Category: EWK

Climate Change in Kenya: Biogas in schools , Prisons: 

Documents:

1. APPROPRIATE WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM WITH VALUE ADDITION FOR SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS-2
2. solar water heating systems for schools 
3. meru prison
4. PRISON HUMAN WASTE BIOGAS SYSTEM

Facts:

• Kenya loses 5.6 million trees daily, despite campaigns on environmental conservation.
• 6 percent of Kenya’s households depend entirely on firewood as their cooking fuel, where each harvests between 10kgs and 20kgs of firewood daily.
• Deforestation in Kenya translates to 2.04 billion trees every year, exclude more than 1.5million households in urban centers (or 16.9 per cent of population) who use charcoal.
• 24,000 primary schools, 9500 secondary schools, Prisons, Medical Colleges and factories also rely on firewood, thus further depleting trees.
• Schools are by far the most significant consumers of fuel. About 90 percent of public schools use firewood for cooking and pay up to USD 20,000 (Ksh.2M) per year for the wood. This makes cooking fuel one of the biggest expenses in schools’ meal budgets.
• The government pumps over 10Billion in schools. How can this ultimately reduce this spending?

            Biogas System

Specific objectives of the project

• To provide a long term solution to tackle the problem of poor sanitation and the associated human health risks.
• To create an alternative source of “green” energy for institutions
• Create awareness on the importance of biogas technology in the mitigation of climate change
• To optimize benefits that are currently underdeveloped in the Kenya biogas sector, specifically related to:
• Gender aspects, women economic and children’s educational status
  § Improved health from nutrition and reduced indoor air pollution
  § Environmental protection through reduced deforestation and environmental degradation
  § Employment creation, especially in the rural areas
  § Improved food security due to agricultural application of bio‐slurry
  § Tapping of carbon finance

Kenyans are replanting only 12 percent of the trees cut and unless concrete measures are taken to arrest the current depletion rate, the country afforestation efforts will amount to nothing.

The government pumps over 10Billion in schools. How can this project ultimately reduce this spending, deforestation/desertification and increase forest cover?

ENTERPRISING WORLD KENYA (EWK)

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS PROGRAM

The majority of Kenya’s population is under the age of 25 and struggling to find meaningful employment. This untapped demographic dividend of young Kenyans moving into their productive working years presents public and private sector stakeholders with both a challenge and an opportunity.

EWK’s YES program gives motivated but disenfranchised youth the skills and support they need to compete and succeed in the workplace. The activity connects young Kenyans to youth –friendly services (e.g., Labour market information, financial institutions, and 21^st century employability skills), allowing them to make informed and empowered decisions about their careers. With skills and Vocational training designed in coordination with local industry and government, EWK –YES program focuses on building local relationships and capacity to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of education and employment outcomes.

OUR WORK

EWK’s programs fosters partnerships between young people, women and PWDs and the public and private  sectors to design and develop mutually beneficial programs for increased economic competitiveness and better jobs. This is done through:

• Formation of entrepreneurship Clubs (in partnership with the Ministry of Education TVET)
• Youths Employability Skills
• Entrepreneurship training, mentorship and development (Especially Vulnerable populations)

The program offers a fast –track to employment for youth (ages 18 -35) both with and without college education in the spirit of “Entrepreneurship”.

PROGRAM’S OBJECTIVES

• Engaging host counties, organizations and individuals to ensure alignment of Mission youth activities with the national and county youth agenda
• Improved employability soft skills
• Targeted opportunities for employment
• Increased access to financial services, labour markets information and career guidance
• Gender equitable approaches to employment
• Sustainability through local partnerships.

PROGRAM’S CURRICULUM

This Five (5) day training is aimed at equipping young people with work readiness skills. Work readiness skills are a set of skills and behaviors that are necessary for any job – both formal or informal including self-employment (lack of these skills has contributed to many job seekers missing out during interviews, probation or when running their own ventures, hence end up being labelled “half baked”. Work readiness skills are sometimes called soft skills, employability skills, or job readiness skills. These skills are;

1. Administration/ Book-keeping/ Finance (Mostly personal).
2. Team work, Sexuality, Vales and Personal grooming.
3. Interview Skills and Basic Computer skills.
4. Final product: Mock, Interviews, graduation.
5. Entrepreneurship (Ongoing for 1 year)

Sustainability through Partnerships/ Linkages

After the young people receive Work Preparedness skills, they are linked to the National/ County government departments, parastatals, NGOs, Individuals businesses and in general the private sector for internships/ workplace experiences for 6-12 months. Some of these young people could end up being absorbed into these areas as full time employees. The partners shall be encouraged to enter into a contract with in order to guarantee a specific number of internships/ mentees per year. Entrepreneurship mentorship shall be given to these young people on an ongoing basis and linked to financial institutions and other institutions that shall guarantee them of Entrepreneurial growth.

Conclusion

The program’s final product is an empowered young leader who is able to function effectively within any organisation they find themselves in. We seek to present an empowered young person who is excellent at what they do; efficient in how they do it; and effective in the final outcome. Kenya requires a new breed of leaders who will be able to provide solutions to various challenges and situations. Transformational leaders of integrity are going to be foundational to this process of change on our continent. This five day training, gives youth, tools to become a young leader who understands leadership formation at its various levels to ensure productivity, excellence, efficiency, and effectiveness in the workplace