This year tested us — and showed us what is possible when a young person is not left to navigate the world alone. In 2024, Second Chances supported 47 young people who aged out of institutional care across Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kisumu counties. This report is a full and honest account of what we did, what the data says, what we learned, and what we still need to do.
The Year in Numbers
| Programme | Young people reached | Completions | Avg. months of support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counselling & Healing | 34 | 28 | 6.2 |
| Education & Vocational Training | 22 | 17 | 9.4 |
| Legal Aid & Advocacy | 11 | 9 | 3.1 |
| Safe Housing (referrals) | 8 | 8 | 1.0 |
Note: young people often access more than one programme concurrently; totals do not add to 47.
Of the 47 young people we walked with this year:
- 31 (66%) are now in formal employment, vocational training, or secondary education.
- 9 (19%) are in stable informal livelihoods — market trade, freelance work, smallholder farming — with ongoing mentorship.
- 5 (11%) are still in active support; their journeys are not yet finished, and that is okay.
- 2 (4%) we lost contact with. We continue to hold their wellbeing in mind, and our door remains open.
Voices from This Year
“I did not know I was allowed to ask for help. I thought the file closing was the end. Second Chances was the first time an adult looked at me and said — this is just the beginning.”
— Brenda, 20, Nairobi. Enrolled in a graphic design certificate programme, October 2024.
Where the Money Went
Every shilling donated to Second Chances in 2024 was allocated as follows:
| Category | Allocation | Amount (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct support & stabilisation | 70% | 1,540,000 |
| Education & vocational training | 20% | 440,000 |
| Operations & safeguarding | 10% | 220,000 |
| Total | 100% | 2,200,000 |
Total funding raised in 2024: KES 2,200,000 (approximately USD 17,000), drawn from three donor partners, two individual major gifts, and one foundation grant.
We publish this allocation in every report. If you want the full audited financial statement, it is available on request by writing to hello@secondchances.co.ke.
Programme Deep-Dive: Counselling & Healing
The most consistent finding from our intake assessments is that care leavers arrive carrying unprocessed grief. Grief for a childhood that was interrupted. For families that could not stay. For the version of themselves they imagined before the care system reshaped them.
Our counselling programme works with a licensed trauma-informed psychologist and three trained community counsellors. In 2024 we conducted:
- 214 individual therapy sessions, averaging 6.3 sessions per young person
- 18 group reflection circles, held twice monthly on Saturday mornings
- 4 family mediation sessions, where a young person chose to attempt reconnection
What we learned
Peer support is not a supplement to therapy — for some young people it is the therapy. The group reflection circles produced the highest self-reported wellbeing scores of any programme activity we ran this year. We are doubling their frequency in 2025.
What We Still Need to Do
We are proud of what this team accomplished in 2024. We are also honest about the gaps:
- We have no residential safe space. Young people in immediate housing crisis are referred to partner shelters, and those shelters are stretched. A Second Chances safe house is the single most impactful thing a major donor could fund.
- Our Kisumu satellite operates on a volunteer basis only. It needs a half-time coordinator to grow.
- We collected outcome data consistently for the first time this year, but our data systems are still spreadsheets. We need a proper case management tool.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Our three priorities for the year ahead:
- Grow total young people supported from 47 to 70, with particular focus on young women and LGBTQ+ care leavers who face compounded exclusion.
- Launch a peer-mentoring pilot that pairs newly discharged care leavers with graduates of our programme.
- Publish our full Theory of Change document by March, so donors and partners can hold us accountable.
Thank you for making this year possible. You are not funding charity — you are funding a bridge. And 47 young people crossed it this year because of you.
Peter Kamau Muthui Founder & Executive Director, Second Chances December 2024