For the last five years, our partners at Good News International have been offering vocational training in welding and sewing at the Joy Centre. Recently, they have collected some information in order to evaluate the impact that these programmes have had on the young people who have graduated from these classes. 100% of the young people who attended the Joy Centre had dropped out of school due to a variety of reasons, including poverty and family conflict. Most of them had become streets boys and girls and many of them had been taking drugs before coming to study to the Joy Centre. This report provides information about the changes that have occurred in the lives of the young people since GNI started the programme.
Since starting the Joy Centre, 440 young people have graduated from two classes (welding & sewing). Among them, 176 are boys and 264 are girls. 180 of them graduated from welding and 260 graduated from sewing class.
Spiritual Impact
Good News International writes, “One of our main goals in this programme is to give these young people the opportunity to accept Jesus as their own personal saviour so that He can change their lives and give them comfort. We do this because, through the difficulties and challenges that they had faced before, many come as hopeless people and also with very bad discipline and behaviour. Through daily morning devotion and different bible teaching sessions, many of them have received Jesus as their saviour, and their lives have started to change. We had about 27 students in different intakes who decided to get baptised in different denominations while they were still studying at the Joy Centre, and 52 others who got baptised within a few months after they graduated.
Before they came to study at the Joy Centre, only 73 out of 440 were attending church services regularly, around 16%. Our data collection in May 2025 shows that 391 now attend church activities regularly which is 89%. This shows a great spiritual impact that we are proud of.”
Economical Impact
The report goes on: “Before coming to study at the Joy Centre, many of these young people had no income because most of them were street boys and girls. Some were even thieves. There were a few who had a small income, especially those who were working as house-keepers and care-takers in different homes, and others who were bicycle taxi riders. Out of 440, only 54 received a small income which is less than 25,000 Rwandan francs (equal to around £13) per month. This is a percentage of 12%.
After finishing their studies at Joy Centre, 347 are all working and have a better income. This is 79%. This shows that the program has contributed to an increase of 67% of those who got jobs. After studying at the Joy Centre the level of income was also increased. Today the average income for those who are working is between 80,000 RWF to 120,000 RWF (roughly £41-61) per month. There are also 40 of them who were able to start their own workshops and in total they are also employing about 69 other young people who were trained at the Joy Centre and other schools. There are also 27 young people who grouped themselves into 3 cooperatives and they are now working together. When they started, they were using Joy Centre machines, but now all 3 cooperatives were able to buy their own machines and tools.”
The programme has contributed to an increase of 67% of those who had jobs. After studying at the Joy Centre the level of income was also increased [by around 5x].
Success stories
Jean Claude (25 years old) graduated in June 2023. Before he came to study at the Joy Centre, he had no job and no income. He dropped out of school after he finished P6 because his family was poor and unable to support him. After finishing welding training at the Joy Centre, he got a job and started saving money. A few months later, he bought a bicycle and started using it as a taxi in the evening after finishing his welding job. From that he saved more money and was able to buy a motorbike. Today he works as a moto taxi driver and gets a good income which helps him to develop and support his family. He is very happy with that achievement.
Daniel (17 years old) dropped out of school after P5 because his father abandoned them after his mother got breast cancer. From then on, Daniel took on the responsibility of looking after his mother who was sick and his 2 young sisters. He was always transporting water on his head to the construction site so that he can get money to buy food for the family. After he started to study at the Joy Centre, he was still doing the same job in the afternoon so that the family could get something to eat. He graduated in June 2024, and he got a job and he is now paid 150,000 RWF (around £77) per month. With this money, he is able to pay the rent for the family and support his two young sisters to study. He is also able to save some money so that he will be able to start his own workshop in order to increase his income and give jobs to more young people.
