Learn for Life Kenya Theory of Change and Action
Foster Dignity. Inspire Hope. Teach Skills
Theory of Change
Statement of Need
Learn for Life Kenya, Inc., a US-based 501(c)3 organization, was founded in 2015 to help prepare impoverished communities in Kenya for employment through vocational skills training and infrastructure support.
In response to the high rates of youth unemployment, policy makers throughout the world have implemented vocational training programs with the intention of helping youth find employment. In Kenya, the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy acknowledges the increased role of vocational training programs as a means for providing skilled and employable youth to enable socio-economic transformation1.
This paper explains how Learn for Life Kenya will contribute to the reduction of unemployment in marginalized communities in Kenya. Our theory of change helps us to define the most effective intervention using a pathways approach, which we define here. It ensures that we understand the many dimensions involved in building sustainable livelihoods in the communities in which we work. We understand that there are many stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, that contribute to reducing unemployment through vocational skills training and we intend to leverage their contributions to the maximum extent possible to collectively achieve our goals. Learn for Life Kenya is committed to contributing financial and non-financial support to enable significant transformation that will foster dignity, inspire hope and teach skills.
In Kenya, according to the 2009 census, 90% of high school graduates between 17 and 24 years of age were seeking technical and vocational
training2 from public, private and nonprofit institutions. This indicates the potential of a willing and capable workforce. However, the inability of the institutions to meet demand is reflected in the high unemployment rates of 40%3 with young people between 15 and 35 years of age constituting 70% of the unemployed total.4 Some of the market distortion identified by Kenyan policy makers includes a lack of relevant, affordable, and accessible vocational skills training institutions.5
Pathways to Change Learn for Life Kenya draws on our implementing partner’s experiences in Kenya combined with in-depth discussions with technical experts in the field. From this, we have developed three pathways that participants would take in their journey towards sustainability – Vocational Skills Training, Employment Preparedness and Sustainability/Civic Mindedness. The foundation of all three pathways involves establishing a sense of self worth and hopefulness. Our target communities consists of neglected, abandoned, violated or orphaned children who either live in shelters or sub-
Learn for Life Kenya Pathways
optimal family structures. While most of these children receive some type of education and stabilization through high school, the majority does not have access to further education or jobs and revert to risky behaviors and become a burden to society. Learn for Life Kenya is committed to supporting organizations that execute inter-related pathways where youth can visualize a path of success for themselves and ultimately contribute to societal wellbeing.
Theory in Practice Learn for Life Kenya’s inaugural project is in partnership with Tumaini Children’s Home, a registered non-profit organization located in Nyeri County, Kenya. The Tumaini Children’s Home was founded in 1997 and currently supports 208 orphaned or neglected children by providing them with shelter, food, clothing, education, medical, and rehabilitation services. These young people are now in a position to gain a sense of personal security that enables them to see beyond their current predicament. Since its founding, a number of children have graduated from high school and institutions of higher learning and are now serving as an inspiration to the younger children. However, most of the high school graduates lack the necessary grades and financing to receive a tertiary education. They also lack marketable skills and once they “age-out” from the orphanage become
Learn for Life Kenya Key Focus Areas
vulnerable to negative survival tactics on the streets. While a few individual donors and faith-based donors have been provided financial and in-kind support to the organization’s operations, resource limitations have impacted the ability to support post secondary and broader community capacity development. Moved by this great need and opportunity, the Learn for Life Kenya Board of Directors felt compelled to partner with the Tumaini Children’s Home to help prepare the impoverished youth for employment through vocational skills training as an extension to the core shelter offering. In partnership with Tumaini Children’s Home, Learn for Life Kenya has identified the key focus areas and associated and holistic approaches to assist with reducing youth unemployment through vocational skills training and effectively begin to address poverty issues in the community. These key focus areas are aligned to our theory of change pathways:
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy, March 2014. Ibid. 3 “The World Fact Book,” The Central Intelligence Agency, updated 2016, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ke.html 4 Raphael Obonyo, “Reducing Youth Unemployment in Kenya,” World Policy, October 15, 2013 http://www.worldpolicy.org/ blog/2013/10/15/reducing-youth-unemployment-kenya 5 Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy, March 2014. 1 2
