Tag: youth empowerment

From Early Motherhood to Building a Life of Independence: Teresa’s Journey of Entrepreneurship and Growth

Posted on by nrttrading

In a remote village in Masol Conservancy, West Pokot County, Teresa Elolia is a renowned entrepreneur with a reputation growing as quickly as her ambitions. Growing up, her world revolved around family, but as the years passed, she realized that her passion could be something more. When an unexpected opportunity came her way, Teresa saw the chance to turn her skills into something tangible, setting her on a path she hadn’t anticipated.

Born into a modest household, her family provided a stable environment, allowing her to focus on what mattered most—education. However, Teresa’s life took an unexpected turn when she became pregnant in Grade 7 with her first child, yet despite the odds, she managed to complete her primary school education. But after joining Form 1, she soon became pregnant with her second child. Struggling to balance motherhood and education, Teresa made the difficult decision to drop out of school and focus on raising her children. At a young age, Teresa later met a man who fathered her third child. However, this relationship proved to be another challenge. The man, often lost in alcohol, could barely provide for the family. Left with no choice, Teresa parted ways with him and returned to her parents’ home.

With limited options and children to care for, Teresa began wondering how she could change her life’s trajectory. In 2022, through MashinaniWORKS’ Ujuzi Manyattani program, with the support of USAID, Teresa found hope. One of the local community members informed Teresa’s father, who didn’t hesitate to submit her name for enrollment. The beauty of Ujuzi Manyattani lay in its inclusivity—there were no education-level restrictions. Teresa eagerly chose to pursue catering, a craft she had always been passionate about.

Teresa, second row, first from the right during the Masol Ujuzi Manyattani graduation in 2022

“A few months into the training, I noticed a gap in the local market for baked goods like cakes, donuts, and mandazi, and I seized the opportunity,”

With just a packet of wheat flour and cooking oil, she prepared small batches and hawked them to nearby shops while juggling her studies. This helped her earn an income while getting popular for her services.

Upon graduating with her catering certificate and receiving a tool kit from the program, Teresa fully launched herself into the business world. Her catering skills allowed her to expand her offerings, and she soon started selling maize, beans, and sugar to local hotels, making around KES 12,000 from these sales alone. On a good day, Teresa’s catering business, including a mini hotel, brings in up to KES 6,000. Even on slower days, she can at least make KES 1,000—enough to sustain her family and ensure her children attend school. She no longer relies on her parents for financial support but also helps take care of her siblings; her stability has brought her a sense of independence she once only dreamed of.

With the growing settlement around the area, there has been increased competition in the local market, but the unique touch of her work and the skills she gained from Ujuzi Manyattani keep her ahead of the curve.

With dreams of expanding her business and even employing others, Teresa sees a future where her services are sought after far and wide. She also plans to invest in livestock, diversifying her income sources, and continually upgrading her skills to remain competitive.

Passion for Progress: Meet Amos Moyare of Tassia Lodge

Posted on by nrttrading

In the heart of Nadung’oro village, Lekurruki Community Conservancy, a remarkable tale of resilience and determination emerges. Meet Amos Moyare, who rose from humble beginnings to become a crucial asset of a prestigious lodge in northern Kenya. Raised by a single mother alongside six siblings, Amos faced significant financial challenges. Despite these hardships, his family rallied together, enabling him to pursue his education, with his elder brother becoming the family’s pillar of support.

Unlike the conventional image of young men from his community entangled in retrogressive practices such as cattle rustling and banditry, Amos defied stereotypes with his passion for education. He firmly believed education was key to unlocking a future free from poverty and other socioeconomic challenges.

Upon completing his secondary school education in 2011, Amos was at a crossroads. With no means to pursue further studies and faced with harsh living conditions, he courageously took on the role of a volunteer teacher at a local primary school while tirelessly seeking better opportunities.

Amos’s journey took an exhilarating turn when he became enthusiastic about pursuing a career in the tourism industry. His passion was ignited by the region’s diverse wildlife, stunning landscapes, and unique cultural experiences that led to the substantial development of a community-owned tourism facility nearby.

