Bosco Boys Langata provides rehabilitation, education

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Boys Town (Bosco Boys) Langata is providing services to 32 boys who had been living on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. The Salesian organization is the first reception place for youth to take part in a program of rehabilitation, literacy, and gradual inclusion into school or learning a trade.

A Salesian explained, “The boys stay at Langata for a period of three to six months, during which they receive assistance to stabilize them. Once they have made satisfactory progress, both personally and educationally, they are transferred to Bosco Boys Kuwinda to continue their education. At Kuwinda, the boys follow a standard education program, from primary to high school.”

Students who complete their primary education are then assisted with secondary education or are advised to choose technical training in sister institutions. The secondary education is most often provided at Don Bosco Technical Secondary School in the town of Embu, northeast of Nairobi.

With the two-year technical training, youth have a wide variety of skills to choose from, including tailoring, car engineering/mechanics, carpentry, electrical work, and welding, as well as secretarial skills and a full spectrum of computer-related job skills. After graduation, more than 80% of graduates are employed in their fields of study. Many students go on to attend university or establish their own businesses and become entrepreneurs in Nairobi.

According to the World Bank, more than 7.8 million people in Kenya are living in extreme poverty, with the majority in rural areas. There are approximately 6.6 million people living on less than $1.90 a day in rural regions, while 1.1 million extremely poor people live in urban areas. Overall, the poverty incidence declined in recent years, but at a lower rate in urban areas than rural ones.

Youth living in Kenya’s larger cities like Nairobi are at risk for exploitation, forced labor and other abuses. Few attend the later stages of school as compared to those living in Kenya’s more rural areas. The few schools serving this community are beyond the financial means of most families.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Kenya – More than thirty street children saved thanks to Bosco Boys Langata

Salesian Missions – Kenya

World Bank – Kenya