Helping young Kenyans survive and thrive in Kisumu

Work and training at Paluoc Carpentry workshop continues to go well. The workshop has carried on as usual with teaching the trainees new carpentry skills, whilst at the same time seeking real carpentry/joinery work for them to do to help them earn a few shillings for themselves and their families.

Most of their work is to do with providing desks, benches and lockers for local schools. The school population of Kisumu continues to grow quite rapidly so there is a fairly steady demand. However the demand for desks etc is very seasonal. Schools want them and order them at the beginning of the school year but by this stage all of those orders have been delivered.

There is some demand for bed frames for people’s homes, and for tables and chairs for churches and community centres, but these are not sufficient to provide a continuous flow of orders and work.

In some ways this is good as it allows Paul to concentrate on teaching new skills to the trainees, but if the workshop is eventually to be self-sufficient then they always need to be on the lookout for other ways of earning money.

Recently Paul has been loaning out some of his more experienced trainees to help with carpentry jobs on building sites - they have been fixing wardrobes, door frames and doors.

This is Bonaventure, one of Paul’s most skilful and trusted trainees fitting a wardrobe.

Kennedy and Stephen are hanging a door in a newly built home.

Meanwhile Maurine, one of Paul’s two female trainees, works at improving her skills back at the workshop.

Slowly but steadily the workshop is establishing itself and becoming accepted as a successful way of providing free training for youngsters who have earlier missed out on their education.

Thank you very much for your ongoing support for these needy young people!