Testing Grow Leadership in the most challenging contexts

RLabs has shown that Grow Leadership works brilliantly for school leavers with poor but relatively stable home lives. Could it work for children living on the streets? Could they really start income-generating activities and join savings groups? That’s what we’re testing this year.

Grow is about restoring hope. So often young people join Grow saying “I lost hope when I finished school”, and you can see it in their faces. They worked so hard to get through school against the odds, and were promised that education would help them get a job. But it hasn’t turned out that way and now they’re stuck at home with no money, uncertain of their value and future.

We help young people reflect on their past and reconnect with their passions. Then we help them map out practical next steps, identifying skills and resources they already have that they could use to start a business or get a job.

It’s exciting and almost unbelievable when after just five days of Grow Leadership training, the same young people walk out again with hope shining in their eyes, talking about the business they’re planning to start, or the modest resources they now realise they have.

Some of the young people make it look easy! Three weeks after Grow training, Mwanahidi in Tanga region pulled her dressing table and mirror on to her porch to launch her hairdressing business.

Joseph from Iringa dug a well and set up a simple camp on family land out of town, so that he could start rearing chickens and pigs. Within months had enough money to start building his brick house. “I have so much food, I gave it away to my neighbours and orphans and I still have some left”.

We love hearing from rebellious young women like Doris (aged 19) too. Before Grow Leadership, she had convinced her family to give her money to start a shop selling hair extensions, but instead spent the money on going out with her friends. Her family were fed up with her bad attitude but after Grow were amazed by her transformation.

“My family used to avoid me because I was always asking for money. I realise I was very reckless and I never helped with anything. Now I get up early to help with chores.

When my family found out that I’d even joined a savings group they couldn’t believe it!”

We’ve seen Grow working its magic in diverse contexts across the country, from the sassy young women in Mbeya City, to their shy and conservative rural peers; Christian, Muslim; university graduates to girls and boys who never had the chance to enter a classroom.

Since 2020, RLabs trained 14,615 young people in 5 regions to start businesses and start savings groups. In Iringa alone, they saved over £100,000 in savings groups in 2023.

Could Grow work as well for street children with the many challenges they face? This year we’ve taken on the challenge.

We knew that these young boys want what every other young person wants. They want to be financially independent, respected, and to make their families proud. But we knew it wouldn’t be easy. The children are very dirty from sleeping, working and living on the streets. Their behaviour and language is rough - a survival strategy reflecting the harsh realities of street life. When we welcomed the boys into the RLabs office, it was the first time for the team to face fights in the corridors, swearing, shouting, stealing and drug and alcohol use…

We quickly rebooted Grow into a high energy version with messy games, rap competitions, and added sessions on hygiene and safer choices, and information about drugs and alcohol.

The Zlto reward system proved hugely popular, with children earning points for good behaviour, punctuality and cleanliness to spend on food, clothing and even basic mobile phones.

The first and most important change? Hope restored - the foundation of any other progress.

It’s happening for children like Gaspar who said: “As a street kid, I had this mindset that there was no way I (or other kids like me) could make it in life because people see us as thieves. We’re not trusted in society. I realised I was thinking inside the box, and I had to go out of the box so I could see there are so many possibilities to succeed no matter where you are from.”

That newfound hope and confidence is already translating into action. Gaspar and four of his peers started renting rooms, realising that they could afford it from the little money they earn. Five of the children have gone home to their families, and seven have gone back to school with the help of a partner organisation. Some of the children are bringing their money for RLabs to keep it safe for them. Others have asked for help to stop smoking.

Recently we were wondering why we had a sudden influx of children coming in to the office to wash their hands. It turns out they were inspired by Stephano.

One of the first children to join Grow Street last November, Stephano had smartened up so much that other children had started to notice. He was looking good, making a bit more money, and they asked him if they could hang out with him. The children said Stephano said that they could, but on three conditions. Firstly, they had to be clean, and he showed them where they could wash at RLabs. Secondly, they had to treat people properly, as he said they would need to cooperate with the community and if you are rude to people someone now, they won’t want to work with you later. Thirdly, they had to find legal ways of making money, not stealing.

Stephano himself said that before he was only making a little money from stealing, but has found he can make more from working hard - at the moment washing dishes for mamas at the market, and collecting rubbish. He feels more confident to engage with people because he is clean.

It’s fabulous seeing the boys taking control of their lives, feeling hopeful and valued. It also has huge benefits for strengthening and innovating our model to benefit all the young people we’re reaching. Reaching this new group with their intense needs challenges the team to take the Grow model back through a human-centred design process. It requires a deep understanding of the children’s needs and motivations and creativity to design a programme that will have sustained and life-changing impact.

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