New opening of “The Eastlands College of Technology (ECT)” which offers professional training to young people in poor neighborhoods of east Nairobi.

“The opening of the new building, after twelve years in a temporary, was made possible thanks to the local contributions and of countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium and institutions as Harambee Africa International. The project includes a second building with installations now under construction that we hope to finish in 2017” said Andrew Olea who went to Kenya in 1980 and eight years ago he decided to help the uneducated poor to get ahead.

“Half of the 40 million people, the population of Kenya, are under 25 years old with an unemployment rate which reaches 80%. ” In addition, “there is clearly a need for a professional qualification for young people to access jobs requiring technical skills or to start up their own businesses”.

“My dream is to contribute at the personnel, technical and human education of those young people who fill the streets and suburbs of Nairobi, as here at Eastlands, with one million inhabitants, with gigantic neighborhoods densely populated by young people and children”.

According to data obtained from studies of the Strathmore Educational Trust, in Kenya the most widespread jobs are in the informal sector (or unregulated), in recent years booming. Olea then stated that “Although the Kenyan government is promoting the industrialization of the country, the major obstacle seems to be the lack of manpower suitable to the needs of a modern industry.” Eastlands College of Technology tries to remedy the problem of many children leaving school without the necessary skills that the industry requires.

After years of experience spent in training, Olea said that “our message is clear: job well done and high technical capacity. I believe that students should see with their own eyes what their future occupation will require. This is why we attach great importance to quality and excellence and we encourage them, supporting their hopes. “
TEC follows the German model of “formation of alternation” between theory at the College and practice in society, two training areas that integrate for mutual benefit, “the students deepen the subjects requested by industry thanks to which they will find a job and the College will be able to update the training offer according to the needs of industry. “
The identity of Eastlands is inspired to the principles of the social doctrine of the Church, which “are very useful to grow the social responsibility and personal ethics of citizens.”