You look like you are 18

So I am unwinding from Day 2 of Nairobi, and Day 8 of my trip. In 2 days here I have seen 7 different projects! Today I spent most of my day at Kibondeni Catering School for Women. Let me just say that the name does not do it justice. I talked with students, teachers, past graduates, and administrators and let me just tell you that this school is changing lives every day. First year students are so incredibly timid and nervous and adorable wide eyed 19 year olds. Flash forward 3 years and you are talking to an eloquent, well spoken, ambitious, young woman. I mean I am constantly amazed at what these schools are doing just for these women’s confidence level. They come here not knowing basic skills and having no real chance of advancement and leave a changed woman. It is so incredible.

So Foundation SCA is not funding the Kibondeni School. Nairobi is one of my stops to look for perspective projects to fund for the year 2010. I cannot tell you how much I hope we continue to raise funds because I have fallen in love with all 7 of the projects I have seen.

Kibondeni has 225 students and 3 different levels of programs. There is the 1 year program that is practical training in catering and cooking with some theoretical training, a 2 year program called Craft which is more in depth with practical and theoretical and in which students take National Exams and take on internships, then the 3 year diploma course which is more in depth and adds more business management training.

When I say that these schools are impressive I don’t mean for African standards. If any of these women came to the US to look for employment they would be extremely strong candidates. They are so well spoken and refined. I don’t know how easy getting a job in the US is under current conditions, but I’m sure you know what I’m trying to say.

The students were so great to talk to. The first student I spoke with shared my name – Katherine. She is 22 and a 2^nd year student hoping to complete her diploma. She was emphasizing to me that she is so grateful to Kibodeni and the teachers there because they have not only given her skills so she can acquire a job, but have strengthened her as a person and taught her how to be ethical and live well with others. She also told me that she has tried to teach her younger sister everything she has learned in order to help her grow as well. Some day she wants to open up a bakery and is confident she can do so. What’s her favorite thing to bake? Carrot cake!

The next student I talked to was Emma and she was great. She is also in her 2^nd of 3 years in the diploma course. She told me she was 22 and I said “Ah, I am 23.” She found this hilarious and replied, “You look 18!” I can’t be mad… it is true. The one thing she said that struck me the most was, “I am so glad I came to Kibondeni because now I know I can depend on myself and have the chance to live a good life.” She also expressed how much Kibondeni has really taught her to accept others. She said it was difficult in the beginning to do this because everyone comes from a different tribe or background.

I got a chance to speak with a teacher, Pauline. She was very helpful in explaining the many things these students learn. I was impressed at all of the business classes these students take: marketing, accounting, management, inventory, quality control, budgeting etc. An important aspect of the business program is for the women to create a business plan and go through all of the steps of operating a business. Also, to put training into practice the students take on a 3 week internship, then a 3 month internship – Well they call them ‘attachments’.

After grilling everyone with my questions they kicked me out. Ha, just kidding. I went to see a teacher’s home. Many of the teachers have opened there homes to let students who live far away. This makes their commute shorter and they don’t have to pay for transportation. Kibondeni does have a residence, however, only about 40% of the students can live there due to the size of the facility.

In the afternoon I also got to go visit some graduates of Kibondeni. I went to Strathmore University where I met about 7 or 8 women who are now employed in the cafeteria as managers, cooks, etc. I am so upset that I did not catch this one woman’s name because she was hilarious. She ran the stock room and went through every detail of what she did. Her job wasn’t hilarious or anything she was just so charismatic and animated that I couldn’t help but smile. She kept saying how the people who deliver the shipments always try and scam you and don’t deliver everything you have paid for so you have to be very sharp and count everything. The stock manager must also be very trustworthy because in the past there have been problems with theft. She was great to talk to – so happy and full of life.

After Strathmore University I went to a place called Java which is similar to Starbuck’s but 1,000 times better and less expensive. Here I met a former student of Kibondeni who is just clearly dominating the working world. She started as a waitress at Java and was such a good worker that she kept getting promoted. Today she manages Java and every time they open a new branch she is sent there to train and set up management, etc.