In July 2022, Amos secured an interview with Tassia Lodge, a perfect secluded getaway in Lekuruki Conservancy, and earned a well-deserved spot on the team. Undergoing extensive on-the-job training at Peaks Hotels in Nanyuki, Amos sharpened his hospitality management skills as a food and beverage waiter, preparing himself for the adventurous journey ahead.

Now a 33-year-old, Amos stands tall as he serves guests from all corners of the world. The interactions with these visitors bring him great joy, and the heartfelt appreciation he receives for his exceptional service is deeply rewarding. His role as an F&B waiter has sharpened his prowess and ushered in a newfound sense of financial stability. With his hard-earned income, Amos has established a shop for his wife, significantly contributing to their improved livelihood.

Working at Tassia Lodge has profoundly changed Amos’s life, transforming his outlook on life and shaping his dreams. It has allowed him to envision a future where he can invest in livestock rearing and secure assets, such as plots of land, and expand their business.

Looking ahead, Amos sees himself continuing to grow within the community-owned tourism sector, leveraging his experience and passion to build a sustainable future for himself and his family.

From Shadows of Crime to Illuminating Life Skills: Evans Echwa’s Journey From Banditry to Entrepreneurship

Posted on by nrttrading

A large, healthy livestock herd is a pastoralist’s pride and joy.

For indigenous pastoralist communities, it is the main currency, the only one that truly matters, culturally speaking. In the vast expanse of Nakuprat Gotu Conservancy, a young moran named Evans Echwa toiled in the fields, herding his family’s livestock for years. His journey, however, was far from the ordinary.

Echwa, a 26-year-old with a weathered spirit, dropped out of school at the tender age of class five, burdened by the responsibility of caring for his family’s cattle. Little did he know that his challenges would be as relentless as the scorching sun that beat down upon the arid land in northern Kenya.

Drought and banditry attacks became haunting shadows, casting uncertainty over his family’s livelihood. Preserving the cattle family’s only source of livelihood became critical. As pasture and water supplies dwindled, Echwa moved the herd further from home in search of grazing fields. Sometimes, he would cover distances of up to 100 kilometers to ensure the cattle were adequately fed and watered.

Echwa at his garage in Kiwanja, Nakuprat-Gotu Conservancy

A life without the livestock was unimaginable!

As northern Kenya endured its fifth consecutive failed rainy season, Echwa’s greatest fear became a reality when the prolonged drought eventually wiped out his family’s entire herd. Left with no alternative source of income and being a lower primary school dropout, Echwa and his family faced a grim future. 

Faced with shame and the weight of family blame, he embarked on a daring journey to recover what was lost. In a desperate bid for retribution, Echwa joined fellow morans and raided the neighboring community for livestock.

The fateful raid unfolded with a tragic climax -Echwa was shot alongside his fellow morans, and some of his comrades paid the ultimate price. The merciless bullets sprayed upon them did not spare his comrades’ lives.

His Turning Point!

Lucky to survive, Echwa nursed back to health in the sterile walls of a hospital, where he found himself at a crossroads. With the ghosts of the past crimes haunting him and the loss of his comrades weighing heavy on his conscience, he contemplated a new path for his life. One that diverged from the shadows of violence and into the realm of a better life.

Echwa and his fellow Ujuzi Manyattani trainees during a two-day Yamaha motorcycle training in 2022 courtesy of Toyota Kenya

Determined to rewrite his narrative, Echwa faced the uphill battle alone, without support for his newfound ambition. However, fate intervened during one of his idle days. In 2021, he discovered that NRT Trading Ujuzi Manyattani was organizing a sensitization meeting at Nakuprat Community Conservancy. The vocational programs offered by the organization offered a beacon of hope for people like him who were looking for an opportunity to better their lives through marketable skills.”

Undeterred by his lack of formal schooling, he applied, half-expecting rejection. To his surprise, the opportunity embraced him. “I applied for a course in motorcycle repair, and I was surprised to qualify even at my level,” recounts Echwa with a spark of gratitude in his eyes.

The next three months became a transformative journey as Evans immersed himself in the Ujuzi Manyattani vocational training program that places trainers in the villages. In April 2022, he emerged not just as a graduate but as a symbol of resilience, armed with startup tool kits and a newfound sense of purpose.

