Our curriculum is taught in two parts:  1) Life Skills and 2) Entrepreneurship Skills.  In 2010 we will have four classes in 2 communities at Nairobi slums: Korogosho and Kwa Reuben with the goal of gradauting 300 more students by the end of 2010.  As of the end of 2009, over 1,000 had been trained by Project Baobab.

In the Lifeskills portion of the curriculum, students learn about issues of gender empowerment, decision-making, assertiveness, communication, AIDS awareness / prevention, and reducing stigmatizing behavior associated with AIDS survivors. 

As a result of these classes, students have reported improvements in their self-confidence, personal awareness, and knowledge to make wise decisions related to their well-being.  Teachers are encouraged to tailor this portion of the curriculum to meet their students' specific needs.  For example, in the Maasai community, students have specific gender obstacles to face with their husbands, and teachers have emphasized the family communication techniques to encourage more open dialogue.

In the Entrepreneurship portion of the curriculum, our students learn small business start-up skills where they are empowered with knowledge and skills to become effective entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurship is often the only option these students will have to achieve some level of economic independence; to this end, our Entrepreneurship Skills curriculum provides students with the tools and guidance to successfully plan, implement, and manage a small business in their community.  Topics include budgeting, marketing, accounting, stock control and inventory, risk management, legal issues, and business ethics, among others.

We have discovered that approximately 50% of the grantees are running businesses with good to marginal success including some who did not receive grants who have started businesses on their own!

In 2010 Project Baobab has four classes in 2 communities at Nairobi slums: Korogosho and Kwa Reuben. Currently, there are 160 students enrolled and over 1,000 graduates since inception.

In 2010 Project Baobab is partnering with two non profit organizations based in the Nairobi slums.  One supports youth involved in recycling projects, and 'Hope for Teenage Mothers' which helps young mothers.

Both organizations offer vocational training and other support services to this at risk populations.  Project Baobab is an excellent partner for these local NGO’s because we bring our expertise on life skills and entrepreneurship training.  By giving these young people the opportunity to learn how to start and run their own business, they might get away from commercial sex work, in the case of the young mothers, or run the recycling business more successfully. 

Korogocho is one of Nairobi’s main slums, with over 100,000 inhabitants living in an area covering little more than one square kilometer.  Many of Korogocho’s inhabitants make a precarious living (directly or indirectly) from the Dandora waste-site, which handles most of Nairobi’s household and industrial waste. This puts an added health hazard to the Koch’s, as the people of Korogocho call themselves, on top of very high rates of HIV/aids and other illnesses.

We have found that the community programs have an immediate impact on the women we work with.  These young women have very different life circumstances than the secondary school students. Most are single parents with little or no income and no other opportunities that would lead tehm to other areas making it more viable for us to track and mentor them.

In 2008 we graduated the last group of high school students who took the Project Baobab curriculum at their secondary schools.  Although our work in secondary schools is very valuable to these young women, there are obstacles that hinder greater success.  Some girls have not reached a level of maturity to sustain their businesses or they have other opportunities such as jobs or college.  Often it is impossible to "track" the students after the program ends because they go back to their homes in areas where Project Baobab does not have mentors.

Some of the places where we have worked in the past include:

In addition, Project Baobab partnered with Technoserve in 2006 for programs in:

• Juja Community Class
• Ziwani Community
• Kibagare Community
• Kibera Community
• Mukura Fuata Nyayo Community
• Huruma Community
• Githurai Community
• Kariobangi Community
• Kangari Polytechnic Community
• Ikumbi Secondary School
• Gurec Secondary School
• Githunguri Secondary School
• Brother Beausang Secondary School
• Broadways Secondary School