NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 19 – Craft Silicon Foundation has graduated 130 young people from a three-month digital skills programme aimed at improving access to ICT training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities among youth in Nairobi’s informal settlements.

The programme was delivered through the Foundation’s mobile ICT laboratory, which takes training to communities where cost, transport and limited access to formal institutions can prevent young people from acquiring digital skills. The mobile classroom is equipped with computers, internet connectivity and solar power.

The programme covers basic computer skills, Microsoft Office applications, internet and networking skills, cyber security fundamentals and, increasingly, artificial intelligence. Graduates receive certificates, while those who demonstrate potential can proceed to advanced training in areas such as software and website development.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Craft Silicon CEO Priya Budhabhatti said the Foundation was established in 2010 to address barriers that prevent young people from disadvantaged backgrounds from accessing education and technology.

“We wanted to reach students at their doorstep so they don’t drop out,” Budhabhatti said.

The programme targets young people, particularly women and those from low-income communities, including school leavers and others who may not have pursued college or university education. The Foundation also follows up with graduates to track employment, entrepreneurship and further training opportunities.

Budhabhatti said the programme goes beyond issuing certificates by seeking to connect graduates with employment and business opportunities. Some former trainees have secured jobs at Craft Silicon and other organisations, while others have returned to the Foundation as trainers.

One of them is Griffin Khendi, who joined the programme as a trainee in 2019 before receiving support to pursue an advanced full-stack software development course. He later returned to the Foundation as a trainer, teaching Microsoft Office applications, cyber security fundamentals and internet networking.

“This programme gives people an opportunity to do something else with their lives,” Khendi said.

The Foundation is working with partners, including Ajira Kenya, to help graduates transition into employment and freelancing. Other partners include Microsoft, Java House and Alpine, which support certification, feeding and water services respectively.

The mobile ICT programme currently operates in Kangemi, Mathare, Kibera and Korogocho in Nairobi. The Foundation also runs programmes in Uganda and Ethiopia and plans to expand to other locations.

The organisation says demand for the programme exceeds its current capacity, with one mobile ICT bus serving communities during the week. Budhabhatti said additional partners and resources would allow the Foundation to acquire more mobile laboratories and train more young people.

“With more buses, you can imagine how many more students we would educate,” she said, adding that the Foundation has a waiting list of young people seeking to join the programme.

The Foundation is also expanding its curriculum to include artificial intelligence and software development as demand for technology skills grows.

Simran Budhabhatti, a Gen Z AI Consultant at Craft Silicon Group, said the long-term plan is to expand the programme beyond Nairobi to other parts of Kenya.

“We want to bridge the digital divide and ensure that young people in the slums and villages are able to compete with the rest of the world,” she said.