By KPC Reporter
At least 47 young people have completed a 45-day Socio-Emotional Skills Training (SEST) programme under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project Phase Two (KISIP 2) and the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) initiative.
The move is aimed at empowering vulnerable youth with life and business skills.
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The graduation ceremony, held at Nairobi’s Kayole informal settlement, brought together officials from the World Bank, the National Project Coordination Team (NPCT) under KISIP 2, NYOTA, Nairobi City County Government, Settlement Executive Committees and Grievance Redress Committees.
The SEST programme, implemented under Component Two of KISIP 2, has been rolled out in informal settlements across several counties to help young people navigate social and emotional challenges linked to poverty, unemployment and difficult living conditions.
The training focuses on building confidence, financial discipline, communication skills and resilience among vulnerable youth.
Speaking during the ceremony, World Bank Social Development Specialist Annette Omolo congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the programme and challenged them to apply the lessons in their daily lives.
“You have already taken the first step toward changing your future. Take these lessons seriously and believe in yourselves,” said Omolo.
She encouraged the trainees to use the savings accumulated during the programme to start small businesses and improve their livelihoods.
National Project Coordination Team representative Thomas Nyamwaro said the impact of the training would go beyond the certificates awarded to the participants, noting that the programme was designed to create long-term social and economic transformation among young people.
KISIP 2 is a 165-million-dollar World Bank-funded initiative aimed at improving living conditions, tenure security and basic infrastructure for residents living in informal settlements across all 47 counties.
The project seeks to address long-standing challenges facing millions of residents in informal settlements, including lack of clean water, sanitation, reliable electricity and secure land tenure.
NYOTA representative Darius Olayo urged the graduates to invest in sustainable ventures capable of transforming their future prospects.
The trainees said they had already saved enough money during the programme to start small-scale businesses and expressed optimism about becoming financially independent.
They also appealed for continued mentorship and support as they transition into entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.
One of the graduates, Daniel Ouma, said the programme had helped many participants overcome drug abuse, hopelessness, fear and depression caused by unemployment and harsh living conditions.
“Before this programme, many of us had lost hope. Now we have learned how to save, manage our emotions and believe that we can build a better future for ourselves,” Ouma said.
The NYOTA and KISIP 2 programmes are part of broader efforts to promote inclusive development through practical community-based interventions that respond to the needs of ordinary Kenyans.
The initiatives come at a time when more than 800,000 young Kenyans enter the labour market every year, yet fewer than 100,000 formal jobs are created annually, leaving many trapped in low-income and insecure employment.
Even as Kenya continues to expand infrastructure and improve human capital, many young people remain excluded from meaningful economic opportunities.
However, with the country pushing digital transformation, value addition in agriculture, renewable energy and climate-smart production, demand for skilled workers and functional urban spaces is expected to rise, with programmes such as NYOTA and KISIP 2 laying the foundation for that future.
