Michael Odour

Housekeeping trainee who exited Nairobi Training Centre in December 2013.

He gives his story as follows:

“I am the first born in a family of 3. Both my parents passed away when I was still very young, and therefore had to take care of my younger siblings. Life growing up was hard and chllenging. I struggled through the efforts of well wishers till I did my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, but did not obtain the minimum requirements for university entry. Getting school fees to go to college was an uphill task, and as such, I was unable to continue with my education. I had to rely on odd jobs to make ends meet.

I stayed with a fellow young friends who accommodated me, since I was not able to afford to pay my own rent. We had to do odd jobs like being sent on errands and fetching water for sale to make ends meet, and life was indeed very hard, I often wondered whether it was worth the struggle.

A friend of mine told me about the opportunity at Nairobi Training Centre and I struggled to raise the required fees for the sponsorship. I got a place in the catering class, encouraged by the instructors and was able to finally settle for something I had passion for; Catering. When I graduated from college, I was able to get casual employment from different places, gaining experience which enabled me to land a job at On The Grind Hotel as an assistant Chef. I am now able to pay my own rent, take care of my own siblings and save for the future, something I was previously unable to do. Thank you to Nairobi Training Centre for having changed my life!”