Echwa and his fellow trainees pose for a photo

Echwa established his garage in the heart of Kiwanja village, located in Isiolo County, within Nakuprat Gotu Conservancy. He sees his enterprise as a business and a force for positive change. “Running my own garage has given me a lot of focus in life. I am no longer dependent on banditry crimes to survive. My mind is now focused on how to expand my business and be of more help to my community and family,” he says.

Evans Echwa, once a herder bound by the trials of the land into banditry, is among the 88% of Ujuzi Manyattani graduates who have embarked on self-employment through setting up their businesses, hence earning an income to secure their livelihoods.

Wheels of Change: Building Futures through Ujuzi Manyattani

Posted on by nrttrading

Early last year, NRT Trading Ujuzi Manyattani held a graduation ceremony that marked a significant milestone for 337 women and youth from NRT member Community Conservancies of Nakuprat-Gotu, Nasuulu, Ltungai, Shurr, Jaldesa, and Songa in Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit Counties. These graduates had completed various vocational courses with the support of the USAID Local Works program, the Royal Danish Embassy, the Embassy of Sweden through the IMARA project, IUCN Save our Species co-funded by the European Union, The Nature Conservancy, and Northern Rangelands Trust.

Among the graduates was John Galwersi, a young man from Karare, Songa Conservancy, Marsabit County. Before joining Ujuzi Manyattani, John worked as a boda-boda operator, braving the elements to sustain himself and his family. However, long hours on the motorcycle began taking a toll on his health, leading him to seek alternatives. Fortunately, through the Songa Community Conservancy management, he learned about a vocational training program targeting women and youth from indigenous communities with marketable skills to diversify livelihoods and encourage entrepreneurship.

John receives start-up toolkits during the Ujuzi Manyattani graduation on April 6th, 2022

John enrolled in the motorcycle repair and maintenance course, envisioning it as an educational pursuit and the foundation for a future business. However, after completing his training and graduating, he struggled to secure a job but remained persistent. With the start-up toolkits he received during graduation, he put them to work and undertook a couple of attachment opportunities with skilled mechanics to increase his grip in repairing motorcycles. He occasionally searched for employment opportunities and set aside some modest earnings.

To fill a crucial gap in his community’s need for motorcycle repair services, John used his savings of KES 5,000 to establish an auto spares and motorcycle repair shop. He stocked it with essential items for motorbikes, such as engine oil, side mirrors, brake pads, and tubes. John would conduct tests on different motorcycle models and repair various motorcycle systems, including engines, transmissions, and brakes.

John’s journey didn’t stop with technical expertise. Biashara Mashinani provided him with tailored entrepreneurial and financial literacy training in business planning, analysis, risk management, branding, customer service, and record keeping. This comprehensive training paved the way for John to run a successful business and expand his services.

John repairs a tricycle outside his auto spares and motorcycle repair shop.

From his business dubbed “Johntes Auto Spares and Motorcycle Repair, John earns a daily income of between KES 1,000 and 5,000 and has also created job opportunities for other young individuals in his community. His mobile services also cater to customers who face challenges traveling to Karare town, contributing positively to the community’s convenience.

John has encountered some difficulties in his business journey. He has lost quite a lot of money to customers who promised to pay back the money after repair but disappeared without fulfilling their promise, resulting in significant losses. Additionally, since he often orders materials from other towns, they sometimes arrive damaged, forcing him to order new ones and incur unexpected expenses. These setbacks, however, have not deterred him.

From owning a box of tools to having a fully stocked auto spares shop, John’s decision to be self-employed was the best he could have made. He now runs his business smoothly while growing his skill set and knowledge, monitoring all the profits and losses, choosing what to outsource to others, and being his own boss!

John advises other young women and men to acquire skills and enroll in programs like Ujuzi Manyattani, which offers vocational skills to address market gaps and boost and diversify the livelihoods of women and youth without disrupting their normal ways of life.

John is among the 88% of Ujuzi Manyattani graduates who have embarked on self-employment through setting up their businesses, hence earning an income to secure their livelihoods.

