| dc.description.abstract | The growing number of homeless/street children is a phenomenon faced by every country all
over the world and according to a report by UNICEF, this number stood at staggering 100
million in 2009. This growth in number is contributed by many children, especially in Sub-
Saharan Africa, losing their parents to HIV/AIDS. As a result of the parents dying from this
disease, these children are then taken in my other relatives who either neglect or mistreat
them hence forcing the children to run a way and fend for themselves.
Other contributors to the growth in number of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are
due to their parents using drugs therefore abusing their children while under the influence.
Another major contributor is poverty which forces some parents to either force the child to go
begging or simply fend for themselves as the parents can no longer take care of them .
One of the major ways countries around the world have adopted to curb this problem is
through the introduction of children's homes where these abandoned kids are put under the
care of adults who feed, shelter and provide 'Some sense of family for them. There are quite a
number of these homes in Kenya which are run by many stakeholders like the government,
private individuals, religious institutions and both local and international NGOS.
The study focused on the 50S children's village and more specifically the Vocational Training
center in Buruburu Nairobi. The purpose was to sample a total of 30 both current and former
students in order to find out what their backgrounds were, what they studies and whether the
training they received was helpful in getting them a job. Data for the study was obtained from
primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire administered
through face-to-face interviews for the sampled students and key informants were purposively
sampled from the teaching staff and current employers of the former students and they were
interviewed using an interview guide.
The study findings confirmed that the current students were happy about the training they
received and they were hopeful of getting a job. They also confirmed that the center provided
adequate theoretical and practical lessons which were very relevant to what they studied. As
for the former students, they praised the school for the skills it instilled in them and it was
confirmed that almost all were employed due to the vocational skills they were taught. Majority
of the former students were self employed and for the three that were currently working for
companies, their employers confirmed that they were highly trained and very good at their
jobs.
Although the general consensus among both current and former students was that the center
was very good in teaching them a skill they could use to make a living, the students had few
recommendations for the center like establishing a placement office to help students in getting
jobs sooner, partnering with the government so that recognized examining bodies like KNEC
can provide them with recognized certificates and finally for the school to do more in taking in
more poor students who could not afford the fees.
The study recommends that the school should become more financially independent and rely
lesson donors to fund their programmes and sponsor their students. One way it can achieve
this goal is through aggressive marketing so that many more people know the centers'
existenceand renting out extra space to other universities who would like to branch out of the
CBD,this gives the Vocational center an opportunity to raise more money. There is also a need
to partner with the government so that the courses offered are examined by a recognized body
like KNEC. Another way the government can assist this center is by hiring for them teachers and
giving the students job opportunities. | en |
