LakeHub, the Kenyan tech innovation hub, has partnered with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to teach 300 girls in Kenya digital literacy and technical skills for better employment opportunities.
According to Tech Weez, the training takes 12 months and trainees are provided with laptops and internet access in order to attend in-person training across three counties in Kenya – Kisumu, Busia and Migori.
The training is part of LakeHub’s FemiDev program which was launched in June 2020 to bridge the gender gap within the digital sphere. The program provides incentives such as fully-funded scholarships to young women and girls. The young girls are taught various skills such as back-end web development, design thinking, entrepreneurship, graphic design, and people skills.
According to Tech Weez, the program has sponsored 200 girls between the ages of 18 to 35 so far. On top of that, the program has achieved 80% relevant job placement and paid internships, both in the private and public sectors.
Lilian Mathu, FemiDev alumni, says that she is now confident that she is a full-stack web developer with industry experience in building websites and web applications. She says she also specialises in JavaScript’s MERN stack.
“There are lots of ways women can contribute in the tech space including implementation support, project management, and product design. They can start from here and progressively advance their technical skills, but one must at least take the first step,” Mathu said.
The program recruits young girls and women from underserviced communities through an online application that is set every quarter and posted on all social media platforms.
FemiDevs is intentionally and strategically curated to nurture, mentor, and offer both technical and social platforms and networks that will eventually form fit-for for future creators and innovators for next-generation employment and entrepreneurship.
By Zintle Nkohla
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