Practical skills give second-chance learners a path to livelihoods

For young people, women and adults who miss out on formal education, finding employment can be difficult, especially when they lack practical skills and opportunities to gain work experience.

For some, leaving school early can limit their chances of securing decent livelihoods or starting sustainable businesses.

Triumph Community Learning Centre in Ongata Rongai is trying a different approach by combining adult education with practical vocational skills, entrepreneurship and self-leadership.

The centre admits learners aged 15 years and above, including those who did not have the opportunity to complete their formal education.

Its first seven learners are now completing the programme, offering an early look at how practical, community-based learning can help people build skills and create opportunities.

From Doubt to Discovery

When Miriam Gitu first walked into the centre in Ongata Rongai, she was not convinced she was in the right place.

A mother, pastor’s wife and student at the centre, Miriam says she thought the programme could not be serious when she was told she would be taught how to make ugali.

“I started making ugali when I was eight years old, and I am now 51. So when I was told I would be taught how to make ugali, I thought, ‘Is this school a joke?’” she recalls.

But the lessons soon changed her mind. Although she had cooked for decades, she discovered details she had overlooked, including measurement, hygiene, costing and nutrition.

“At Triumph, you come in as a student, but soon realise you are entering a lifestyle. You learn everyday skills in a way that makes you wonder, ‘How did I miss that?’” she says.

Previously, she would spend about Sh250 on a quarter kilogramme of meat, which could contain a lot of bone, then add vegetables and ugali.

Now, with the same amount, she says she can buy eggs, vegetables and unga and prepare a more balanced meal for her family.

At home, the lessons are especially important because her husband has diabetes, making food choices and portions important.

Miriam has also taken the skills beyond her household. As a pastor’s wife who hosts women from different denominations for fellowship, she began inviting them to arrive early so they could cook together rather than simply preparing food for them.

They made pizza, tea, sandwiches and even bread using a simple steaming method. Her guests have since commented on how her cooking has changed, saying her food tastes great and is presented more attractively.

The fellowship became another learning space where the women shared skills and learnt from one another.

Miriam is pursuing a Master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy Making, while some of her classmates had not had the opportunity to complete their formal education.

Yet in the classroom and kitchen, their different educational backgrounds did not determine who contributed.

“One cleaned, another peeled potatoes and another brought water. It was teamwork, and everyone felt valued,” she says.

“Many people call it graduation, but for us, it is a passing-out and a return to our homes and communities to practise what we have learnt.”

She is grateful to her instructor for teaching learners not to give up when something goes wrong.

“If food gets spoiled, you learn what to do differently and start again,” she says.

“That lesson goes beyond cooking. Life is the same. We make mistakes, but when we fall, we get up and move forward as wiser people.”

The programme, she says, has given her skills, confidence and humility.

Building Skills for Opportunity

Jennifer Kutvonen’s decision to establish the centre is rooted in more than 15 years of international experience in vocational education, entrepreneurship, skills development and project leadership, as well as a desire to return home and create opportunities through social entrepreneurship.

Jennifer, who is married and has two adult children, began her career in the corporate sector after studying information technology.

She later pursued her passion for cooking, running a teaching kitchen and cafeteria before returning to Kenya in 2024.

Her experience in Finland influenced her decision to develop practical vocational training to help people gain skills and access employment.

She began testing the model in Eastleigh, where she encountered learners with professional qualifications who still struggled to enter the workforce because they lacked a common language and the documentation required for employment.

“In my class I had paediatricians, I had medical doctors, I had economists, but their challenge was they did not have a common language, and they don’t have documents. So nobody’s going to hire them,” she says.

The experience convinced Jennifer that skills training must also address mindset.

“The biggest challenge is the mindset. And that is then the decision I made, that if I have to train people, I have to start with the mindset,” she says.

At the centre, about 85 per cent of the training is practical, with learners spending much of their time applying what they learn.

Alongside vocational skills, they are introduced to entrepreneurship, financial literacy, customer service, presentation, workflow, self-awareness and self-leadership. Basic literacy and numeracy are integrated into the practical lessons.

The centre also operates a mini bakery, giving learners hands-on experience while supporting income generation. Jennifer says she does not draw a salary from the school.

Her vision is to expand the centre to include a restaurant and more training opportunities. She is seeking partners and investors to support its growth and reach more learners.

“You decide, you make a choice, you commit, and you take action,” she says.

A Second Chance Through Adult Education

For Salome Tera, the Director of Adult Education in charge of the Nairobi Region at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs,

programmes such as this demonstrate why adult education needs to go beyond classroom learning.

She says the government’s mandate is to provide a second chance to learning and empowerment for youth and adults who missed out on formal education.

Her office coordinates learning centres across the region, prepares learners, including out-of-school youth, for national examinations such as the KCSE, and supports programmes that equip adults with literacy, numeracy and livelihood skills for self-reliance, inclusion and community empowerment.

She describes the completion of the first seven learners as a proud moment and says the initiative shows how adult learning can respond to the practical realities people face in their communities.

“What makes the programme unique is its practical approach to teaching. About 85 per cent of the training is practical, beginning from the first modules,” she says.

Salome says the experience highlights the need to bring adult learning closer to communities and ensure that what learners acquire can be applied in their daily lives and livelihoods.

For her, partnerships will be important in making this possible. Government, community-based organisations and instructors can work together to identify learning needs, strengthen teaching and create more opportunities for adults to participate.

The Directorate is looking for more organisations to partner with in expanding adult learning opportunities within communities.

“We are ready to work with organisations that have teachers or instructors working with adult learners. Through such partnerships, we can train and equip their teachers with andragogy, the principles and methods of teaching adults, so they can effectively support adult learners and create a meaningful impact in the communities where they work,” she says.

The approach, she adds, is not only about helping people return to learning but also giving them the confidence and skills to contribute to their families and communities.

“To the seven graduates of Triumph Learning Centre, congratulations. You have demonstrated that it is never too late to learn, grow and achieve your goals. You are now ambassadors for adult education in Nairobi County,” she says.