Vocational skills, enterprise development boost households
SOS Children’s Villages has pledged to continue empowering and strengthening families through training, coaching and mentorship to enhance their socio-economic well-being.
These sentiments were expressed after assessing 92 caregivers and peer educators in preparation for vocational training.
for the programme
In interview, Family Strengthening Programme field officer Willard Simeon said the project, sponsored by Grieg, seeks to economically empower families to be self-reliant.
“We assess the families to give them a sense of control and ownership of projects, give them a ‘yes we can’ attitude, peace of mind and positivity,” he said.
Simeon said they want to reduce dependency on negative coping systems, improve skills as well as increase chances of families to better take care of their children.
In the project, SOS Children’s Villages has partnered Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (Smedi) and Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education Training Authority (Teveta).
One of the beneficiaries, James Mateyu, said: “My life has changed since I benefited from the Grieg programme. I received five goats and that was the beginning of a new life for me.”
Under the programme, caregivers that have chosen vocational trades will be dispatched to different local artisans for training.
