Some 176 vulnerable young women and adolescent girls have graduated into the trades of plumbing, electrical and painting in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
The women were beneficiaries of the Sh30 million partnership between the Family Group Foundation and the USAID Tumikia Mtoto Project.
The training aimed at enhancing employability, income, and livelihoods.
Engineer Edward Karani said the role that technical and vocational skills play in propelling the Kenyan people to new industrialised status by 2030 and creating opportunities for self-employment cannot be underscored.
Karani who is the director for Infrastructure Development, Technology and Innovation, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority spoke on Thursday during the graduation ceremony at Kasarani, Nairobi.
“I commend Family Bank and USAID through World Vision Kenya for joining hands to empower the lives of these young women,” he said.
The initiative also provides labour market linkages to the 176 young women who have completed the programme.
A further 100 young women are being commissioned to join the next cohort.
Family Bank CEO Rebecca Mbithi said as a financial institution, they recognise that the gender gap in financial inclusion remains significantly high.
“A report by African Women’s Development Fund estimating it at $42 billion for women in Africa,” she said.
Mbithi said as a bank, they are instrumental in accelerating sustainable investment themes, and the co-creation of the intervention is critical to them.
“We want to not only empower the young women but enable them to empower others, as we drive financial inclusion and sustainability.
"Through these skill sets, we are enabling these young women to set up businesses and build strong entrepreneurial skills,” she said.
This project is under the Foundation’s Shared Values Initiatives in construction, entrepreneurship, development and business management services dubbed the Tufuzu Youth Entrepreneurship Development Project.
It provides young adults with technical training and access to labour markets, financing and linkages to other strategic partners.
US Embassy Deputy Ambassador Chargé d’affaires Eric Watnik said the DREAMS programme has helped to empower 176 graduates with knowledge and skills to participate fully in Kenya’s economy.
“We are all proud and hopeful as they step out into the world, ready to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families,” he said.
The partnership also seeks to increase the economic stability of households, to care for and protect orphans and vulnerable children and to strengthen the capacity of community systems and structures.
This is through practical soft and hard skills training combined with practical training of technical skills certified by the National Industrial Training Authority and the National Construction Authority.
The programme is implemented by Arc Skills, a leading provider of skills development solutions for schools, universities, and businesses.
World Vision Kenya’s Board chairman Paul Lilan said the efforts contribute to the broader World Vision Kenya goal of promoting the well-being of vulnerable children and families across 38 counties.
“World Vision is a child-focused organisation implementing integrated health, education, household resilience, water, sanitation, hygiene, and child protection projects,” he said.
In addition to NITA and NCA certifications, the graduates received construction tool kits to equip them as they start their integration into the labour market demands.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
