SHAURI YAKO COMMUNITY
YOUTH SUPPORT CENTRE
EMPOWERING AT-RISK KENYAN YOUTH
Transforming Communities
36,000
OF YOUTH, WOMEN AND FAMILIES SERVED
99.7%
OF JOB SKILLS TRAINEES PLACED IN INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS
29
YEAR HISTORY
Job Skills for Marginalized Youth
Shauri Yako Community Youth Support Centre (SYSC) is a grassroots Kenyan charity that provides trade skills training and support to youth. Working with industry partners, we place graduates in jobs or assist them in launching self-employment.
​
SYSC operates in the informal settlements of Nyeri and Kajiado Counties, where extreme poverty, high levels of youth unemployment, and social vulnerability are widespread. Challenges like unplanned teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and even human trafficking remain common.
​​
We help youth overcome poverty's barriers by preparing them for high-demand jobs in construction, while also building leadership and life skills.
​
Empowering youth with employment and life skills not only transforms individual lives — it uplifts entire communities.
Pathways to Sustainable Livelihoods
-
80% of Kenya's citizens are under 35 and 67% of those aged 15–34 are unemployed (World Bank, 2021 and Government of Kenya, 2020). ​
-
Over one million young people enter the labour market each year without employable skills (Federation of Kenya Employers, 2022).
-
​Yet, Kenya’s construction sector is booming and faces a critical shortage of skilled workers.
-
As college tuition is out of reach for many, access to training, apprenticeships, certification, and job placement has become one of the clearest pathways to dignified, stable livelihoods.
-
​With deep community connections and decades of experience, SYSC knows what works.
-
We identify partners and projects with high youth employment potential, and we provide the wraparound supports youth need to succeed. ​
