This project has been in preparation since late 2002. In August 2003 it began to function in temporary rented premises of about 90 sq metres. The project consists of the Informal Sector Business Institute (ISBI) and the Eastlands Centre (EC).
Informal Sector Business Institute
ISBI is a Grassroots Business Organization sponsored by Strathmore Educational Trust that aspires at giving basic entrepreneurial skills to artisans and small business persons in the informal Sector.Those enrolled are equipped with skills in basic Accounting, Marketing, Management, Business English and Professional Ethics, so that at the end of their programme they should be able to produce a business plan supported by well-kept simple accounts.
ISBI is compatible with the erratic active and busy schedule of entrepreneurs and artisans. Each course is of 20 hours and runs for a period of a month; the course has five 4-hour sessions. The participants are provided with ISBI manuals for each subject. The courses have been running since February 2004. Over 75 micro-entrepreneurs have taken part in the courses and some other entrepreneurs have attended business workshops organized by ISBI.
Eastlands Centre
The Centre is an after-school-hour educational initiative which seeks to provide basic study possibilities supported by personal tutoring and the use of complementary techniques which promote the academic deveopment and character development of young people from Nairobi’s Eastlands. The Centre is particularly concerned that the young people mature morally, acquiring the virtues and values needed for long-lasting achievement.
The Centre offers study facilities to students of Standards 7 & 8 (12-14 years of age), together with access to books. With the help and encouragement of the headmasters and headmistresses of the nearby schools, needy students enroll in the Centre’s programmes. The pupils come to the Centre everyday from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. to study and use the library. Each pupil has a tutor. More than 180 primary school students have participated in the programmes: 100 university students have given free counseling to the participants.
Future Developments
The final project will consist in the construction of a vocational school with a residence for teachers and staff, and an attached centre for extra-curricular activities. The construction will be done in phases. Eventually the idea is to set up a Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurial Training College.