Swisscontact

Swisscontact has been active in Kenya since 1997, focusing on enhancing economic opportunities through vocational training, entrepreneurship, and inclusive finance. Their initiatives aim to empower youth, refugees, and underserved communities by equipping them with market-relevant skills and facilitating access to employment and financial services.

🇰🇪 Key Projects and Initiatives in Kenya

1. PropelA – Dual Apprenticeship Program (2022–2025)

PropelA introduces a Swiss-inspired dual apprenticeship model to Kenya’s construction sector, combining 25% classroom instruction with 75% on-the-job training. The program collaborates with over 40 private companies, vocational institutions like Don Bosco Boys Town and Eastlands College of Technology, and government bodies such as the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA). It addresses the shortage of skilled artisans, particularly electricians and plumbers, and has trained over 300 apprentices, with 76 graduates in its first cohort. The program is supported by the Hilti Foundation and Geberit International Sales AG.

2. Skills for Life (S4L) – Kakuma Refugee Camp

S4L aims to improve the livelihoods of youth in the Kakuma Refugee Camp and surrounding host communities by providing non-formal technical skills training, apprenticeships, and life skills education. The project targets youth aged 16 to 25, emphasizing the inclusion of adolescent girls and young mothers. It employs a community-based approach, utilizing local trainers to deliver flexible, market-oriented training that enhances employability and income-generating capabilities.

3. Inclusive Finance Programme (IFP) – 2006–2020

The IFP focused on increasing access to financial services for underserved populations in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It worked on capacity building for financial institutions, developing microfinance skills, and promoting financial literacy among low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs. The program also introduced innovative financing instruments and facilitated linkages between financial actors and underserved groups to enhance financial inclusion.

📍 Swisscontact Kenya Office

• Address: 6th Floor, Victoria Plaza, 11 Parklands Road, Westlands, Nairobi

• Phone: +254 714 055 954

• Website: www.swisscontact.org