Tools for vocational training in Kendu Bay – Kenya
Kendu Bay, Kenya
The Homa Hills Vocational Training Centre in Homa Bay – Kenya wants to increase the capacity and improve the quality of education, by purchasing the necessary teaching materials for the practical lessons. A lack of machines and tools does not yet make it possible for young people to learn the skills with which they can be directly employed, find work, or start for themselves a means for living.

An amount of € 4,800 is required to purchase the most needed machines and tools. The Van Doorn Foundation is looking for sponsors to support this project!

Amount required: € 4,800.-

Amount collected: € 4,800,-

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Project information
The situation
The Homa Hills Vocational Training Centre is located in Rachuonyo, a rural district of Homa Bay County. It has a population of approximately 300,000 and a poverty level of about 40%. Fishing in Lake Victoria is the main income generating activity in the area, others do some form of subsistence agriculture, and some are involved in informal sectors such as carpentry, motor vehicle mechanics, tailoring and dressmaking. Though the majority of youths are yet to venture into these informal sectors as they are lacking skills. Rachuonyo has just seven primary schools, one secondary school and Homa Hills VTC is the only vocational training centre. The nearest tertiary college is around 100 kilometres away and the tuition fees are way too high for the local community.
The importance of the project
Homa Hills Vocational Training Centre is located in a remote part of Homa Bay County. The area is surrounded by Lake Victoria hence the major economic activity is fishing. Majority of the school leavers and young people are involved in the fishing activity. This makes young population lack other skills and knowledge that is required in the job market, a phenomenon that has led to a high rate of unemployment hence poverty in the area. Early marriages, pregnancies, prostitution, and small crimes has been on the rise as many youths remain idle in the village.

The percentage of fish in the lake has been diminishing yet it remains the only source of income for the local community. The demand for skilled labour in the job market requires a population that is trained and skilled. The centre will enable youths to acquire these skills that are relevant in the job market and advances self-employment.

The implementing organisation
Home Hills Community Organization was founded in 1980 as a community-based organization with the support of the Norwegian Safe Children organization. This collaboration lasted 10 years and was mainly aimed at supporting less affluent families in agricultural and horticultural activities. In 1994 the organization was registered as an NGO and initiated vocational training (tailor, hairdresser, carpenter and metalworker). Homa Hills Vocational Training Centre collaborates with the National Industrial Training Authority [NITA] to take trainees through an industrial attachment programme by placing students at workplaces for the acquisition of practical skills and appropriate work-ethics.
The envisaged project results
Vocational training is crucial in alleviating poverty, because they allow young adults to enter a workforce where there are jobs opportunities. The demand for skilled labour in the Homa Bay county offers an opportunity to reduce unemployment. As unemployment is the leading cause of poverty, providing young people with training and education, can break the poverty circle in the area.

The goal of this project is to equip the school with the necessary training resources (machines and tools) so it can provide adequate and qualitative training.

The institution target is to provide 250 youths with marketable skills every year. Annually 150 girls and 100 boys are targeted to be equipped with skills in areas like tailoring and dress making, hairdressing, welding and fabrication, and carpentry and joinery.

The chance of sustainability
The school has classrooms and workshops and instructors for all courses. Recently a school business plan has been developed to guarantee the professionalism and sustainability of the school. The present two-years courses cost an average of € 200 per student.

There are plans for the county government to take over the training centre making it a government vocational training centre. Instructors will then be paid by the county government and a government subsidy (€ 90 per student) becomes available.

The practical-oriented training courses enables students to make assignments, deliver products that can be sold, and generate additional income for the centre to pay for the course material.

With instructors’ salaries being paid by the county government, subsidies being provided per student, and revenues generated from the sales of products made by the students, the school will be financially independent.

The results

After almost a year of delay due to the covid-19 pandemic, the container with machines and tools arrived in Kenya in early 2022 and the school could start providing practical lessons in the 2022-2023 school year.

The progress of the project

The training equipment for various training courses have been ordered from the Tools To Work Foundation in the course of 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, shipments to Kenya have been delayed and are not expected until spring 2022.

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