Kakuma interview Series Part 3: Meet Ogata

Ogata is a young refugee from the Congo currently enrolled in our Kakuma DIP. Dedicated and ambitious, Ogata leads by example, and intends to inspire other women in her community to seek further education and employment opportunities. As an orphan, she is passionate about giving back to communities in need, and intends to use the money she earns freelancing to help those with disabilities and start a fund to rehabilitate orphans. 

Our Kakuma cohort includes 35 female refugees from diverse backgrounds, who began courses on April 25th. This is the third interview in a series of four.

​Ogata’s interview has been lightly edited for clarity and accuracy.

Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
My name is Ogata. I am a refugee. I am a Congolese by nationality, currently living in Kakuma. I am an orphan because my father passed away last year in 2022. I am 22 years old.


Q2: What drew you to digital upskilling programs? Why are digital skills training important?
I applied to this program because someone sent me a link to it on WhatsApp. The program was interesting to me because I thought it would be good for me to do it. I realized that in this digital world, today the world has changed. It's not like previous or ancient times. Digital inclusion will help me gain knowledge of IT and even entrepreneurship.


Q3: What profession would you like to focus on?
I'm looking forward to it because my dream is to be a young billionaire entrepreneur, so I need to earn money using digital tools so that I can give back to society, to my society and all the people at large. 


Q4: What skills do you look forward to learning, and how will you use these skills? 
I'm interested in business and even my personal accounts. My dream, if I get money, is to help people with disabilities and even start a project to fund rehabilitation for orphans. 


Q5: What impact do you think the digital freelance program will have on your life?
It will impact me because finally I will be able to use a computer, and then I will be able to earn my own computer because they are very expensive. The classroom seems well equipped, it's safe, it's free - it's everything! And the environment is good for me to learn.


Q6: How do you see the Digital Inclusion Program benefiting communities in the Kakuma Refugee Camp?
They do say that if you educate one girl you'll educate their whole world. If I get that knowledge, I'll be able to transfer it to society. So in that way it will really help and it will really motivate each and every woman in the society so that they will come and learn.