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Transformative Citizenship Program in Kenya

Transformative Citizenship Program (no fee)

TCP IS AVAILABLE TO GROUPS, SCHOOLS & COMMUNITIES IN NEED ANYWHERE FOR NO FEE

In such contexts, The Transformative Citizenship Program : prioritizes entrepreneurship/life skills training and reciprocal-relationship building in order to develop genuine security, to prevent conflict, and to resolve or repair residual damage caused by previous conflict.

It is a program that can be run in group/community contexts, as well as in educational institutions.
corners is able to collaborate with stakeholders in its active locations to create sustainable opportunities that can reach well beyond the limitations of traditional aid.

In Kenya–

The Transformative Citizenship Program for secondary students in Kenya

corners delivered a Kenyan pilot of the program last year at Joyland School in Kisumu, Kenya.
As an Integrated school, Joyland serves students across the spectrum of physical capacity and challenge, making it a good choice for a pilot educational program.

We have been asked to run an expansion of the Transformative Citizenship Program in Kenya. This expanded run will include training a group of Kenyan educators. We will also be inviting select Ugandan and Tanzanian educators to observe and be trained.

Leaders of education in Kenya (and elsewhere) are concerned about particular gaps in school curricula. They are also concerned about the issue of the radicalisation of youth.

The two identified gaps in Kenyan national secondary school curricula:

  1. character development/civic engagement skills
  2. entrepreneurship/life skills.

When these capacities are taught and practiced concurrently, it creates the most potent and effective combination for building community, regional and national resilience.When citizens are resilient in

When citizens are resilient in relationship with each other as well as with the earth that is feeding them, they become invulnerable to being conquered by challenges.

How we know that TCP will work for vulnerable youth:

  • corners has already run a pilot of the program successfully in 2014
  • TCP was designed by an educational expert
  • TCP’s objectives are practical and achievable
  • In Kenya, the program is supported by educational leaders
  • In Kenya, corners already has long-established community relationships in Nairobi and the western region
  • In Kenya, the program is run in ongoing consultation with frontline local educators and students.
  • Our ultimate aim is for full local ownership of TCP in any context or country. This will be facilitated in
  • Kenya by engaging the education system (as we have) and training local educators to teach the program. This 2016 expanded run of the program in Kenya puts us in that position…we will teach more students; we will train educators; we will, ultimately, hand over the reins.
  • Summary for 2016
    We will train Kenyan educators & continue to empower youth at the same time. Building on the successful Kenyan pilot of our Transformative Citizenship Program (TCP), we will now train 10 educators to lead this program. Up to 200 more students will also be served in 2016. TCP teaches the skill sets required for economic & social resilience. It includes:1) course study, 2) field project work placement (e.g. farming) and 3) mentored implementation of one’s own entrepreneurship/social development project.

Challenge

Economic and social resilience require two things: food security & secure social relationships. For those battling chronic poverty and crisis, these two essentials seem unachievable. Additionally, youth who are not constructively empowered and have become understandably bitter or hopeless are more easily radicalised. With support and practical education, resilience is achievable. Food security and secure social relationships are possible and sustainable. They can do this! We can help!

Solution

TCP is a results-oriented tool in empowering youth to achieve economic & social resilience. Training local educators in this program will make it a truly locally-owned curriculum. Educators, themselves, will be more empowered by their training in the program; as they teach it. Since TCP 1) teaches essential entrepreneurship/life/civic engagement skills, 2) applies those skills in real world settings, and 3) mentors real work projects for all students; the learning is lasting and productive.

Long-Term Impact

Economic & social resilience is the vision. The Transformative Citizenship Program is already having a positive impact on youth. By training educators, we will begin to maximize that impact. Upon successful completion of training the first 10 educators in 2016 in Kenya and expanding the program delivery there as well, the Transformative Citizenship Program can be included in Kenya’s National Education Plan and become a standardized school curriculum for the good of all Kenyan youth.

Beyond Kenya–

corners has been invited to run the Transformative Citizenship Program elsewhere; in particular, in rural community settings and for urban family groups. We will proceed with these down the road, when schedule and resources allow.