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Sixty- two trainees from the Coast Region have today received construction toolkits from the KCB Foundation to enable them establish their individual and group-based microenterprises in the building and construction sectors.

The beneficiaries from the Coast successfully completed training at the Mombasa National Polytechnic under KCB Foundation’s flagship youth empowerment programme, 2jiajiri.

The tools are part of the Ksh. 20 million toolkits procured by KCB Foundation in partnership with the German International Development Agency (GIZ) for 580 beneficiaries under GIZ’s E4D/SOGA (Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa) programme.

The 2jiajiri programme aims to transform job seekers into employers, by helping them realise their potential as business owners, thus generating sustainable employment opportunities for themselves. With 2jiajiri, the youth go through technical and vocational training in informal sectors which are building and construction, automotive maintenance and repair, beauty and personal care, domestic services and agribusiness.

Speaking during the construction toolkit handover held at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, KCB Foundation Managing Director Jane Mwangi said the youth should be empowered through capital financing and business development training.

“In conjunction with GIZ, we have handed over more than 300 toolkits to youth in different counties since inception bringing us closer to our goal of equipping 580 youth by November. The construction beneficiaries are now well placed to access contracts from the private sector and national and county governments as they have fully registered their businesses”.

In August, one hundred trainees from the Meru Youth Service (MYS), who were trained at the Meru National Polytechnic, received construction tools to enable them establish their individual and group based microenterprises in the building and construction sectors.

KCB Foundation’s 2jiajiri programme in partnership with GIZ’s E4D/SOGA (Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa) initiated a project in 2017 to increase the employability and income generation for 4,000 Kenyan youth in the informal agribusiness and construction sectors. 2jiajiri seeks to grow youth micro-businesses in these trades and bring them to a place where they can employ their peers, hence creating more jobs for the youth.