- Calvins Odhiambo has built a homemade four-wheeled vehicle named “Jeep” using scrap metal and a 150cc motorcycle engine.
- The young mechanic has acquired his skills through an apprenticeship at a motorcycle repair garage after being unable to proceed to secondary school.
- His story has highlighted the value of technical and vocational pathways for youth who lack access to conventional academic education.
A 20-year-old Kericho mechanic has demonstrated the potential of practical skills to transform the lives of young people who face barriers to formal education.
Calvins Odhiambo, who was unable to proceed to secondary school after completing Standard Eight because of financial challenges, found an alternative route through hands-on learning.
He joined a motorcycle repair garage in the KCC area, where he trained as an apprentice and gradually acquired skills in mechanics, fabrication and assembling machine components.
Years later, the skills have enabled Odhiambo to design and build his own four-wheeled vehicle using scrap metal and a 150cc motorcycle engine.
The young mechanic has named his creation “Jeep.” The vehicle has four wheels and a six-gear system, including reverse, and has attracted the attention of residents and motorists impressed by his practical abilities.
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Odhiambo’s story highlights the importance of technical and vocational skills in providing alternative learning pathways for young people who may not have an opportunity to continue with conventional academic education. His experience also demonstrates how apprenticeship and workplace-based learning can equip young people with practical competencies that can be applied to solving real-life problems and creating innovations.
The homemade vehicle has become a visible example of what can be achieved when young people are given opportunities to learn by doing. For Odhiambo, the journey has been shaped less by the classroom and more by curiosity, mentorship and practical experience.
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His achievement comes amid growing emphasis on skills-based education, technical training and vocational pathways as avenues for preparing young people for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation. The Kericho youth now hopes to further improve his mechanical skills and develop more innovations, turning the knowledge acquired through apprenticeship into a sustainable career.
By Jeff Kirui
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