Rising Beyond Terrorism Scars: Mumina’s Extraordinary Journey from Tragedy to Triumph

Posted on by nrttrading

Insecurity has long plagued Kenya’s northern and coastal regions, casting a shadow over the dreams of its residents and inflicting pain upon countless families. Yet amidst this adversity, there emerges an inspiring story of a 21-year-old that encapsulates resilience, determination, and an unyielding spirit.

In 2017, a young girl named Mumina Omar, then in seventh grade, embarked on her usual journey from the Mararani villages to Kiunga Primary School in Lamu County. Little did she know that this ordinary commute in search of education would forever alter the course of her life.

Mumina and her fellow pupils were en route to school when tragedy struck along Mararani to Kiunga road. Their vehicle unwittingly triggered a landmine planted by a militia group, resulting in a deafening explosion and a fiery inferno. Mumina vividly recalls the horrifying moment, “the only thing I remember is a big loud explosion followed by fire.”

Trapped in the Boni forest, their remote location delayed rescue efforts until late into the night, leaving four of her fellow pupils dead. However, Mumina was not rescued then, for the impact of the explosion catapulted her far from her peers. She spent a harrowing night alone in the forest, consumed by pain and fear, eventually lapsing into unconsciousness.

It wasn’t until 11:00 a.m. the following day that Mumina was discovered during a renewed search mission prompted by her family’s frantic report of her disappearance and rushed to Agha Khan Hospital in Mombasa. After two weeks, her condition failed to improve, and she was subsequently transferred to Kijabe Mission Hospital in Nairobi. Tragically, the extent of her injuries necessitated the amputation of one of her legs three months later.

Mumina showcasing her tailoring skills during a National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) assessment.

The loss of her leg had profound repercussions, affecting not only her education, dreams, and self-esteem but also her family resources. Yet, Mumina’s indomitable spirit prevailed. With the help of an artificial leg supported by a good samaritan, she returned to school in 2019, persevering through bouts of excruciating pain to complete her education up to form four.

After completing her secondary education, her pains anchored her within the walls of their home, where she dutifully assisted her parents with minor tasks, her aspirations for a brighter future seemingly constrained by her condition. In a twist of fate, Mumina’s path crossed with Ujuzi Manyattani in 2023, a program dedicated to empowering young men and women in marginalized communities through the support of the USAID Local Works program. The NRT Trading Coast regional Ujuzi Manyattani Coordinator encouraged her to enroll in the program, and that’s when she embarked on a three-month training in tailoring & dressmaking course. Despite her fears and doubts, through sheer determination and the unwavering support of her parents, trainer, and fellow trainees, Mumina learned to sew a wide array of clothes.

Today, as you observe Mumina gracefully operating a sewing machine pedal, you might mistake her for any other trainee in the class. But her story sets her apart. She uses just one leg to master the art of tailoring. This remarkable feat was born out of necessity, a necessity that arose from a fateful day in 2017.

Behind Mumina’s radiant smile and confidence at the sewing machine lies a heartbreaking journey transformed by newfound life skills. She defiantly declares that the militia groups may have robbed her of one of her legs, but they never robbed her of her destiny. Today, we celebrate Mumina Omar as she graduates and is issued with the startup tool kits through the support of the USAID Local Works Program alongside the other 30 trainees from Kiunga Community Conservancy.

Mumina’s story embodies the human spirit’s ability to rise above even the most daunting challenges of terrorism. It serves as an inspiring reminder that determination can conquer adversity and dreams can endure despite the darkest of days. Ujuzi Manyattani is a beacon of hope that empowers individuals like Mumina by imparting a diverse range of vocational skills, from vessel repair, mobile phone repair, catering, masonry, electrical installation to hairdressing and beauty therapy, and motorbike repair and maintenance in eight Counties of northern and Coastal Kenya.  

Mumina receiving her certificate during the Ujuzi Manyattani graduation held on 31/10/2023 in Kiunga Community Conservancy, Lamu County in Kenya.

To date, 1,102 young women and men have graduated with vocational skills training and have been issued startup tool kits to help them earn an income and secure their livelihoods. The graduates of Ujuzi Manyattani inject over KES 60 million annually into the local economy through income earned, as per an impact survey conducted in January 2023. The survey further reveals that at least 88% of our graduates embarked on self-employment through setting up their businesses.

