CURRENT ACTIVITIES AT REALITY TESTED YOUTH PROGRAMME
Vocational Skills Training at the Centre
The centre through support from Van Doorn Foundation purchased and established a vocational skills training centre at Ongoza Njia Development Centre for vulnerable disadvantaged youth from Mathare area. The courses offered include
Computer training
that takes 1 month and is able to accommodate 70 students yearly. The trainees are charged a minimal fee of Kshs. 1000 as to other colleges that charge Kshs. 5000-7000. The money is used for maintenance of the computers and payment for electricity.
Hairdressing and Beauty
The centre offers this course to youth and young mothers from the area, it takes 6 months and in a year about 20 youth benefit.
Dressmaking and Tailoring
The course takes 6 months and is open to both female and male at a cost of Kshs. 1000 compared to Kshs. 10,000.
The course offers vocational skills that enhance the employment opportunities. After training the youth either are self or wage employed. So far from when the centre started training in 2017 over 100 youth have benefitted. In 2018, 35 have so far completed their training while 40 are in training.
Challenge
The minimal fee paid by the youth is not able to cater for all the expenses including the tutors who offer the training to them.
Apprenticeship training Approach
Reality Tested through support from Kenya Community Development Fund has been offering various vocational training in mechanics, motor vehicle wiring, spray painting, weaving etc to 50 trainees by attaching youth to practicing artisans in the field. The youth through this approach learning by doing (practically) what they are taught.
The centre yearly sends selected 50 girls to the Asian Foundation for assistance in vocational skills at their centre located City Market for Computer, Hairdressing and Catering courses.
Sports
a) The centre hosts the Kenya Fencing Association that teaches/trains youth in fencing. On Friday, the wheel chair fencers are trained- these are the physically challenged. In total 14 attend the sessions. The normal training sessions for able bodied are conducted on Saturdays
b) Football- the keep the vulnerable youth busy in Mathare so as not to engage in anti social activities, Reality supports the following teams – Huruma FC, Ikram FC, Lula FC, Hasana FC, Asek FC and Dulcha. In Total over 200 youth engage in football sporting activities.
Meeting place for groups
In Mathare with over 150 self Help groups- the groups have no place to meet. The centre has come in handy to offer a meeting place for these groups. In total 70 groups are active and about 25 of these meet at the centre at a minimal fees of Kshs. 200/= per meeting.
Human Rights and Social Justice
The centre continue to offer referral services to various individuals that are in need in areas of human rights and social justice. The centre partners with the following
• Children Department – children services
• Kadhis Court – marriages, divorce and inheritance issues
• Police- criminal cases
• Danish Refugee council- refugee issues
• Kenya Union of Hair and Beauty Workers – workers rights
• Mathare Social Movement- human rights issues
Challenges
1. The centre in all its work relies on volunteers who leave whenever an opportunity comes by.
2. Lack of resources to cater for the ever increasing number of clients