
March 14, 2023// Repost from AVSI.org
On Tuesday 14th March Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, accompanied by his daughter, Laura Mattarella, visited St.Kizito Vocational Training Institute in Githurai, located on the outskirts of Nairobi and funded by AVSI in 1994 thanks to funds from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
"St. Kizito is a success story because with the contribution of the Italian Cooperation, we have created a vocational training center that, over the years, has educated thousands of young people who have then found employment.
Giampaolo Silvestri, Secretary General of the NGO AVSI, said - Projects like this work so well because they bring together NGOs, businesses and the authorities, according to the multi-stakeholder approach that characterizes the Italian Cooperation."
St. Kizito was founded in 1994 with the aim of providing the most vulnerable young people with the necessary practical and theoretical skills to face the job market and thus become protagonists of their future.
The institute trains 800 young people a year, and since its opening 13,500 students have graduated by choosing to specialize in several courses, including carpentry, mechanics, IT, hairdressing and catering. Today, 89% of the students at St. Kizito obtain employment.
At St. Kizito, I have the opportunity to continue my studies using modern technology in the classroom and the laboratories; I feel like I'm laying the foundation for my future and my career.
Grace, a St. Kizito Institute’s student.
The visit concluded at the Italian Design Furniture company (IDF), which provdes St. Kizito carpentry students access to a practical training space and enhances their understanding of the demands of the labor market. The company creates high-quality modern furniture with an Italian design using precious woods from the African region. Carpentry students can also apply for internships at Italian Design Furniture, one of the 70 private companies that St. Kizito works with to help students transition into employment.
In this school, which allows 89% of its students to find employment, AVSI implements, together with Res4Africa, the Private Sector and Innovative Energy Technologies Development project in Kenya, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
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