Since 2016, KDI has partnered with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) to create the KDI-KEFRI Bamboo and Carpentry Apprenticeship Training Program, with the support of the Foux Foundation.

KDI co-designed the bamboo and carpentry apprenticeship program in order to equip participants with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to produce furniture and fittings made from bamboo and timber. With a focus on youth development, the training stimulates and sustains skills to boost career prospects – thereby improving the livelihoods of youth from underserved communities – while also encouraging the use of sustainable materials in carpentry.

The first phase of the course, which began in December 2016, focused on training in bamboo utilization as well as carpentry and joinery production, culminating in the production of sustainably-produced doors and windows for Anwa Junior Academy, a primary school in Lindi Kibera. The second phase is structured around furniture production, and students will produce desks and chairs for the students and teachers at Anwa.