The late card Maurice Michael Otunga, former Archbishop of Nairobi, in 1990 asked A.V.S.I. (International Service Volunteers' Association www.avsi.org) to establish a technical school in the poor areas of the city:

"Kenya, and particularly Nairobi, have an urgent need of educational opportunities in the technical field: so frightfully many are, in fact, the youth who are jobless and often on the brink of desperation and criminality... I am sure that not only the technical but also the human aspects of such an enterprise would be taken care of"

In fact Nairobi is facing problems and contradiction caused by an unbalanced and vertiginous population growth. The problems of youth are very serious: thousands of them leaving school before they complete their studies and, while few, with a lot of difficulties, find a job, many are unemployed. The problem is even greater for the youth coming from the outskirts of the city, who, having completed their primary education, cannot continue any further and end up with no qualification at all. For them the possibility of employment and the chance of a dignified life becomes rather slim.

In the socio-economic context described above, the primary needs facing the youth living in Nairobi are the following:

• The opportunity of adequate professional training;
• The identification of job opportunities;
• The spreading amongst the youth sentiments of self esteem and a spirit of solidarity at work.

AVSI, an Italian NGO, took up the challenge of Card. Otunga. Supported by the Archdiocese of Nairobi, by the Italian Co-operation, started the project with some volunteers in 1991.
St. Kizito VTI was built in the North East outskirts of Nairobi (Githurai-Kimbo area). The institute was completed in 1994 on a compound of about 20,000 sq.meters. It comprises of workshops, classrooms, and offices, covering a built area of about 8,000 sq. meters.

In 1994 the Institute was opened, enrolling 63 boys and offering Carpentry and Joinery, Motor Mechanics and Electricity courses. At the end of the year the students were examined by a team of the Ministry of Research and Applied Technology to obtain the "Grade III Certificate".

In 1996 two new courses were started: Dressmaking Tailoring & Embroidery and Secretarial course. The institute became able to provide vocational opportunities to young women, who are much more disadvantaged in looking for appropriate education and employment

In 1997, following the advice of the Ministry of Technical Training, the courses a) Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Electrical, b) Electrical Installations, c) Carpentry and Joinery and d) Dressmaking, Tailoring and Embroidery, were upgraded and students are now prepared for the "Grade II Certificate", as provided by the government.

In 1997 a new branch was built in Roysambu area. This improved the accessibility of the Institute courses expecially for girls who have applied in a great number.
The Roysambu branch, which is next to the main road from Nairobi to Thika, is meant to favour the participation of youth living in some very poor areas located not far from the premises of the Institute.

In July 1997 a new Computer course was started in Roysambu.
In 2000 two new courses were started: Plumbing & Metalwork and also Electronics Servicing Technology.

In january 2005, the school introduced the Artisan Certificate Level for the courses of Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Electrical Installation and Craft Certificate Level for Electronics Servicing Technology. This then was taken by the Management as an answer to the labor market in need of technicians with a preparation focused on practical and also on theoretical knowledge.

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Education means to introduce the youth into the reality in all its factors; for this reason reality is the point of reference of the work in the school. In this institution, through the relationship with the teacher, the young person becomes aware of his personal reality and he is introduced to the knowledge of the world around him. This relationship provokes and leads to the development of the inborn potentialities of the person in a way that is both rich and unique, according to the destiny of goodness for which God created him or her.
The vision of life that our school proposes is born of the catholic experience, which is at the origin of its foundation and its operations. From this experience follows that everything that exists and happens in the personal and scholastic life is positive. This awareness is in the counsciousness of the adults and it is offered to the students in the daily learning activities, through specific choises of contents and methods.

The objectives of St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute are:

1. To offer models of professional formation adequate to the actual labour market needs.
2. To train instructors for the implementation of capacity building activities and orientation to work.
3. To set up an informative system able to facilitate the match between the trainees and employers in order to create job opportunities.
4. To promote self employment possibilities.