By Florence Olwenge | Seed of Hope Programme Manager
Our dear supporters
We are happy to update you on the progress of our project and to express our heartfelt gratitude for the support you have provided to children and young people in urban slums and rural communities in Kenya, where many families are struggling for survival.
With your support, the year began positively, with our learning activities progressing smoothly across our three vocational training centres. We successfully enrolled 617 students; made up of 332 girls, almost 1 in 5 of whom are young mothers seeking opportunities to be able to support themselves and their own young children. In response to high youth unemployment and increasing demand, our aim is to reach more than a thousand children and young people throughout this year!
Our comprehensive program includes vital support from daily hot lunches to mental well-being and counselling services for all students. We are especially proud of our young mothers who receive monthly childcare vouchers, enabling them to continue their skills training while ensuring their children are well cared for. Our mentorship program, supported significantly by our former graduates, continues to thrive and the positive feedback from the students indicates they are happily engaged and benefiting greatly from the skills they are learning.
In expanding our reach long term, we are excited to announce that our new vocational training building in Nairobi is fully operational, providing a conducive learning environment for even more students to gain employment skills.The classrooms are well-equipped, and our computer lab now boasts sufficient computers to meet the needs of our students. Whilst in a remote part of Kitui county, where the population experience intense food insecurity, our kitchen building project is progressing well. This new facility will provide an improved permanent structure for meal preparation and will enable us to launch a Catering and Hospitality course, expanding our curriculum.
You may already be aware of the heavy rains which affected many parts of Kenya from March to May with severe flooding, affecting lives, livelihoods, and devastating crops in rural areas. Some of our students were affected resulting in the displacement of them and their families. We promptly provided guidance on safety measures and counselling to those affected. Our dedicated staff played a crucial role in ensuring the safety and emotional well-being of our students during this difficult time, especially in light of the distressing images circulating on social media.
Your support has been instrumental in allowing us to continue our mission of training and empowering children and young people, with life-changing skills to create opportunities for rewarding futures. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity and commitment to positively change the narrative for children and young people in Kenya.
Once again, thank you for your invaluable support. We look forward to updating you on further progress and achievements in the future.
With every best wish,
Florence Olwenge
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