Our Board As a new organization, we are committed to building a Board that is passionate about our mission and will deliberately and intentionally select community leaders who offer the skill sets necessary for the governance of an organization operating internationally. Our inaugural Board has recruited Directors and Officers possessing strong experience in the fields of leadership, management, finance, grant writing, fund raising, medicine, and education. BONNIE LEE, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER Bonnie’s relationship with the people of Kenya began in 2011, when she participated in a massive shoe collection project with the organization Think Kindness. She and her oldest child, Alex, traveled to central Kenya to put some of those shoes on the feet of destitute children living in two orphanages. Moved by the children’s hopeful, persevering spirits, she determined to get more involved in Kenya. Returning home, Bonnie felt challenged to find ways to make a significant impact on the young people she met, ones who, one day soon, would need to provide for themselves. In 2012, Bonnie joined the Think Kindness Board of Directors with the focus of expanding the organization’s educational initiatives in Kenya. In this capacity, Bonnie implemented a scholarship fund, making a Kenyan college education a reality for orphaned or abandoned youth. Bonnie brings to Learn For Life Kenya more than 20-years of leadership experience in adult education ministries and community initiatives, focusing on creating and equipping teams for service. Some of her most cherished roles within her congregation have been serving as grant project director, church-wide campaign director, and head of the in-house curriculum publication body. Within her community, Bonnie has been recognized for community service organizational development. Bonnie completed her B.A. in Religion and English at Baylor University in 1992. Bonnie, her husband, Matt, and their children, Alex and James, are committed, as a family, to using their God-given resources to support the efforts of people in Kenya who share a vision for a more stable, hope-filled
future through self-sustaining employment. She also feels enormously blessed to have met Anne, now a dear friend and the co-founder of Learn For Life Kenya, in 2013. Together, they recognized a calling to assist Kenyan organizations striving to provide vocational training programs. ANNE MUINDI-SHEMENSKI, VICE-PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER Anne is a Kenyan-born management consultant who is passionate about helping marginalized children and youth live a hope-filled life that enables them to reach their full potential. Anne has been deeply involved with the Tumaini Children’s Home founded by her father in July 1997 and is excited about carrying on his legacy by assisting in the development of a vocational training center to alleviate youth unemployment and address poverty issues in Nyeri, Kenya. Anne brings to Learn for Life Kenya key strategy, analytics, and operations management skills acquired through an extensive management consulting career with Booz Allen Hamilton and various independent consulting engagements in the US and South Africa. While living in South Africa, Anne engaged in pro bono work with Berakah Educational Foundation developing a business strategy and implementing social entrepreneurship initiatives in a disadvantaged community to enable self-sustainment. Anne was also an Integral member of the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School Inclusive Health Innovation Team that established the first health innovation hub in a public hospital in Africa at the world-renowned Groote Schuur Hospital. Anne also served as a Board Member at the American International School in Johannesburg. Anne completed her ‘A’ levels at Limuru Girls’ High School in Kenya before moving to the US in 1985. She earned her B.A. with a double major in International Relations and Economics & Management from Beloit College, her M.A. in International Relations with a focus on International Development Economics from Yale University, and her M.S. in Information and Telecommunications Systems from Johns Hopkins
University. Anne is a recipient of Booz Allen Hamilton’s prestigious Values in Practice Award and also the U.S. National Women of Color in Technology Award for Managerial Leadership. MONICA H. ASHERY, TREASURER Monica was born in Tanzania and moved to the USA in order to further her studies in 1988. While in Tanzania, Monica worked in the comptroller’s office of the Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Dodoma, Tanzania. She was pleased to head the Accounts Department and to handle missionary affairs. Upon moving to the United States, Monica worked as the Special Assistant to the President of Coleman & Williams, Ltd., CPAs. Her responsibilities included providing a broad range of support to the president and firm, including participating in proposal writing, business development, and managing all company revenues, among others. She played a significant role in the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. Division of Firms (NABA-DOF) by coordinating four DOF semi-annual conferences on practice management and recruiting more than 50 members at the NABA-DOF Exhibits during the National Conventions around the U.S. Monica was the lead organizer of NABA-DOF’s three visits to South Africa, which resulted in the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding between the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) of the USA and the Advancement of Black Accountants in Southern Africa (ABASA). She has coordinated six NABA-DOF’s Ralph Grant Institute conferences. Monica is a four-time award recipient for outstanding contribution, leadership, continued services and commitment, both from Coleman & Williams, Ltd. and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). Monica has a Certificate in Accountancy from St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Mwanza, Tanzania, a B.A. in Business from Mount Mary University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is currently enrolled in an enhanced program for Accounting Services Specialist through the U.S. Career Services.
