Jitolee is the Kiswahili word for giving or volunteering that inspired the founders to name the organization. Jitolee Organization provides free training meant to provide technical skills to eradicate unemployment and restrict the youth from engaging in crime radicalization activities within their communities. Unemployment has led to high crime rates among the youth. According to a recent study by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate within the country has doubled to 10.4% due to the pandemic and other economic factors.
Jitolee Organization which was founded in 2019, saw the need to bridge the gap of unemployed youths coming from penurious backgrounds. An organization that started with only 30 volunteer trainers currently has over 150 trainers. Mr. Meshach Otieno, the owner of Geraldine Auto Works in Kariobangi South is among the volunteer trainers. Meshach bought the vision of Jitolee Organization after having a conversation with CEO Ben Gori and saw the benefit of helping the youth instead of leaving them to turn to the streets.
“Jitolee is an organization that will be able to eradicate theft and loitering in our neighborhoods because it gives our children the ability to acquire skills and earn a living,” said Mr. Meshach.
Meshach’s auto works teach trainees skills like panel beating, spray painting, welding, and fabrication. Jitolee volunteer trainers have greatly increased due to the organization’s dream of empowering disempowered youths. According to Meshach, patience is key while training the youth because their lack of experience and zeal can lead them to mishandle the equipment. He, however, hopes that Jitolee Organization can receive enoughfunding to provide tools for trainees and eventually enable them to start their businesses.
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Beautiful!