What is Kenya Woodworking?
Brother Jim Donlevy learned his carpentry skills as a boy from his father and improved them over the years. Almost 20 years ago he responded to the call to serve in the Vincentian mission in Nairobi, Kenya where he designed and started Kenya Woodworking, a carpentry training program and production facility. Trainees enter this two-year program so they can pass the National Trade Test. What they graduate with is far more than the ability to ace the test.
Who is Kenya Woodworking Helping?
Each year Brother Jim accepts up to 10 men into the first year of the program. Most are 18 – 22 years old and are from rural communities far from Nairobi. Those who succeed in year one which mixes time in the classroom with time behind the workbench move into the second year where they work full-time in the production workshop. Year two trainees not only improve their woodworking skills but are introduced to cost estimating, teamwork, management, and more–all while making sure the product is ready on time and will pass Brother Jim’s careful inspection.
What does Kenya Woodworking Need?
The new school year is fast approaching. Kenya Woodworking depends on the kindness of others to ensure their workshop and classroom is filled with the tools and supplies needed to teach these young men of the carpentry trade. Let’s help provide some new tools for Kenya Woodworking, and stock the shelves with the clamps, glue, sandpaper, stains and power tools necessary to turn wood into something useful.
More on our appeal…
This season, we are excited to share an equally transformative initiative: “Back to School Work with Brother Jim Donlevy” where we will be empowering the young men of Nairobi, Kenya through Brother Jim’s Kenya Woodworking shop.
In the heart of Nairobi, a group of bright and ambitious young men, aged 18 to 22, are eager to learn and achieve their dreams. These passionate individuals have faced their share of challenges but remain resilient, envisioning a future filled with hope and potential. The Kenya Woodworking shop founded and managed by Brother Jim provides them with a unique opportunity to turn those dreams into reality.
However, they are in desperate need of your support. Our mission is to equip these aspiring carpenters with modern tools, high-quality materials, and back-to-school, well, work, essentials that will enable them to refine their skills and learn the trade.
Your donation will help provide the students everything from glue, sandpaper and hammers to power tools and a professional panel saw so that they gain experience working on the kind of equipment they will find when they are on the job-site.
With your generous contributions, we can ensure that each student and teacher at the woodworking shop has everything they need for a successful and productive “work” year.
Imagine the impact of your contribution. Your kindness will go beyond providing mere resources; it will foster a safe space for growth, where young minds flourish, and hands learn to craft. These young men, often overlooked and underserved, will find new purpose, self-belief, and the motivation to shape their futures.
Kenya Woodworking continues to provide a valuable trade for young men who otherwise may not have access to a career. As they master the art of woodworking, they gain a pathway to financial independence and a way to escape the cycle of poverty.
Every donation, no matter the size, will play an instrumental role in transforming the lives of the young men at Kenya Woodworking.
Join us in creating a lasting impact. Your contribution will empower these young men to build not only furniture but also a life filled with purpose and promise.
Please visit any of the links below to contribute. There are now eight secure and easy ways to donate to our campaigns. Our goal for Brother Jim’s Kenya Woodworking project is $25,000. Will you help us get there?
Click here to donate. Please, be generous.
Blessings,
Father Mark
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