NRT Trading Biashara Mashinani is Changing Lives in Northern Kenya: Meet Charles Kibet!

Posted on by nrttrading

Meet Charles Kibet Loyatoman, a young entrepreneur from Masol Conservancy in West Pokot County. After finishing his primary and secondary education, he faced financial difficulties that prevented him from pursuing a university education. This was a devastating setback as he dreamed of becoming a successful entrepreneur. However, he excelled in his high school business studies and remained optimistic that he could succeed.

In 2020, Charles moved to his current hometown, Orwa, where he developed a business idea. With a small amount of capital accumulated from casual employment, he opened a small barber shop offering phone charging services. This venture was his primary source of income for a year until he was introduced to the Biashara Mashinani program for entrepreneurship training.

“I was excited when I learned about the NRT Trading business training, which was forthcoming through our conservancy management. It was a stroke of luck because I needed guidance since I had just ventured into business,” Charles said.

Charles attended the three-day module 1 business training with great enthusiasm. He was also fortunate to be among the entrepreneurs who received a loan worth KES 25,000 from the  Rangelands SACCO. In early 2021, he invested the money into establishing an agro-vet shop because he noticed a void that required filling. 

“I saw a lack of agro-vet shops in my community. I consulted experts on the dosage and the right drug for precise specifications and opened a shop. Now, I can attest that my customers have given me positive feedback on how my shop is helping their livestock be free from worms, reduce disease rate, and have good feeding contrary to when this business was not there,” Charles happily exclaimed.

Biashara Mashinani has also taught Charles the importance of diversifying his income. In addition to his agro-vet shop, Charles also sells all-gender clothes, which he claims are in high demand, especially during the rainy season. This was after his agro-vet business recorded slow growth and income because of the low demand rate during the prolonged drought in northern Kenya.

In 2022, Charles again appreciated the Rangelands SACCO as he used his savings of 35,000 shillings to set up a retail shop in Orwa town due to the high demand for essential household commodities. He added 50,000 shillings to establish phase two of a much more extensive and well-stocked retail shop

Recently, 27-year-old Charles was among the 40-star entrepreneurs trained further in business skills through the Biashara Mashinani program. He attributes his success to his desire for knowledge and consistency in training attendance.

 “It is through NRT Trading that I learned good financial habits like saving; now I have a savings account that has helped me during emergencies and to expand my businesses. Running these businesses simultaneously has been easy since I can keep records and monitor the progress,” he adds.

His businesses have him smiling to the bank, generating a monthly income of over 60,000 shillings, bringing him joy and satisfaction.

Charles has created employment for one youth in his businesses and hopes to create more opportunities and inspire other youths in his community to start their businesses.

Sudha’s Journey with Ujuzi Manyattani

Posted on by Susan Methamo

Twenty-six-year-old Sudha Mohamed is a Ujuzi Manyattani beneficiary who graduated in January 2023 with a tailoring and dressmaking course, among 29 others from Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in Garissa County.

Now, Sudha wasn’t your average girl next door. At the tender age of 17, she was married off, dashing her dream of attending university. However, Sudha wasn’t one to let life’s curveballs get the better of her.

Sudha had always been fascinated by beautifully mended clothes. She would gaze longingly at women parading their expensive outfits, wondering if she could ever create such masterpieces. Guess what? She decided to pursue her passion for tailoring; come what may!

Sudha joined Ujuzi Manyattani, a USAID-funded Local Works program that aims to empower youth and women in the community with valuable skills. She wanted to be a shining example for her younger siblings and make her dear mother proud. Through Ujuzi, she succeeded!

“Thanks to Ujuzi Manyattani, I received a tool kit on graduation day! I set up my tailoring shop right outside my mother’s store,” said Sudha.

She adds that the shop was to her advantage because she didn’t have to incur any extra costs like rent, electricity, and water bills, bearing in mind that this was supposed to be her only source of income and that her husband was jobless.

At the crack of dawn, you can find Sudha bustling in her shop, armed with measuring tapes, fabric scissors, and a trusty sewing machine. She meticulously takes measurements, jots them down, and expertly cuts fabrics, twirling the sewing machine like a pro. Sudha is a force to be reckoned with!

