The Government and sponsors have been urged to start a programme of providing starter kits to trainee graduates of Vocational Rehabilitation Centres (VRCs) in the country upon their graduation.
The starter kits would be vital in enabling trainees to start income-generating activities immediately after they graduate from those institutions.
According to the Principal Technical Instructor of Kakamega Vocational Rehabilitation Centre, Peter Oluasi Oremo, the lack of startup kits was hindering graduates from utilising their skills and transforming their lives.
He said the institution prepares trainees in shoemaking, hairdressing, carpentry, electrical wiring, tailoring and garment making, knitting, electrical welding, and Information Communications and Technology (ICT).
Kenya has 12 such vocational rehabilitation centres spread across the country, which are under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs.
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The centres include Kakamega Vocational Rehabilitation Centre (VRC), Bura VRC in Taita Taveta County, Muriranjas VRC in Murang’a, Odiado VRC in Busia, Machakos VRC, Industrial Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobi, Embu VRC, Kabarnet VRC in Baringo County, Nyandarua VRC, Kericho VRC, Itando VRC in Vihiga County and Kisii VRC.
The centres provide training, skills development and empowerment opportunities for persons with disabilities to help them gain employable skills or start businesses.
According to Oremo, Kakamega Vocational Rehabilitation Centre is grappling with a shortage of trainees, urging residents of Kakamega to enrol and take courses at the institution.
“The challenge we are facing is trainee under-enrollment, and we have done our best to sensitise the public through the Social Development Officers by distributing our course profiles, but the response has not been satisfactory,” he explained.
By Philip Koech
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