Swahili Cultural Centre, Mombasa, Kenia

The first Swahili Cultural Centre was established in Mombasa in 1993 as a joint project of the NMK, International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Shortly afterwards a Centre was opened in Lamu town. The aim of these Centres is to train young men and women from Mombasa and Lamu Old Towns in traditional Swahili crafts; more importantly, the training includes business management, which provides the youth with the the much needed skills to become self-employed. Both Centres encourage micro-enterprise development for the youth in the Old Towns and in the coastal region as a whole.