Our programmes
Practical skills across five programmes, all with one aim: a skill that pays, alongside a small education hardship fund that keeps a few students in school.
Marine trades
Meena’s father was a boat builder, and his craft is where her passion for this work began. Young people learn the work the fishing economy depends on: fishing safely and productively with long lines, building fibreglass boats from the mould up, and painting and protecting hulls so they last.
- Trades
- Long-line fishing, fibreglass boat building, carpentry, marine painting
- Who it’s for
- Young people who are out of school and have no educational background
- Where
- On the shore and in our boatyard
- What your support does
- Your gift buys fibreglass, resin and safety gear for a trainee’s course.
Engine building and maintenance
Trainees learn to build and maintain marine engines. From Lamu to Mombasa, this is the most in-demand skill on the coast, and there are never enough people who can do it.
- Trades
- Marine engine building and maintenance
- Who it’s for
- Young people who like working with their hands and want a trade that travels
- Where
- In our workshop
- What your support does
- Your gift funds a young person through the course: tools, engine parts and materials they need to train, and a basic tool kit to keep when they finish.
Enterprise skills
Baking, tailoring and hairdressing, with the basics of running a small business, so young people can earn from home or open a shop of their own.
- Trades
- Baking, tailoring, hairdressing
- Who it’s for
- Young women and men who want to start their own business
- Where
- In our training room
- What your support does
- Your gift pays towards a sewing machine or a starter kit.
Computer skills
Basic computer literacy for everyday work and business. Trainees learn to use a computer for typing, spreadsheets, email and the internet, giving them an edge when they look for work or run a small business.
- Skills
- Typing, spreadsheets, email, internet basics
- Who it’s for
- Young people who have never used a computer or want to sharpen their skills
- Where
- In our training room
- What your support does
- Your gift helps maintain our computers and pay for internet access.
Farming
Small-scale farming and food growing, so young people can feed their families and sell what they grow. Trainees learn soil preparation, planting, weeding and harvesting on plots close to home.
- Skills
- Soil preparation, planting, crop care, harvesting
- Who it’s for
- Young people who want to grow their own food or earn from the land
- Where
- On community plots
- What your support does
- Your gift buys seeds, tools and supplies for a trainee.
Student hardship fund
Merit and need based. Awarded at our discretion.
Alongside our training, we help a number of local students stay in school through a hardship fund supported by our members’ contributions. With limited resources, we prioritise students who perform well academically and whose families genuinely cannot afford school fees or equipment.
All awards are made at the discretion of LongSan Maritime CBO.
Support is by invitation only. We’re not able to take applications.
Give to the fund