ILO Training combats child labour through entrepreneurship in Kenya

Kissi, Kenya (ILO News) - Accel Africa Project supported 20 vocational training instructors from Kisii County in Kenya to undertake the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Training of Trainers (TOT). The training aimed to equip instructors with specialized entrepreneurial skills, empowering local youth to secure sustainable livelihoods. By addressing youth unemployment, a key driver of child labour, the training seeks to promote lasting community solutions at the grassroot level.

Over ten days, participants received comprehensive instruction on robust business management techniques, equipping them with skills to effectively mentor potential entrepreneurs.

Eric Ongeri, Kisii County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education and Vocational Training, expressed confidence that the trained instructors would disseminate their knowledge to over 100 trainees by year-end, fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem within the county.

“These instructors now have the tools and expertise to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs, significantly reducing the risk factors associated with child labour,” Eric Ongeri, Kisii County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education and Vocational Training.

The County government has expressed full support for the initiative, pledging continued collaboration and urging additional partnerships to facilitate start-up capital for youth enterprises. Ongeri emphasized the county’s commitment, asserting that equipping young individuals with practical business skills was integral to ensuring sustainable livelihoods and economic independence.

Beneficiaries of the training praised the initiative, describing it as transformative. Mercy Kwamboka, one of the ToT, expressed her readiness to empower youths in her community.

“I now have the skills to generate, develop, and sustain business ideas. I am excited to pass on this knowledge to young people, thereby contributing to reduced unemployment and preventing child labour,” Mercy Kwamboka ToT.

The training marks an important milestone in Kisii County's efforts toward economic empowerment and self-reliance among young people, especially in rural areas plagued by high unemployment and poverty. Through this collaborative effort, the ILO and Kisii County aim to ensure sustainable livelihood opportunities and significantly reduce the vulnerabilities that lead to child labour.