1) The training report summarizes a 3-day refresher training for out-of-school youth on life skills and child protection held in Nairobi, Kenya. 24 participants attended each day to refresh their skills from a previous 2014 training. 2) Participants engaged in group activities, discussions, and role-plays around topics like identifying life skills used, challenges faced assisting child abuse cases, legal instruments for child protection, and devolved government funds. 3) Feedback indicated the previous training helped participants address issues in their communities, though gaps around budgeting, business plans, and case follow-up were identified for future training.

1. TRAINING REPORT
LIFESKILLS PROMOTERS
Out of School Youth Refresher Training
Held on
21st
-23rd
April 2015
At Kariobangi Nairobi City Council estate,
Jumuia hall
Facilitated by: Emily Aluoch
Report Compiled by: Ernest Kirui
……………………Sign...…... Date …….....
Program Coordinator/Program Manager

2. INTRODUCTION
Youth Out of School refresher training was planned to refresh the out of school youth
who had successfully completed 75% of Life skills training in 2014. The youth were from
Kariobangi and Korogocho and were working in these communities. The training started
with the facilitator, (Emily Aluoch) formally introducing herself and briefly pinpointing the
objective of the training. The training workshop took place at Kariobangi Nairobi City
Council estate, Jumuia hall from 21/4/2015 to 23/4/2015. It was attended by 24, 29 and
26 participants on the first, second and third days respectively. The participants were
drawn from the registered groups within the area. A total of 24 participants attended for
the three days without missing. From the interactions with the participants the life skills
training had helped them as individuals and also as groups. The groups are now
sensitive to issues of child protection.
CLIMATE SETTING
The participants set the rules of the training as follows;
 No eating or chewing in the training room.
 Phones off or put on silent mode.
 No use of abusive language/personal directed statements.
 Time keeping/management.
 Uphold respect at all times.
 Make reasonable judgements/arguments.
Pre and post test results
The pre-test was administered at the start of the training shortly after introduction and
after the participants had expressed their fears and expectations with regard to the
training. Of the 24 participants who sat for the pre-test, 96% could not attain the
average grade of 50%. At this point, none of the participants answered questions 1 and
5 correctly. At the end of the training, the participants took a post-test and the results
showed a significant improvement with more than half (57%) passing the pass grade.
The participants were asked to indicate their names on the answer sheets for easy
follow-up.
Participants’ Fears
 Not getting a certificate after the training.
 Not being given reimbursement fee which they termed as ‘sitting allowance’.

3. Participants’ Expectations
 To know more about life skills.
 To get a certificate.
 To understand more about child rights and protection.
 To interact, socialize and network with people.
 To be a better person.
 To get a job opportunity.
 To be a good decision maker.
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
1. To equip the participants with knowledge issues of child protection so that they
can actively take part in detecting, preventing and responding to violence
against children in the community.
2. To identify children safety networks available and their mandate.
3. To inform the youth of available funds and opportunities in the devolved
government.
CONTENT OF THE TRAINING
Feedback life skills training
The participants undertook the activity in groups and their corresponding responses to
questions asked were as follows;
Group 1: Identify 2 life skills learnt that were easy to put into practice.
 Communication skills: With good communication skills, advocating for child
rights become less tasking. The skills enabled the group to address several
cases of child neglect with most involving single mothers.
 Assertiveness: Being bold enough had enabled most of the participants to
address issues more appropriately.
Group 2: Identify 2 life skills learnt that were challenging to put into practice.
 Empathy: putting oneself in someone else’s shoes and acting promptly to save
the situation. Most of the trained youth at one point had to address cases of
children failing to attend school due to fee problem. None attested to have been
bold enough to help with offsetting the fee balance.
 Decision making: some attested that it’s normal to pass through challenging
moments but defining the right path is sometimes takes a heavy toll on them. It
has not been easy for us to leave drinking alcohol (anonymous group of young
men).

