Njoro sub-county in will soon have a crafts school to cater for the talented school dropouts and street children, to promote Kenya’s indigenous art talent and create livelihood among the less fortunate.
The initiative, under Artist Forum International (AFI), an NGO that promotes fine arts and creativity activities in marginalised communities across the world will sponsor and manage the school that will be based in Njoro.
Speaking during a pilot tour to identify the site along the Nakuru-Narok highway, the director of the NGO in Kenya, David Wood, said the school would be opened in February next year after the initial construction work that begins this November is over.
Wood said that the Nakuru County government and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture were willing to support the school in recruitment and training technicalities.
“The centre is purely a community development programme targeting talented youth with poor education and social backgrounds. We wish to instill creative self-employment skills among them while promoting indigenous art in Kenya," said Wood.
He further added that Kenyan artists are rated among the best in the world hence a need to nurture more talents in the field.
He was accompanied by the area MCA Ezekiel Kariuki, who helped identify the site, near Egerton University.