Mission

Jitegemee gives youth who have been living and/or working on the streets of Machakos, Kenya an opportunity to change their lives through formal and vocational education. We believe that every child with the desire to learn and the will to succeed should be allowed to do so. We serve about 200 young people each year who meet our criteria of economic need and willingness to commit to the program.

What We Do

Jitegemee has been working to educate street and destitute children in Machakos, a town about an hour outside Nairobi, since 1996.
About half of the children we serve are supported in formal education, from primary school to college. We provide uniforms, books, tutoring and school fees, as well as educational activities during the school vacations.
The other half of our students attend a vocational program that teaches basic literacy, math and life skills for about six months, and then places them in hands-on apprenticeships to learn life-changing skills such as carpentry, welding, auto repair, tailoring and hairdressing. An evaluation found that 82% of our vocational graduates report that they are earning money from their trades, and about 60% say they have become the primary breadwinners of their homes.
Both our formal and vocational students are part of the same Jitegemee family, to whom we offer daily meals, medical care, life skills, counseling and home placement, and fun activities outside of school. Jitegemee has a staff of 5 Kenyan professionals. Most of its funding is raised by a 10-person board of American volunteers.