“What a stroke of luck that NRT Trading brought Ujuzi Manyattani right to our villages!” Sudha exclaims. “Now, I’m not just a tailor but also an entrepreneur. I’ve learned to plan my business, budget, and entertain my customers.”

With her newfound skills, Sudha earns up to KES 1,000 daily. Sure, it is not a fortune, but it is enough to keep food on the table and household utilities in check.

In a sea of competing tailors, Sudha stands out from the crowd. Why, you may ask? It is all because of the valuable advice she received from the NRT Trading Biashara Mashinani team. They stressed the importance of politeness and honesty with customers. Sudha is no “lying tailor”! She always keeps her word and finishes her work before the deadline. A true professional, indeed!

With dreams in her heart and a sewing needle in her hand, Sudha aspires to open a more extensive shop named after NRT Trading. She wants to be the talk of the town—a renowned tailor, supplier, and wholesaler all in one. And if that isn’t enough, Sudha hopes to inspire young girls like herself to enroll in similar training programs, empowering them to improve their lives.

From Tragedy to Triumph: The Inspiring Story of Peter Lepedo’s Resilience and Success

Posted on by Susan Methamo
Peter Lepedo at his Phone Repair and Barber Shop.

Peter Lepedo was just a young man when his world was turned upside down. The night of the banditry’s attack on his village in Baragoi is forever etched in his memory. He remembers the terror, the bullets flying, and the many lives lost. When he woke from the hospital bed, he discovered he had lost a leg due to injuries sustained during the attack. Many in his community saw him as someone without hope or a future.

But Peter refused to let his disability define him. He was determined to make a better life for himself. He enrolled in a phone repair course in the Ujuzi Manyattani program, which provided him with the skills and resources to start his own phone repair business.

Peter’s will to succeed paid off, and he now runs a successful phone repair shop in Karare town, Songa Conservancy. His services have been a lifeline for the people in his community who previously had to travel far to Marsabit town for phone repairs. Peter’s business has not only provided him with a reliable livelihood but has also given him a sense of pride and purpose.

“When I joined Ujuzi Manyattani, my life was never the same; it restored my hope and the will to live,”

Peter.

But Peter didn’t stop there. He expanded his business to include a barber shop (Kinyozi), which increased his income and provided additional services to his customers

Peter’s story is a testament to the power of determination and the impact programs like Ujuzi Manyattani can have on people’s lives. Despite his challenges, he has refused to give up on his dreams and has built a better life for himself and his community. His success has inspired others in his community, and he has become a role model for young people.

“Many in my position are begging in the streets, but for me, I am earning income through phone repair services,”

Peter adds.

Peter’s success story is just one example of Ujuzi Manyattani’s impact on communities across northern Kenya.

Ujuzi Manyattani is an NRT Trading program that builds the resilience and determination of youth and women in Kenya’s marginalized communities. The program provides training in various skills, including phone repair, hairdressing, and motorcycle repair, to help individuals build their businesses and become self-reliant.

Ujuzi Manyattani: Bringing Hope and Change to Northern Kenya’s Disadvantaged Communities.

Posted on by Susan Methamo
Fourth from Left is Mr. Maina Njane with Ujuzi Trainees.

In the heart of northern Kenya lies a program that is changing lives and providing hope to those who never thought they had a chance. NRT Trading Ujuzi Manyattani; is a mobile-integrated vocational training program that provides access to learning, adult literacy, and entrepreneurship skills to people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those without formal education.

Mr. Maina Njane with Ujuzi Trainees.

Partnering with institutions such as Kiirua Technical Training Institute and Laikipia North Technical and Vocational College, Ujuzi Manyattani has been making waves since its inception in 2019.

We spoke with Maina Njane, the Principal of Laikipia North Technical and Vocational College, about the program and its impact on the region.

Mr. Maina is an Electrical Engineer who climbed the ladder to a principal in February 2018, just as the vocational training institution was established. Mr. Maina is a huge advocate of the Ujuzi Manyattani program and has nothing but praise for it. “It’s the best thing that ever happened,” he says with a smile.

