The Ujuzi Wa Kujitegemea (“Skills for Self-Reliance”) project is being implemented in Kitale, in western Kenya, near the border with Uganda. This region is characterized by high rates of poverty and youth unemployment, leading to early school dropouts, extreme precariousness, and a growing number of young people living on the streets or in informal settlements. The project offers them a genuine second chance by promoting their social and professional reintegration.
This new project builds on the Ujuzi Kwa Vijana project, which came to an end after three years of implementation. It draws on the lessons learned, experiences, and results achieved during that period to continue and strengthen the initiatives already underway.
The program primarily targets young people who have dropped out of school, are marginalized, or come from the slums of Kitale. It begins with social support and life-skills training, followed by a vocational training course lasting approximately twelve months, based on a work-study model. Participants can train for various locally in-demand trades, such as tailoring, hairdressing and beauty services, mechanics, electrical work, and construction. The curriculum also includes modules on entrepreneurship, business management, and financial literacy to facilitate access to wage employment or the creation of an independent business.
The project aims to support 450 young people over three years—150 beneficiaries annually—with at least 60% being young women. Upon completing the program, participants possess the skills needed to enter the labor market or launch their own micro-enterprises, while also benefiting from guidance toward professional integration.
Early results confirm the value of this comprehensive approach, which combines social support, vocational training, and the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. By fostering the long-term autonomy of the most vulnerable young people, Ujuzi Wa Kujitegemea helps reduce poverty, boost the local economy, and offer genuine prospects for the future. It is for this tangible, lasting impact that the Hermann Foundation has chosen to support this project.
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