4. Group 3: Identify cases of abuse that the group/individuals have been able to assist.
They were able to assist a number of cases;
 Corporal punishment at home: A mother was found flogging her 12-year old
daughter owing to the latter’s failure to return a 5 shilling change from the
shop. The mother was caught and taken to the Chief for interrogation.
 Being denied access to education: Have always talked to the parents involved
on the need to educate their children and majority have responded positively.
 Child murder: They have saved a number of children from being killed or
dumped by their parents and have had the culprits arrested.
 Child labour/ employment: They handled a case of a child that was being
tasked with heavy house chores with neither food nor pay. The case was
reported to the Child officer and action was taken. The child has gone to
school.
Group 4: Identify challenges faced in assisting cases of child abuse and possible
strategies that one could use to address these challenges.
a) Challenges
 Lack of support by the enforcement authorities where some officers ask for
bribes for them to attend to reported cases of child abuse.
 Lack of funds to support the victims due to low income and high cost of living.
 Threats and fear of reporting where affected children are threatened by the
attacker not to reveal acts of rape and the identity of the attacker.
 Lack of co-operation from the victim especially in seeking medication for the
survivors.
b) Possible strategies
 They would organize community dialogue forums and build good rapport with
the enforcement authorities.
 Create awareness to empower community members on the need to protect
children’s rights.
 Create workforce groups to advocate for children’s rights.
 Counsel the survivors and forcibly take them for medication.
Group 5: Discuss how the life skills learnt can help in addressing cases of child
protection
 Self-esteem and confidence in voicing child issues and reporting cases of
child abuse for action.
 Proper communication and listening skills paramount in addressing the
community and convincing them to stop child abuse.
 Sourcing for funds from the government to help in promoting child protection
programmes.

5. Child protection
The participants were put into five groups and asked to classify types and forms of
child abuse, signs and symptoms, as well as the most probable abuser.
Group 1: physical abuse
Types: torture and sexual assault.
Examples: beating, fractures, injuries, defilement and sodomy.
Signs and symptoms: change in walking style, withdrawal, fear and stigma, body
swelling and physical scars on the body.
Most probable abuser: rapist, assailant or attacker.
Group 2: emotional abuse
*Types: mental, physical, emotional.
Examples: stress, depression, death, divorce and discrimination.
Signs and symptoms: headache, mood swings, poor health, day-dreaming, fear.
Most probable abuser: mentally disturbed.
Group 3: neglect
Types: lack of parental care.
Examples: depression, malnutrition, poor personal hygiene and low school
attendance.
Signs and symptoms: drug abuse and lack of effective interaction.
Most probable abuser: parents.
Group 4: sexual abuse
Types: mental, physical and emotional.
Examples: none identified.
Signs and symptoms: withdrawal, low self-esteem, poor academic performance
and school drop-outs.
Most probable abuser: teachers, neighbours.

6. Group 5: spiritual abuse
Types: mismanagement of power, parent-to-child, pastor-to-church member.
Examples: cults.
Signs and symptoms: none identified.
Most probable abuser: church member, spiritual leader (pastor).
Personal development and recap
When asked what worst decisions the participants ever made in life, they had the
following to say;
One young lady pulled out of a job after being offended due to dressing code; the wife
of her boss complained to her that she was attempting to snatch her husband. Another
one shared that she failed to join form one since her father wanted to marry her off and
hence refused to pay her school fees. Some two young men declined a trip to Dubai for
fear of being enslaved yet those who heeded to the call have prospered in life. Another
one engaged in a fierce fight with a neighbour where he was eventually jailed and fined.
Some men and ladies attested that alcoholism led them to being expelled from
performing schools and have since dropped out.
The participants went to a session of self reflection the next day and after meditating for
5 minutes, they came up with the following resolutions;
 That it’s no time to regret; what they need to do is just but accept the failure and
plan for the future.
 They also shared that joining youth empowerment groups will save them from
engaging in crime as well as improve their livelihood.
 That it’s never too late to go back to school and advance in education. One lady
from Young Mothers Group shared that she plans to go back to Form three next
academic year.
 They unanimously agreed to adopt positive behaviour change and do away with
misleading friends.
 The group also decided to start and run individual businesses.
 They also resolved to settle on any job offer that comes their way with hopes of
landing on better ones thereafter.
 Believe in themselves and change their own lives
Note: The names of the story tellers remain anonymous as per their consent.

7. Legal instruments
The facilitator asked the participants whether they knew of any legal instruments that
can help in safeguarding children’s rights and they were able to identify the following;
 The constitution: they said that some provisions in the constitution touch
on protection of children’s rights.
 Children’s Act: that the act wholly dwells on the rights of children and
remedies in case of child abuse.
The participants mentioned the places below as points where help is sought in case of
child abuse
 Pendekezo Letu both within Kariobangi
 Boma Rescue
Activity: Two groups were formed and each tasked with an activity thus;
Group 1: Record keeping
The participant highlighted their mode of record keeping by using an assault case as an
example and below is the format they could use to capture their events.
Day/Date activity Where Group
responsible
Action taken Conclusion
Tue
8/9/2014
Assault Koch
(scene of
crime)
Kactas -Visiting and
identification of
survivor
-medication
-reporting
-referral
-Case
opened
-case
hearing
-female child
affected
Wed
15/9/2014
Case
hearing
Makadara
Law court
Kactas N/A Case still
pending
Group 2: Discuss interventions/strategies that have worked for them in addressing
cases of child protection
 Guidance and counselling: they identified a victim that had been raped and
impregnated. The victim had planned to abort but after the group talked to her,
she accepted to give birth and bring up the child.
 Being good role models: they shared that their positive behaviour change has
created a lot of impact on the kids thus making them grow well behaved.
 Through entertainment/field activities: they claimed to have been organizing for
children’s competition in football.

