leadership, and community engagement programmes. We remain deeply grateful to all our partners and stakeholders for their continued support. 

Jambo Rafikis,

The year has begun on a high note with our continued partnership with Great Being A Girl. The organization recently visited our institutions to educate girls and young women on health and hygiene through their “Ending Period Poverty Once and for All” program. We are encouraged by the positive outcomes of this collaboration and look forward to future engagements.

The dedication and consistency of our institutions, Koshin Technical Training Institute, KTTI and Sergoek, continue to bear fruit, as reflected in the steady increase in student enrollment. Our commitment to empowering our girls is clearly yielding results, as demonstrated by the growing number of young women enrolling at our institutions. At Sergoek, with a total student population of 640, there are 414 female and 226 male students. At Koshin, 72 female and 49 male new students enrolled this quarter, bringing the current student population to 2057. Recently, Koshin has introduced a new program that recognizes individuals without formal education but with practical experience—such as plumbers and construction workers— allowing them to be assessed and then awarded a Certificate of Prior Learning. 

Since the inception of RYM and the establishment of our schools, we have continued to witness inspiring success stories from our alumni. From children uplifting their families from poverty, qualified plumbers (from Kenya) working in Qatar,  to engineers running their own construction companies, our graduates are making remarkable progress. One recent example is Mr. Denis K., a former electrical student at KTTI, who is now an entrepreneur and employer managing his own electrical business. Such success stories motivate us to continue providing vocational training and education to young people in rural Kenya, thereby reducing unemployment, conflict, and poverty in the region.

The much-anticipated completion of the new Administration Block at Sergoek Vocational Training Center (SVTC) has been achieved. The building will house several administrative offices, a state-of-the-art computer laboratory, and a modern library designed to support students in developing their IT and AI skills as well as enhancing their research capacity. This new facility stands as an iconic development in the region — the first of its kind in design and the only building in the area fully powered by green energy, marking a significant milestone in advancing our climate change agenda.

In conclusion, we remain committed to sustaining this positive momentum throughout the year. We sincerely thank all our donors and partners and friends of Rafiki Ya Maisha.

Thank you very much.

Claire Mathijsen and Gabriel Teimuge