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Congratulations to Made in the Streets' Class of 2018

12/7/2018

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On Thursday, December 6th, fourteen graduates walked across the stage at Made in the Streets to accept their diplomas. This year's commencement was the sixth annual graduation ceremony, and we are very proud of all our graduates. 

Every year, MITS celebrates graduation along with our annual Family Day. Many family members and parents showed up to support our students and celebrate their accomplishments. 
All our graduating students undergo government-approved trade testing in their respective skills concentration. Completion of this testing, along with the diploma they receive from Made in the Streets, ensures the best possible chances they will secure a job. With these certifications, our graduates are equipped to pursue paid work all over Kenya, not only in Nairobi. 

At this time, 3 of our graduates have interviews lined up for employment in their field.  We have high hopes for this years' graduates. They have proven themselves academically and technically prepared for the job market. Through the Into the World program, MITS' post-graduation support system, Jackton and Millie Omondi have been preparing these students for their transition to "the real world" for the last semester. 
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God is good! Join us in congratulating all our graduates, listed below, and wishing them well as they transition into the world. ​
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Made in the Streets' Class of 2018

​Hairdressing students: 

Jackline Nthenya
Loise Njoki
Mutua Mulwa
Kevin Vilali
Evans Ongang'o
Yvonne Karegi
Elizabeth Vienda
Patience Ndinda (Khadija)
Charles Otieno
Jackson Obonyo
Jeff Mwaura
Tobias Otieno

Auto mechanics students: 
Keith Odida
Amos Koech
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INTO THE WORLD

2/22/2017

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Into the World | Documentary from Made in the Streets on Vimeo.

In downtown Nairobi, just across from the Railways bus stage, in a cramped room on the uppermost floor of the Gatkim building, a peculiar fellowship gathers in the late afternoon hours of any given Sunday. If you stepped into the cool, fluorescent-lit hallways, squeezed into the perilously narrow elevator, and ascended to this meeting place, you would find a motley gathering of men and women. Cooks, bus drivers, shampoo boys, hustlers, and the occasional drug addict all attend, but everyone here shares a common background: each of these people grew up on the streets. This is Into the World, a weekly program for the MITS graduates led by power couple Jackton and Millie Omondi. 

It’s easy to romanticize street ministry. Our annual intake of new students arrived from Eastleigh last week, and as the kids acclimate to the safety of Kamulu, their true personalities have begun to emerge as the drug-stained shells fall away. That kind of visible transformation makes for compelling narratives, and as the head of film production at Made in the Streets, I trumpet those narratives to anyone who will listen. Transformation is easy to brand: after all, everybody loves a ministry with visible results. Perceived progress gratifies our desire to make a difference, and that principal guides many of the stories I tell on behalf of this ministry. When I make films to document the transformative process, those films help reinforce our sponsors’ belief that their dollars have accomplished something tangible. 

It’s easy to romanticize street ministry, but only from a distance. Despite our best efforts, when students graduate from Made in the Streets, they still face enormous challenges. They enter a job market with a massive unemployment rate and compete against candidates with college degrees. They struggle to overcome vicious prejudice against former street kids. They return to low income communities entrenched in a mindset which doesn’t want them to succeed. In the midst of these challenges, MITS graduates must also come to terms with unresolved trauma often caused by members of their own families. Some fall in with the wrong people and return to drugs, and eventually, the street. Others tackle their problems head on, but constantly struggle to make ends meet. 

Jackton and Millie Omondi don’t romanticize street ministry. Over the course of two decades, they’ve worked at MITS in numerous roles, but for the past three years, these two have focused their efforts on Into the World, a weekly meeting which offers a place of community and rest for MITS alumni. Held once a week, Into the World combines Bible study with professional networking and counseling. As Millie observes, very few people in Kenya’s professional community have experienced the trauma of life on the streets, so it’s essential for former street kids to have a place to express their struggles to people who share their background. 

This kind of story is much harder to tell. Aside from the logistical challenges of working as a one man film crew and surviving Nairobi’s infamous traffic jams, this project required me to navigate the uncomfortable reality that sometimes love isn’t enough. Even in the two meetings I recorded for this film, the Omondis had to figure out how to love and include a former student whose drug use had caused him to lose his mind. Sometimes loving someone won’t bring them back from drug addiction, won’t keep them from the streets, won’t help them find meaning and purpose in life.

​But some people are brave enough to love anyway. Jackton and Millie, we see you. And we’re grateful.
WATCH INTO THE WORLD >>

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Meet David
David Hutchinson is a filmmaker and graduate of Pepperdine University. His first visit to Made in the Streets was for a one-week whirlwind trip over Thanksgiving break to film the award-winning documentary How Far I Want to Go. 

Catch the rest of David's work on his Vimeo channel. 
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Graduation Day!

12/14/2015

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On Friday, December 11th, we were proud to hold a graduation ceremony for 8 skills students who completed their coursework in our Literacy Program and our Skills Program. We honor them today and pray for them as they go into the world. They are full of hope and we are full of hope for them.

In true MITS fashion, all the students, church members, families, aunties, and little ones joined in the celebration. To all our MITS family around the world who were unable to be with us in person, we felt your love and support in spirit and we pray a blessing over you until we meet again.

Class of 2015..... dismissed!
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    When you do this for 20 years, you're bound to pick up a few stories and lessons along the way. Thoughts, impressions, news, and highlights from our staff, visitors, donors, students and alumni.

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MADE IN THE STREETS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Federal Tax ID #20-4044723
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  • Home
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