8.  Visiting Children’s homes and making donations: they have been mobilizing the
public to make donations both in cash and in kind then take them to the
children’s homes.
 Showing and sharing love with children: they shared that they do this at home by
caring for their children and those of the neighbours.
 Volunteering: some members of the group have been volunteering to children’s
homes and assist in washing, slashing, litter collection and training the children in
sports.
GROUP DYNAMICS
Ms. Emily Aluoch took the participants though stages of group formation then a
simulation exercise was conducted using used newspapers. Consequently, the
facilitator asked the participants to draw conclusions thus;
 Putting back the newspaper in order took more time: they compared this to
process of forming a group which takes time and is quite demanding.
 The act of distorting and disorganizing the newspaper took little time. The team
likened this to the process of bringing down a group which is fast and only
happens with little misunderstanding.
Most groups, however, admitted that they are still in the norming stage-not fully and
sufficiently actualized.
DEVOLVED FUNDS
The participants were able to identify the following as devolved funds
1) UWEZO Fund
2) Youth Enterprise Development Fund
3) Constituency Development Fund
4) Women Enterprise Development Fund
However, none of the groups present had borrowed any of these funds with the reason
that there is a lot of difficulty in repaying if businesses do not pick up as expected.
Also, the participants claimed that the eligibility criterion has not always favoured them.
BUDGETING & BUSINESS PLAN
The participants had to share their business plans and budgets as well as their pay-
back strategy in case funds are availed. Unfortunately, no group could sufficiently meet
the expectations of the facilitator. Business plan raised a lot of concern as a major
setback dominating amongst the groups involved. The facilitator however promised to

9. make a follow up and at least have them trained on skills in making business plans as
well as budget making.
ACTION PLAN
Respective groups availed their action plans on sheets of paper. These plans were
submitted to the LISP office form part of records and for easy follow up.
The facilitator also enquired for those who had joined NYS, KEPSA and those that had
attempted but were unsuccessful and the numbers were as follows;
 NYS- 10 members
 KEPSA- 2 members
 KEPSA (attempted)- 4 members
GAPS IDENTIFIED
1. Little skills in budgeting and business plan formulation.
2. No proper follow up on reported cases.
3. The relevant enforcement officers are too corrupt.
4. Education gap; more training required.
5. Some group members inactively involved.
6. The choice of venue was inappropriate; unfavourably hot.
SUCCESS OF THE TRAINING
1. A total of 24 participants attended the training for all the three days.
2. The groups were able to identify some of the safety networks within the
community that they can network with.
3. The groups got a chance to share their experiences and challenge each other.
4. The groups were able to identify where they are in terms of the stages of group
dynamics.
SUCCESS STORIES
It was evident that the previous training had an impact on the young and they were
utilising the skills acquired to change their communities. Here are some of the things the
youth shared as part of what they did after the training.
 Wonderful brothers formed a children’s club where they now train them on the
issues of child protection and they would love the office to visit them. Their
contact person’s number is 0708265392.
 Many youth have started their own businesses because they got inspired from
the previous life skills’ training that they had.
 George, the team’s mobilizer took a bold step and became a waste collector.
Since then, the job has enabled him to educate his children besides providing for
the needs of his family.

10. CHALLENGES
1. The first day began late with most of the participants coming later than expected.
The issue of only training participants who had successfully completed 75 of the
first training took a lot of time. Eliminating those who were not in the register was
a hard task.
2. Less attendance than expected. Most of the previously trained participants got
other engagement that made them not get time to attend training.
3. The participants complained the transport reimbursement was too little.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. They need more training on budget, writing business plans and good payback
strategies.
2. Structure the training in a way that it can involve the participants who cannot
attend full day.
3. Review the transreimbursent of the participants.
4. Better training venues should be identified
5. Enough drinking water should be provided for rehydration during training
6. Constant regular training necessary to keep the groups on toes
CONCLUSIONS
The participants applauded the facilitator (Ms. Emily Aluoch) for her wonderful
presentation owing to her mastery of the topic and content delivery as well as her wit in
relating life skills to real life situations. The training met most of the participants’
expectations as well. Thus, the training objectives were adequately met.
APPENDICES
Training programme (provided at invitation/ beginning of workshop)
Evaluations
Pre and Post test
Daily attendance sheets