Undugu Community Empowerment Unit in collaboration with the community organising committee has organised a week long Kibera Cultural Week to celebrate diversity. The event is a culmination of the training programme on peace building, conflict resolutin and mediation that the organisation  has been carrying out in the area in the aftermath of the post election violence experienced across the country.

Among the activities lined up for the event include ball games, exhibition of food from different cultural backgrounds, clean up exercises among others.

Watch this space for detailed information in the coming week.

Towards the end of November 2008, a total of 230 learners in Phase 4 of Undugu Basic Education Programme (UBEP) Schools will be graduating in order for them to be integrated into the Informal Skills Training Programme (ISTP). They will be taken through a three day trade choosing workshop in order for them to make a wise decision in relation to the trade that they select. There are about 40 trades that are available in the informal sector. These include hairdressing, carpentry and joinery, metal fabrication, spray painting, electrical installation, painting, motor mechanics, among others. The workshop will cover topics such as the qualities that make a marketable trade, qualities of a good training workshop, qualities of a good trainee, qualities of a good trainer, roles of parents, roles of USK and CBOs, among others.

In order to graduate, the level of attainment of basic numeracy and literacy skills in the school will be tested through a common internal examination that will be administered between November and December. The majority of the learners who sit for this examination are able to score more that 500 marks out of 1000 marks, an indication that numeracy and literacy skills are well taught by the teachers in the schools.

Also, this month, six learners from the non-formal education programme, registered as private candidates, will be sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

Twenty three trainees in the Informal Skills Training Programme will also be sitting for Government Trade Test Grade III administered by the Ministry of Labour through the Directorate of Industrial Training. The exams will be held between November and December 2008. The trades to be examined include motor vehicle mechanics, motor vehicle wiring, carpentry and joinery, arch welding, panel beating and dressmaking. The programme is helping these trainees by ensuring that they have enough materials for the practical lessons as they prepare for the examination.

The results of this trade examination series will be released in February 2009. Over the years trainees who have sat for grade three exams have performed very well, recording over 90% level of success. The majority of the graduates have ended up being absorbed in the informal sector as wage earners or in self-employment.

We wish all of our students and trainees the best of luck as they sit for their end of year exams.