In Kenya, 14 in every 1,000 children have moderate or severe hearing loss. Only a very small percentage of them have access to customized education. This lack of access to special education hinders not only their schooling, but also their overall social and economic development. Starting in the 1800s, missionaries from Europe began establishing schools for the deaf, with the St. Joseph Institute for the deaf established in 1965, being one of the first schools for the deaf in Kenya. The students’ population at the Institute presently stands at 598 of whom 296 are girls and 302 boys. Although the Institute also admits hearing students, the Institute’s original mission is still maintained as to cater for the hearing-impaired who are not able to join secondary schools or those who have done their secondary education and are interested in technical training. To make the school for the deaf also accessible to the financially disadvantaged, their education needs to be subsidised and a helping hand provided (starter toolkits) to start their own business after training completion.

The St. Joseph Technical Institute is located in Nyang’oma, a small village in the Siaya County, near the equator 60km northwest of the city Kisumu. The village became famous after Barack Obama’s election as president because it is the hometown of Barack Obama’s father.

Siaya County has a population of about 1 million people and a high population growth rate. The majority of the population is engaged in fishing and agricultural activities, with limited job opportunities in commercial enterprises and public services. Many people are self-employed in the informal sector. As more young people enter the labour market due to rapid population growth, the pressure on available employment opportunities will only increase. Youth unemployment is high and young people with disabilities (such as the deaf and hearing-impaired) also face stigma and limited opportunities to learn a skill. The vocational training program offered by the St. Joseph Institute provides excellent opportunities for the deaf and hearing-impaired, but is not cheap. Tuition fee for the six-month tailoring, welding, and carpentry courses for deaf and hearing-impaired people is KES 15,000, which is unaffordable for young people from financially disadvantaged families. As a result, they have no access to customized special education. The project aims to provide hearing-impaired youngsters from financially disadvantaged families with equal opportunities to pursue vocational training.

St. Joseph’s Technical Institute, Nyang’oma was started in 1965 by Franciscan Sisters of St. Anna and officially recognised in 1972 by the Ministry of Education.

St. Joseph Technical Institute for the deaf aims to provide accessible, inclusive technical and vocational training for students with hearing impairments, enabling them to achieve economic independence and social inclusion. It delivers high-quality, accessible vocational training for students with hearing impairments; and empowers them through skill development for employability and self-reliance. The Institute promotes inclusive education that adapts to the needs of students with disabilities and fosters partnerships, such as with the Young People with Disability Foundation (YPWDF), to enhance support for students with disabilities.

This project aims to empower 18 youths with hearing impairments from surrounding villages by giving them access to customized vocational training and enhancing employability. They will be provided with subsidized training, starter toolkits, and transport (bicycles). Through apprenticeships in carpentry, garment-making, and mechanics, they will gain critical skills for local labour demands.

Equipped with essential tools and skills for their trade, they will increase their chances of employment or self-employment.

The provision of transport (bicycles) is crucial given that local transport in the surrounding villages is either unavailable or unaffordable for the poor. Provision of bicycles addresses this issue and enables daily training attendance, reducing absenteeism and dropout rates.

The envisaged result of the project is that 18 hearing impaired youth will complete vocational courses in carpentry, garment making, and welding, gaining practical, marketable skills. A secondary result is increased community awareness of vocational training and career opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Graduates are supported in finding work or starting businesses, which provides income and long-term employment.

The sustainability of the school’s activities is guaranteed by income from tuition fees, collaboration with local businesses, government support and alumni contributions.

Tuition fees help to cover part of the training costs.

Partnerships with local businesses results in their support, including resources, internship training and funding.

Collaboration with local authorities enables the integration of the activities into national training programmes and thus sustainable funding.

Successful graduates are encouraged to support the training programmes through mentoring and small donations.

The training and apprenticeship of 18 deaf and/or hearing-impaired young people costs €2,000 and another €400 for training materials. To provide some or all of them with bicycles to enable training program attendance, an additional €1,800 is needed and to equip them with essential tools for practicing their profession after completion of the training costs €1,200.

With a 10% own contribution from the Institute, this project requires €4,800 in external funding.