About the Project
The project consisted of provided skills-training to support employment for the caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Location
Informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya
Quick Project Stats
| Funding Date | November – December 2024 |
| Luena Investment | $2,000 |
| CBO Partner | Community Implementing Initiative |
| Village | Mathare, Huruma, Baba Ndogo and Korogocho |
| Country | Kenya |
| # of Children Impacted | 240 |
| Community Contribution | Provision of job opportunities for trainees |
Challenging Conditions Leave Children Extremely Vulnerable
In Kenya, most of the informal settlements are associated with poor people who live below a dollar a day. Most of them do casual labor to feed their family, and the income is not enough to enroll their children in better schools. With the rate of non-communicable diseases, HIV/Aids, and cholera outbreaks because of poor sanitation, most of the children we have identified to work with are orphans or are vulnerable due to death of one parent or run-away parent. These children are either taken for child labor to help sell items at roadsides or others have run away from home and become street children. Training caregivers with a variety of employable skills may give them access to an increased income to help them provide for the children they are taking care of.
Skills Training Improves Opportunities for Caregivers to Support Children
The donation from Luena Foundation was used to provide vocational training and skills classes for caregivers, including classes in beauty services such as hairdressing and manicures, computer classes, and classes in nutrition and food catering. In addition, all of the caregivers participated in sessions on nutrition, proper hygiene, and sexual reproductive health talks. They all agreed these sessions have helped them and will ensure that the children will benefit more from the knowledge they have acquired.
After completing the program, all of the caregivers managed to get jobs in different companies, institutions, and beauty salons. 10 caregivers with computer skills are now working with supermarkets, wholesale retailers, and big shops which we had approached to employ them. 28 caregivers with hairdressing and beauty skills have been hired by beauty and salon entrepreneurs. 22 caregivers with catering skills were taken in by nearby hotels and restaurants to complete three-month internships with the goal of full employment afterwards.
Meet our Partner Community-Based Organization
Community Implementing Initiative (CII) is a community based organization which is registered with the Ministry of Social Gender Services as a CBO in 2006 and working in Mathare, Korogocho, Eastleigh and Babadogo. Our mandate is to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable communities through child protection, improved access to basic quality education, quality healthcare, and mitigate impact of HIV/AIDS among the marginalized communities and groups.
To learn more about our partner organization, click here.
