Turning Talent into Trade Through the Mavazi Elevate Program

Kenya has amazing talents. Each day, both young and old Kenyans try to come up with something new and innovative to better their lives. Some have gone as far as designing and building an automobile from scrap metals.

With the unemployment rate continuing to rise, hope lies only in people utilizing their talents and knowing how to turn the same into a trade. Talent is that creative gift given to someone by the Maker but it doesn’t have to be left to go to waste.

To help marginalized groups across Kenya realize their talents and turn them into something that will give them daily bread, the Mavazi Elevate program was born. This is a training initiative that aims at empowering creatives in the fashion industry as well as small local businesses across 47 counties in Kenya.

“The program works through the development and expansion of business skills for enterprise development, further driving the Made in Kenya agenda. It aims at empowering creatives by turning talent into the trade through product development and entrepreneurial skills empowerment,” said Carole Kinoti, the Founder of the Program.

According to Carole, the Mavazi programs accelerate learning while placing unemployed youth in jobs across the country by equipping them with sewing machine operator’s skills and further support lifelong personal and professional success.

“Kenya has amazing young people. They do not need handouts. All they need are the perfect skills that will place them in various fields and earn them something at the end of the day,” added Carole.
The program also has a Self-Help Women Groups section that targets 35 women per group who through a 7-day mentorship program in Kajiado County which then ends up in the Fashion on the Road Golf Tournament (FoTR) market soko.

“This tournament aims to provide creatives with an entry point into the real world where they showcase their merchandise, interact, and negotiate with customers, and network with other entrepreneurs,” she added.