Sega Vocational Training Center Manager and Principal, Madam Lilian Otiang’a, has recognized the revolutionary impacts of the two key initiatives on students at the institution. She, however, requested the County Government of Siaya to up its game towards the shilling-for-shilling programme by increasing the capitation towards the Tujiajiri Program in its partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). The assertive institution’s head noted that the move would help pay the instructors and facilitate accommodation for trainees in all the 30 institutions within the county, instead of the 7 institutions currently benefiting from the programme.
Debra Odera, a 26 years old female trainee at Sega VTC, had gone beyond the feminism boundaries by pursuing a course on motor vehicle and mechanic courtesy of the Tujiajiri Program. She was grateful to KCB and Siaya County Government for the support and happy that she could achieve her dream of repairing a car in case of a break down. This was yet the best challenge to herself that she had overcome all thanks to the Tujiajiri Programme.
Franklyn Omondi, also a beneficiary of the Tujiajiri Programme at Sega Polytechnic pursuing motor vehicle mechanic showed his gratitude to the sponsors KCB and the Siaya County Government highlighting how much it has benefited him since he joined the program. Omondi was elated to affirm that he could now remove and return a car tire with ease using the skills he has acquired at the institution. The 22-year-old boy encourages the County Government of Siaya and KCB to bring in more trainees and youths into the program so that they also benefit and acquire the skills.
On the CAP-Youth Empowerment Institute - CAPYEI - program, Madam Lilian Otiang’a, who doubles as the Secretary to the Board of Management of the institution, testified how the girlchild empowerment initiative has benefited the young ladies. She stated that it has not only molded and provided counseling to the trainees but also helped them get employment while some of the trainees have been able to go back to high school or proceed for tertiary training after graduating.
Sharon Akinyi and Beryl Achieng', two trainees at Sega Vocational Training Center who were lucky to be part of the CAPYEI program indeed proves that the famous phrase "What a man can do, a woman can do better" is possible. Both ladies are taking a course on electrical installation, one of the courses sponsored by the program. Beryl who was in the first batch of the trainees in the program remained grateful to CAPYEI and the County Government of Siaya for the sponsorship, has now secured an employment. The program had given her the skills necessary for her to be absorbed into the job market greatly empowering the girl child.
On the other hand, Akinyi was still undertaking her training could not resist to portray her gratitude to CAPYEI and Siaya County Government for providing her with the rare opportunity to pursue her dream. She further expressed her gratitude for Siaya County Government for providing them with a female instructor to take them through electrical installation training giving her courage to take the course too and is hopeful to see through to the end.
Christine Achieng and Magnicia Awino, trainees at the facility, pursuing food and beverages were grateful to the partnership between the CAPYEI and Siaya County Government and encouraged the county to consider enrolling more girls into the program so that they could also be able to continue with their education. Awino felt even more grateful for the skills the program had provided her given that now she could be a professional in the food and beverage sector. Achieng, on the other hand, was happy to have secured an attachment and later on, got employed after her graduation all thanks to the CAPYEI program.
The teenage girls appealed to the County Government of Siaya and CAPYEI to ensure that the intake of more girls occur across the county by maintaining the program to make the partnership long-term and sustainably beneficial.