Leaving Double Joy

The aim of Double Joy is that all the children will become self sufficient. When our children leave us we want them to be welcomed back into the family home as mature teenagers capable of becoming useful members of the family. They are encouraged to obtain vocational skills such as electrical or metal work, carpentry, tailoring, bicycle repair or mechanics with which to earn a living.

Members of an extended family often live in the same homestead with the sons staying with their parents and daughters moving to the home of their husbands. All sons are entitled to a piece of their father’s land. As the fathers of our boys have died we take special care to get their land registered in order for them to return to it once they leave us.

When the children reach 15 years they leave Double Joy to attend polytechnic or secondary school. During this time they live at their place of further education or with their relatives.

Secondary schools are no longer fee paying due to recent changes in legislation, but costs of required equipment are high meaning it is still out of reach for many. Children love to go to secondary school and it is considered a real privilege to do so. Those who have been to secondary school feel this gives them a higher status in society. 

Double Joy only send the more academic children to secondary school. This is partly due to the high cost and also because those who attend then need to undergo additional training to prepare them for work.

The local polytechnics are very practical and focus on vocational skills. They are fee-paying but no additional training is needed after a 2-year course. On completion of polytechnic training the young people are bought tools and equipment by Double Joy to start their chosen trade.

Life after Double Joy

Roseline Adera with her sewing machine at her house in Bondo	Roseline Omamo has set up a dressmaking business in Bondo	Christopher Odera runs a furniture making business in a local fishing village	David Onyango is training to be a priest.