The Duracoat Expert Centre, a CSR arm of Basco Paints was recently privileged to hold an all female training at the AIC Kibra Church in partnership with National Construction Authority (NCA). Unlike past trainings that included both male and female trainees, this training had female trainees exclusively. This marked the 4th training to he held under the Mafundi Mufti Partnership run by the NCA that involves training artisans in various counties across the country.

Local NGO, Timeless Women of Worth (TWOW) brought together the 400 women for the Kibra leg of the Mafundi Mufti Training. They were then allowed to select an area of interest that they would undergo training from among four artisan trades namely; Masonry, Tiling, Painting and Bricklaying. The trainees ranged from 16-84 years with the women showing great aptitude and passion to learn skills that would enable them earn a living and empower their lives and those of their family members.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the NCA General Manager, Eng. Maurice Aketch encouraged the women to consider themselves as skilled laborers and be assured that they were armed and had what it takes to face the world out there. He added that NCA was happy to partner with progressive corporates such as Basco Paints, Savannah Cement, Mabati Rollings and Athi River Mining to train and build capacity of individuals in the construction industry.

Basco Paints Technical Manager, Benn Mumanyi in his address congratulated all the graduates and wished them success as they embark on putting their skills into practice in the market. He urged them to form partnerships right at the training venue and be sure to keep in touch once they leave. This would ensure those who got jobs a ready supply of labour as well as income for the whole team.

TWOW Founder, Mrs. Nyakan Munyeki on the other hand reminded the women that from the time they had identified the women back in July and begun their sensitization trainings, the women had grown leaps and bounds. She noted that while in the beginning they were interested in receiving money, they had been trained on a more sustainable model of how to earn a living. Fifty women painters were trained at the end of the one week of training that begun on 30th November up to 4th December 2015.