Monica is the Secretary of the Milwaukee African Women Association, Inc. She enjoys serving in leadership within her congregation’s children’s ministry. Monica is the proud mother of a 23-year-old son and two adopted daughters, ages 27 and 31, who she has raised since her sister’s death in 1995. Monica is a born-again Christian, and she’s always happy to share her faith in and love for Jesus Christ with others. CATHERINE GACHERU, DIRECTOR, CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD Catherine is a Kenyan-born Registered Nurse, a philanthropist, trainer, and versatile leader in the field of nursing and midwifery with 20 years of extensive hands-on experience in the area of maternal and child health and clinical teaching. Catherine brings a unique mix of deep healthcare experience both nationally and internationally and proven capabilities in leading teams while implementing educational programs. She is currently a Clinical Educator/Staff Development Specialist at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia. Catherine started her healthcare career at the Gatundu General Hospital in Kenya as a Community Health Nurse. In 1989, she emigrated to the United States and specialized as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. Her employment experiences span the St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital and the Inova Healthcare systems in Northern Virginia. Catherine is a graduate of Medical Training Center in Machakos, Kenya and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from George Mason University. She has achieved the coveted Registered Nurse certification specialty for high risk, in-patient obstetrics. She is also certified in the proven and original protocols of treating HIV positive mothers resulting in babies born free of HIV status. Catherine has been involved as a mentor and philanthropist with the Tumaini Children’s Home since its inception in her hometown of Nyeri. She also provides financial and nonfinancial support to several underprivileged children in Kenya. She is married with two children. EMILY AIDOO, SECRETARY Emily Aidoo works as a middle school teacher at a Christian
charter school in Milwaukee. In 2008, she graduated from Carthage College with a double major in French and Elementary Education. Upon graduation, God opened doors for her to move to Ghana in West Africa where she lived and worked as a teacher at the American International School for 5 years. Her heart is in many ways intertwined with the people of Ghana as she devoted much time outside of the classroom working an educational NGO called Children of the Light. Moreover, she was married and had her son while in Ghana. Serving on the board of Learn for Life Kenya is a privilege for Emily because she has seen firsthand the harsh realities of poverty in a third world country. She has also seen how greatly lives can be impacted by education and opportunities. Emily looks forward in anticipation to the growth and expansion of L4LK as well as the countless lives that will be affected by this organization. GERALD SCHAEFER, DIRECTOR, FUNDRAISING CHAIRMAN Gerald (Gerry) Schaefer brings to Learn for Life Kenya a wealth of experience in the field of fundraising. Gerry’s career has included work as Director of Marquette University’s Annual Fund, Mount Mary College’s Director of Public Relations and Development, and Director of Resource Development for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Following his retirement, Gerry co-founded McDonald Schaefer, a firm dedicated to advising nonprofits in the area of fund development. Gerry has special expertise in comprehensive development and direct mail, having raised over $100 million in the course of his career. Gerry completed his B.A. in Philosophy at Marquette University and received his M.A. from Northwestern University. He has fifty years of experience in the field of fundraising, holding senior development positions at major institutions in Milwaukee, and over twenty years of experience as a featured speaker at national development conferences. Gerry looks forward to implementing a fundraising strategy for Learn for
Life Kenya, poising this charitable organization for great success in accomplishing its mission. MATT LEE, DIRECTOR, NOMINATING CHAIRMAN Matt was introduced to Kenya by his family, and more specifically, to the orphaned and abandoned children under the care of Tumaini Children’s Ministry in 2013. After his wife and oldest child visited Kenya in 2011, he began assisting their efforts to impact the lives of children in need. He has been supportive of Think Kindness’ fundraising efforts and the launch of the new organization, Learn for Life Kenya. Matt brings many years of organizational and leadership skills from his work in the local church, local professional organizations, and health care. Matt earned his B.A. in Biology from Baylor University and M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia. He began his practice of Ob/Gyn in 1997 and is affiliated with Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Matt is the Residency Director at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Other areas of community leadership include over twelve years as Worship Director at Northwest Church in Milwaukee, as well as serving on the Board of Directors for Pius XI High School.
Impact lives by supporting vocational training opportunities MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION DONATE IN MEMORY OF OR IN HONOR OF A LOVED ONE SET UP RECURRING DONATIONS Donations to Learn for Life Kenya, Inc. are tax-deductible, and are made securely through our payment processors, MoonClerk and Stripe. Learn For Life Kenya is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN: 47-4108792. Learn For Life Kenya, Inc. reserves the right to move money as its discretion, in accordance with its mission. In instances where funds received are over and above the budget of the solicited purpose, these funds will be put into the general fund.
www.learnforlifekenya.org/donate/
Our Story Bonnie Lee and Anne Muindi-Shemenski, co-founders of Learn for Life Kenya, met in August 2013 while both were visiting Nyeri, Kenya. Bonnie and her family were volunteering in the area for the second time with Think Kindness, a US-based nonprofit organization. The Think Kindness team was bringing shoes, clothing, and hygiene items to the destitute children living at the two orphanages run by the Tumaini Children’s Home. Anne, once a resident of Nyeri, was in Kenya from the US for her brother’s funeral and met Bonnie whilst continuing her philanthropic work at these two orphanages. The two women quickly realized a true connection; one rooted in a common faith and determination to use their resources for the betterment of those in desperate need. Over the next two years, they continued to talk about ways to make the most impact in Kenya, a country dear to their hearts. Bonnie and Anne became convinced that the way to make the greatest impact in Kenya is to collaborate with local organizations that possess a track record for implementation of charitable services to those communities. They registered Learn for Life Kenya in May 2015 and held the initial Board meeting in July. The Board approved the corporation’s bylaws, policies and inaugural project with Tumaini Children’s Home. Following this meeting, Bonnie traveled to Nyeri, Kenya to introduce Learn for Life Kenya and refine potential partnership opportunities. We look forward to sharing our exciting journey with you!