Khartoum Welders

“I was a welder in South Sudan for over two years but I did not have the documents to prove that. Welding is in my blood since I am very passionate about it,” says the youngest member of the team, 23-year-old Luke. He came alone to Kenya in 2014, leaving his mother in South Sudan. “When I came to Kenya, I used to just sit at home doing nothing, which was so boring. Man was created to work, and that is what drove me to join the Norwegian Refugee Council” he says.

The oldest member of the team, 48-year-old Koang, also came to Kenya in 2014, with his family of nine. “I was an experienced welder and carpenter in my country, owning big machines. But when I came to Kenya, I ended up in a refugee camp doing nothing and owning nothing. Every day I woke up with nothing to give my children, and that broke me down. On several occasions I contemplated suicide,” an emotional Koang says. In 2015, he joined our Welding and Fabrication course, supported by UKaid. “I am so grateful to NRC for the opportunity and support to open the garage. I can now support my children with the profits I make,” he says.

The courses we offer in Kakuma include, but are not limited to: motor vehicle mechanics, carpentry, plumbing and welding. The members of Khartoum Welders are only some of the many refugees and host community members that we train on vocational skills, in order to empower them. The garage is open all day, all week. They make and repair chairs, beds and other metal items based on the customers’ needs. The profit is saved in a bank account and only withdrawn once a month, with each member getting an equal share. “Welding is what supports my life now. Even if I get a different job, I will never forget welding. In fact, I want to get a wife and children, and the dowry will come from welding,” Luke concludes on a light note.