Don Bosco Technical Secondary School benefits both students and employers

(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Technical Secondary School (Don Bosco Embu), located in the municipality of Embu, northwest of Nairobi, Kenya, helps supply the workforce with qualified candidates while giving poor youth a chance at an education and a better life. Many of these students lack other opportunities to gain an education.

The school started in January 1986 and has grown to become a large institution within the region. All of the young men who attend the school live on campus full time. Most of the youth at Don Bosco Embu come from Don Bosco Boys Town in Nairobi, which provides a home, school, playground and church for youth, primarily boys, who have been rescued from the streets.

Students are able to take courses in trades including carpentry, masonry, vehicle mechanics, welding, electrical and mechanical engineering, cabinet making, and the most recently launched course in plumbing. The plumbing program is helping youth have access to high-quality training to be relevant in the job market and access an industry that needs a qualified workforce.

“These training programs ensure youth are able to take the skills learned in the classroom and utilize them in real working environments, benefiting both the student and the employer,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “When a student completes his education, he leaves with a certification in his specialty trade. This empowers students to go out into the workforce to put their technical skills to use in their respective fields.”

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 disadvantaged community are beyond the financial means of most families.

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Technical Secondary School (Don Bosco Embu)

KENYA: Youth rescued from streets gain education

Salesian Missions – Kenya

World Bank – Kenya