CFK Africa, an international non-profit organization with offices in Kenya and the U.S., announced today the launch of a groundbreaking initiative with the GitLab Foundation that aims to connect young people in informal settlements in Kenya with jobs in the tech industry, crafts, and skilled trades.
CFK Africa’s TechCraft initiative aims to boost the lifetime earning potential of young people in Kibera and other informal settlements throughout the country by helping them get jobs in promising career paths such as information technology, artisanal crafts jobs such as sewing and jewelry making, and skilled trade jobs such as mechanics and electricians.
“For young people in informal settlements, there are many different paths to a successful career, and we want to encourage all of them,” said CFK Africa Executive Director Jeffrey Okoro. “This innovative program will give them the skills, opportunities, and experience to find work that is both personally fulfilling and increases their income.”
TechCraft is supported by a grant from the GitLab Foundation, a global philanthropic organization accelerating ways for people to gain the skills and opportunities to increase their lifetime earnings. The project builds on CFK Africa’s two decades of engaging informal settlement youth to expand access to education, leadership skills development, and economic opportunity.
The program includes a new Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub at CFK Africa’s Youth Friendly Services Center in Kibera and an apprenticeship program. The innovative approach combines technology, skills, and apprenticeship to prepare youth for formal and informal sector employment, including in the so-called “gig economy.”
The BPO hub will provide youth access to technology and training to engage in gig economy opportunities, such as online freelancing, data entry, and digital marketing. The hub is open to the 6,000 young people who have already completed relevant CFK Africa and collaborator technology training.
The apprenticeship program will guide young people in career exploration in fields such as mechanics, plumbing, and bricklaying. They will work alongside a Master Craftsman accredited with the National Industry Training Authority (NITA) to learn a trade that aligns with their skills and national demand.
Throughout, CFK Africa will support youth in securing jobs or starting their own businesses.
“CFK Africa is grateful for this new partnership with the GitLab Foundation. Together, we are creating pathways to dignified employment for youth in informal settlements,” Okoro added. “Increasing economic opportunities for young people will have a big impact on their futures, breaking cycles of poverty.”
