Overview
Construction Work Team
Under the guidance of Francis Kioni, Moving Mountains Kenya's Project Manager, the initial aim was to train the beneficiaries in a broad range of vocational skills which would enable the charity to employ them to work on all of our construction projects across Kenya and Tanzania.
Since 2006 the Moving Mountains Kenya 'Construction Work Team' has continued to grow and build on its huge success, providing progressive vocational training and employment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programme is especially successful in helping those young people who may not achieve the necessary grades to continue to secondary school or university.
Photo: Francis Kioni
They eventually registered themselves as a youth group with Nairobi Council and are now able to work independently, reducing their reliance on the work from Moving Mountains. They are frequently employed by other charities looking for reliable artisans on their own projects.
The team is comprised of a trusted group of individuals with a variety of skills. They remain an important part of the Moving Mountains family in East Africa, not just to work on and develop all the projects that the charity is involved with but to help out as staff on youth expeditions. All have climbed Mount Kenya numerous times and some have also climbed Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro too. Their knowledge of life on the streets, their extensive travels across East Africa, and their friendly and hard-working attitude makes them popular people on all projects and trips.
Photo: The work team on-site at the Solio Community Villages
History of the Project
2006 – Moving Mountains started training many of the young unemployed people in the slum areas of Muthurwa and Shauri Moyo, Nairobi.
2010 – The members of the ‘Moving Mountains Work Team’ register as a local ‘Youth Group’ and open their doors to applications for new young adults to join them and develop their skills under the guidance of Kioni and the staff of Moving Mountains Kenya.
2012 – The Work Team participated in a training workshop in Interlocking Brick Technology delivered by the Government of Kenya Prisons Service at Gatwe Primary School in Embu.
Present-day – The Work Team continue to be employed on all of our construction and renovation projects in Kenya and Tanzania and support Kioni with the management of Moving Mountains projects. As projects continue to be developed in more and more parts of East Africa the team developed into sub-groups to specialise in specific areas.
Photo: Some of the work team with volunteers on a development project
Members
All volunteer groups and supporters working with Moving Mountains on projects have contributed to supporting the development of the Moving Mountains Kenya 'Construction Work Team' programme.
There are currently six full-time members of the team who all have years of experience and training, and head up smaller sub-groups working in specific areas of Kenya. John Akibare manages all our projects in the Solio Community, Benson Mureithi manages operations in Naro Moru, Julius Macharia looks after all the projects in Embu, Alex Gathee and Ibrahim Ali deal with our extensive work in rural Western Kenya and Edwin Kimani is in charge of our development projects in Tanzania.
Photo: John Akibare on-site at Solio Community Villages
Photo: Benson Mureithi at an Africamp at Tigithi Primary School, Naro Moru
Photo: Julius Macharia on Mount Kilimanjaro
Photo: Alex Gathee dances with volunteers at Solio
Photo: Ibrahim Ali (left) pictured with former Work Team member Richie Litunya
Photo: Edwin Kimani (left) pictured with John Akibare
Get Involved
If you are an architect, builder, carpenter, joiner, electrician or just someone who would like to get your hands dirty, join our Work Team on one of our construction and renovation projects throughout Kenya or Tanzania. There are always small projects which you can help to fundraise for and then go out and work with our team to see it finished.
Even if you are limited on experience you'll find that there is nothing that you cannot get stuck in with and the 'Construction Work Team' will teach you everything that you need to know, from digging foundations to laying bricks and plastering to the finishing touches, painting, putting in fixtures and fittings and doors and windows.
An international development project will get you off the beaten track in Kenya, working on relevant and hands-on projects that have been assessed and chosen by our full-time staff and agreed with local communities.
Future Aims
We strongly believe in giving people skills and then wings to go and manage their own business or social enterprise. Our plan is to continue providing students with vocational training and skills courses to help them do that, while at the same time using the charity to provide a constant opportunity for work experience and contracts.
Photo: Some of the Work Team taking a break at a waterfall on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
Dates
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