Celebrating World Youth Skills Day with Camara Education
World Youth Skills Day was founded to celebrate the importance of providing young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. At Camara, we believe that equipping youth with digital skills and knowledge is central to unlocking their full potential and driving positive change in their communities. It is at the heart of everything we do, but exemplified in particular by two programmes: our internships in Kenya, and our Youth Digital Skills course in Tanzania.
Internships in Kenya
Camara Kenya’s Internship programme is a 3-month course designed to equip participants with hands-on ICT skills in a real- world work environment. The initiative attracts students in various IT disciplines from universities and colleges across the country. The participants are based in our Mombasa Hub for day-to-day training and also undertake fieldwork activities in our local schools. The programme has supported almost 600 students to date, 40 of them in 2023.
By the end of the course, students have mastered vital skills including network setup and configuration, software installation & administration, and PC/laptop troubleshooting and repair. They are also taught soft skills such as marketing and how to conduct themselves in the workplace. These in-demand techniques place them ahead of the competition in the job market and help them explore opportunities for self-employment.
Tanzania – YDS
Camara Tanzania recently completed a successful pilot of its Youth Digital Skills As a result, 12 youths have been equipped with the essential digital skills needed in today’s workplace. The programme offered new opportunities for individuals in Dar es Salaam who had previously faced challenges in accessing education or employment.
Among the participants, six have already secured direct employment opportunities with national companies, while others have embraced freelancing as a livelihood. We are thrilled with the outcome of this pilot project and hope to roll out an even better version in the future, based on what we have learnt.
Graduate Testimonies
21-year-old Janeth George successfully completed the YDS course in Tanzania, and it has literally changed her life:
“Thanks to the Youth Digital Skills Program, I am now employed by Dospects Studio. My family believed in marriage, and I struggled to break free from that expectation due to financial dependence on them. But now, after completing the programme, I have gained employable skills and managed to get work. Many thanks to Camara Education, Tanzania.”
Everlyne Mkabili is currently interning with Camara Kenya:
“I am a student from Kenya Coast National Polytechnic pursuing a Diploma in Information Communication Technology. I am currently enrolled as an intern at Camara Education Kenya, a charity that provides computers, teacher training, and innovative learning programs to schools across Africa.
I came to know Camara through a teacher at Ribe Girl’s High School – I received three offers of attachments but the teacher advised me to select Camara since it was the best.
From the very start of the attachment, the learning environment has been friendly and understanding and the skills I have learned so far are top-notch. Among other things, I have learned how to dismantle and assemble all the external and internal parts of a PC; how to install various operating systems to different PCs; how to troubleshoot by running diagnostics; and how to make storage devices bootable.
With these few but important skills, I have been able to help a computer teacher at Ribe Girls’ High School solve a problem with one of his computers that had stopped working (the computer was not powering on, and if it was powering on, there was no display). I gave a solution to this scenario by asking him to remove the PC RAM sticks and clean them, as well as the RAM slots. I also asked him to check the power cable supplying power to the motherboard. After a few minutes, I received feedback from the same teacher, who happily explained to me that the directives I gave him worked successfully.
As we continue with this program, my hope is to gain more skills so that I can use them to build my future career as an IT Support Specialist.”
Irene Gabriel is a Graphic Design graduate of the YDS Program in Tanzania. She said:
“Before starting the training, I aspired to be a soldier, but that path wasn’t accessible. This program became a way for me to acquire additional skills. Now, my ambition is to excel as a graphics designer, leveraging the skills I’ve obtained.”
Kelvin Kirimi Mutuma, a former student at the Star Institute of Professionals, completed Camara Kenya’s internship programme in 2022 and is currently working at Erido Computer Solutions in Mombasa. He said:
“I was born and raised in the outskirts of Mombasa, in a place called Meru, 27 years ago. Growing up in a humble background, my parents did just enough to provide shelter and basic education. It never crossed my mind that one day I would be among the best technicians in the city.
My journey as a technician started in 2022 after completing my Diploma in ICT and CISCO Networking course at Star Institute of Professionals. At the end of my course, I heard about Internship programs at Camara Education Kenya and decided to join. Looking back, I am glad I made the decision – this is where I expanded my knowledge base and garnered experience, which has proved to be invaluable. The team of experts at Camara Kenya is more than willing to help young men and women cross the gap between school graduation and the job market.
Camara Education Kenya equips interns with skills to navigate the job market. While interning at Camara, I had the opportunity to put into practice what I had learned in school. I did all this without the fear of making mistakes since the experts at Camara encouraged us not to fear mistakes but instead to embrace and learn from them. The trainers at Camara allowed us to tag along for field work. The number of trips I made to schools within Mombasa County for computer maintenance and networking is countless. This exposure has jumpstarted my career as a networking and computer technician at Erido Computer Solutions.
At Erido, I have undertaken different roles including computer repair, CCTV installation and maintenance, as well as being a sales agent. All this is a result of the interpersonal skills I gained from Camara Education Kenya, which have enabled me to navigate the job market efficiently.
Today, I pride myself on being among the best computer and networking technicians, courtesy of Camara Education Kenya. Thank you, Camara, for the opportunity to train with you and help kickstart my career.”