Starting from Right is Mr.Maina Njane, Mr. Ture Boru, NRT Trading Chief Economic Programs Officer with Ujuzi Trainees.

“We are very fortunate that we have accepted to be innovative, unique, and daring in this approach and for reaching out to communities we work with in partnership with NRT Trading.”

Maina

The approach NRT Trading takes in this program is what makes it unique. Instead of expecting the learners to come to them, they take the trainers to the learners.

 “It brings forth much excitement because we can see the level of impact that Ujuzi has brought to the region. The fact that the trainers can go to the learners means that they are able to provide training to people who may not have had access to it otherwise,”

says Mr. Maina.

As the program evolves, Mr. Maina believes it’s vital to integrate aspects such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other trends within the technical space. He adds that the training can be universally accepted by linking with industries and engaging with national policy bodies like the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and the Ministry of Education.

Ujuzi Manyattani is more than just a vocational training program; it’s a beacon of hope for those who thought they had none. With its unique approach to training and commitment to the region’s communities, it’s no wonder Mr. Maina believes it’s the best thing that ever happened. The program is changing lives, one learner at a time.

Light at the End of the Tunnel – Story of Jane Asimit

Posted on by Susan Methamo

Jane Asimit is a 38-year-old lady, one of the many beneficiaries of Ujuzi Manyattani. She is married and has six children; before the training, she was a stay-at-home mum and spent her days mostly sitting under the tree and talking to her fellow women the whole day. She didn’t get the opportunity to go to school because her father refused, but she recalls having an interest and passion for sewing and beading when she was around 12 years old. She made her first cloth, a shirt for her sister at that age, but she never got the opportunity to pursue her passion until she heard about Ujuzi Manyattani.

When Covid-19 hit in 2020, Jane’s husband lost his job. She knew she had to find a way to help earn an income for the family despite not having any skills to do that. She picked up odd jobs around, but the money wasn’t enough. That’s when she decided to pursue her passion for tailoring. She asked her tailor friend for classes and was told she would be charged 500 per hour, which was too high for her, but she was willing to do what it took because her family needed the income she would get after the training. When she was still looking for the money to go to her classes with her friend, she met someone in her home area who stopped her and told her about Ujuzi Manyattani. That felt like an answered prayer for her because they had a tailoring course, and she wouldn’t have to pay all the money her tailor friend requested.

Jane Amsiti talking to the Danish Ambassador to Kenya, Ole Thonke (second on the left)

She joined the program in August 2021 and did a course in tailoring. She was initially hesitant because she hadn’t gone to school and thought she would lag, but she was assured by the trainer that she would learn and catch up well despite her lack of writing skills. By the time she finished the program, her spoken and written Swahili was good, and she could converse a bit in English. She opened a small tailoring shop just outside her home. She feels that she has helped her community because now they don’t have to go to the nearest town to get new clothes or fix them; she has different designs that she makes.

Jane can now help her husband with the expenses at home and even take her son to form one. She wants to put all her kids through school and give them the life she couldn’t have before Ujuzi. She admires educated people because they have skills and can make something out of their life. Her biggest dream is to train others, expand her tailoring business, and take it to a bigger town to grow so that she can afford to take all her six children through school.

During the program, she learned how to draw designs, measure people, write them down in a book, make a profit, and sustain a business. She advises other women to see how miserable her life was before Ujuzi and how it has changed for the better. She advises them to join Ujuzi Courses and improve their lives.

Jane is thankful to the program sponsors and prays that God continues to bless them because they have gotten her to a place she never thought she could get to.

Ujuzi Manyattani has supported 574 youths and women in Northern Kenya; it is a timely opportunity for the graduands in Northern Kenya due to the growing infrastructure investments. The program sponsors courses that provide access to learning for people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds who cannot access formal education in Northern Kenya. These skills will prepare communities for opportunities in line with vision 2030 projects.

The training and graduation are made possible through the support of NRT Trading technical partners- TVET, NITA, Kiirua Technical Training Institute, Laikipia North Technical, and Vocational College with funding from USAID Kenya through the USAID Local Works program, Denmark in Kenya, the IUCN, Save our Species co-funded by the European Union and The Nature Conservancy in Africa.