We're incredibly proud to share the story of our transformative collaboration with Compassion Kenya International, an initiative that's already brightened the future for nearly 140,000 children and youth across more than 30 counties in Kenya.
At Kabarak University TVET Institute, our mission is to provide quality technical and vocational training. We recognize that talent and drive are universal, but opportunity is not. This partnership directly addresses the financial barrier that often prevents talented young people from marginalized backgrounds from accessing life-changing skills.
The impact of this collaboration is best told through the lives we touch. One such story is that of John Mureu, a 32-year-old from Mungaria village in Nakuru County. John, who had always dreamed of being an artisan like his late father, was left hopeless when he couldn't afford the Sh17,000 tuition fees.
Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Compassion Kenya, John was sponsored to attend our institute. He is now among the first students to benefit, acquiring skills that have given him a renewed sense of purpose. As he noted:
"When they told me I qualify for the programme, I was overjoyed. It felt like my father's dream for me was coming true... I now feel equipped to face the challenges of life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to acquire vocational skills... My future is bright."
Our TVET programs—which include electrical power, plumbing, automotive engineering, welding, and beauty therapy—provide rigorous hands-on technical training. However, the true strength of this partnership lies in the holistic development of our students.
The program ensures students receive:
- Financial Sponsorship: Covering the necessary tuition fees.
- Life Skills and Mentorship: Equipping them with essential soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
- Entrepreneurial Training: Encouraging them to become job creators, not just job seekers, by teaching them how to start and run their own businesses.
As our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Henry Kiplangat, stated, "Human capital is the engine of any development... and the partnership... is a step in the right direction to empower the youth with skills and knowledge that can help them to be self-reliant."
Through this initiative, we are not just training artisans; we are cultivating empowered, self-reliant individuals ready to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development.
This blog post is based on the story "Collaboration between university and NGO offering needy youth a bright future" as published in the Daily Nation newspaper on October 6, 2025. We thank the writer, Francis Mureithi, for highlighting this crucial work.