ITHIIANI YOUTH POLYTECHNIC – FUNDED BY NGWATANIO C.F.P. # 3302

ITHIIANI YOUTH POLYTECHNIC – FUNDED BY NGWATANIO C.F.P. # 3302.

The Polytechnic was founded in 1989 under former Tiva Project. It enrolled the first 9 trainees in tailoring and dressmaking, who completed the following year successfully.

Felt Needs of the Community by then.

(i) The nearest vocational training centre was 10km away from the Project offices and in some places within its area of coverage, 20Km.

(ii) This meant accessibility, especially to the girl –child was difficult. Thus girls who did not join Secondary Schools after Primary education faced early marriages or pregnancies.

(iii) There was need to provide survival skills to the youth, especially girls for empowerment and self-sustainability.

(iv) With poverty levels rising and owing to the fact that enrolled families could not afford boarding costs available in far Polytechnics, a day institution was necessary to the community.

Impact to the Community.

Ø The institution has, upto 2001, trained 48 sponsored children – 16 males and 32 females.
Ø The total number of trainees who went through a course in the institution since inception is 179 among which 136 are females and 43 males, and current enrollment is 42 trainees, 26 in first year.
Ø 70% of the trainees come from enrolled families.
Ø It has created self-employment to the graduants thus self-reliance and reduced poverty.
Ø Enrolment of both male and female gender has increased over the years, especially with introduction of male attractive courses of carpentry and masonry in 1997.
Ø Job creation for staff and community.

Changes during the decade of existence.

Ø More courses were introduced ie. Carpentry/joinery and masonry and also their workshops.
Ø Boarding facilities were introduced for both boys and girls.
Ø Staff establishment enlarged.
Ø Semi-autonomous status to prepare for future sustainability.



Challenges Faced.

Ø Dependency syndrome among the enrolled families thus reluctance to cost share.
Ø Ownership attitude among the community, that it belongs to the Project. Support has therefore been minimal.
Ø Need to expand the facilities for the increasing enrolment.
Ø The available land space is inadequate to provide co-curricular facilities and enable expansion.
Ø There is no reliable water source.
Ø Rising poverty levels and inadequate rains thus reduced affordability.
Ø Inadequate working tools.

Future Plans.

Ø Bore hole drilling for adequate water supply.
Ø Construct a dinning hall.
Ø Start mechanic and welding courses.
Ø Since power supply is not available other courses which require electricity cannot be started. But when this is attained, computer and other course shall be initiated.

NGWATANIO CFP 3302.

Water Provision in Schools.

Kitui being in Arid and Semi-arid regions of Kenya faces a lot of water challenges. The Project in its development objectives provide water to the community through collaboration.

Two project focus schools have benefited through project assistance of providing hand pumps for their wells and the community and other donors doing the rest.

This was done in 1999. A visit to the schools by the PEP in October 2001 to monitor their impact found that due to the long drought and inadequate rains during the last 2 years, the water level has gone very low such that the pumps cannot yield enough pressure to pump water to the surface.

In central Primary School with a total enrolment of 839 pupils and 22 teachers, the well with a depth of 32 feet, can yield about 40 litres using the hand pump in the morning hours. But water can be drawn with a bucket for watering kales (Sukuma wiki) to feed the rabbits and chicken reared by the school. Arrow roots and bananas beneath are doing well. Some girls were cheerfully washing their hands after using the latrine while another was watering the kales. The school has 6 sponsored children this year.

The deputy headteacher Mr. Gedion Mbula, told us that were it not for the long drought there would be enough water for other school uses but now the little available is being used for the two Projects.

In Kaveta Primary school, a well is almost dry and the headteacher, Mr. Mulinge, told us that he dismantled the hand pump, provided by the project, to avoid vandalism by the community until adequate security is guaranteed and the water level rises enough for pumping. The water is used especially for the boarding facility for class 7 and 8 in the school. The school has a population of 417 pupils and 11 teachers. There are 18 sponsored children in the school this year.

He says if the school had the ability, the well would be deepened during the dry period to a depth of about 45 feet from the current 39 feet. Vegetation around the well is dry depicting the harsh weather condition, and the almost dry well.

This situation is common to almost all the other 12 water wells dug and installed with hands pumps through the project to the community and purposely for use by focus groups. Except for the drought period they provide adequate water for the group projects.