Konexio - Blog - Konexio

A resettlement journey: Kakuma ICT trainer Taban shares his life story, from Sudan to Kenya, to Mexico

27/11/2023

When Taban was only two years old, his father was killed in the Sudanese civil war. Along with his mother and brother, Taban left his home in Jonglei to the Kakuma Refugee camp – an arid land with a multitude of foreign languages and cultures. There, Taban attended school as early as six in the morning and encountered wage limitations due to his refugee status. Yet he pursued every opportunity which came his way, becoming a self-made techie and boosting his work experience with several teaching jobs. Finally, after nearly 20 years and more than 10 applications, Taban has won a scholarship to study and work in Mexico through the Habesha Complementary Pathway Program, and will be resettled to Aguascalientes in early December.

We recently sat down with Taban to chat about how he expects life to change. He gives us insight into the resettlement process, reflects on his time as an ICT trainer, and shares his thoughts on using tech to address the economic issues refugees face.

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Meet Mary, former DIP student and new RefuSHE intern

27/11/2023

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Mary is an aspiring IT master and recent alumna of our Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) in Nairobi. After excelling in class, she was chosen by our local implementing partner, RefuSHE, to assist teaching the next cohort of students. In choosing to return to the program which ignited her passion for the IT field, Mary is an inspiring example of commitment to digital education for young refugee girls in Nairobi.

In a recent conversation, Mary shared her background, aspirations for the future, and her transition from student to facilitator.

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Stan bolsters current DIP students

27/11/2023

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Stan was our star student from the first-ever Konexio Digital Inclusion Program (DIP), launched in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in 2019. A refugee from the DRC, Stan relocated to Malawi in 2016. Although he moved beyond the immediate threat of unrest, he struggled to overcome feelings of isolation and find sustainable employment. Stan worked hard to master freelancing during the DIP and managed to earn $6,000 in just six months after graduation. Today, Stan has achieved financial freedom, gotten married, and launched his very own digital agency to employ others in the camp.

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Meet Ethan: journalist, science fiction enthusiast, and Konexio’s Fall Intern!

2/11/2023

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Ethan joined the International team as Konexio’s Development and Communications Intern this past September. Ethan has been completing his internship remotely from Paris, where he is studying abroad for his last semester at NYU as an undergraduate in history and journalism. Beyond the academic sphere, Ethan is an avid reader and writer, and particularly enjoys science fiction.

We caught up with Ethan to get to know him better, and ask about his experience thus far on the team.

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Kakuma Check-in!

2/11/2023

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Hello from Kakuma!

Freedom, Nelly, Nyankor, and Sawia are four participants in Konexio’s Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) at our project site in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. They have been hard at work since April mastering a wide variety of digital skills and applying them to online micro work and freelancing sites. Following a visit from members of the US embassy in Nairobi in September, we got the opportunity to ask these four dedicated students about their experiences in the course, what they’d like to learn next, and their future career goals.

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Meet Peter, our new Nairobi DIP ICT trainer!

2/11/2023

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Join us in welcoming Peter, our new ICT trainer at the Nairobi Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) project site. Peter brings a sunny attitude along with years of expertise in both the NGO space and the digital freelancing world. As he undergoes Konexio’s intensive train-the-trainer program, Peter is working hard to bond with students and find innovative ways to support their learning.

Our DIP in Nairobi was originally launched in 2021 to serve 100% female and majority refugee cohorts in partnership with the local organization RefuSHE. Currently, we are teaching our third cohort of students at this location.

We got the opportunity to speak to Peter about his motivations for becoming an ICT trainer, his experiences with the current cohort, and his thoughts about how the DIP will impact the our Nairobi students.

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Meet Maaram, our newest Jordan DIP ICT trainer!

3/10/2023

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Welcome to the team, Maaram!

Maaram has just joined the Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) team in Amman, Jordan as our newest ICT instructor. With an extensive background in tech and non-profit work, Maaram is passionate about the ever-changing digital sector, and leveraging her tech expertise for positive social change.

Maaram joined the Amman DIP mid-way through the course, and has demonstrated her adaptability and flexibility by jumping straight into teaching the curriculum to students! We sat down with Maaram to hear more about her experience thus far and how she sees the future of digital shaping the community in Amman.

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Malawi check-in! Get the update on cohort 4 from ICT Trainer Eugene.

3/10/2023

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The fourth cohort of our Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi, has just begun! This majority-refugee cohort includes 60 students between the ages 18-49. Our students come from a variety of countries in Sub Saharan Africa, including the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, and all are eager to master the skills offered in our DIP!

We recently caught up with Eugene, one of our Malawi ICT instructors, to get his take on the new cohort.

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Kakuma students show off their skills to US Embassy members from Nairobi!

3/10/2023

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A warm welcome from Kakuma!

This past month, members from the US embassy in Nairobi checked in on our first cohort at the Kakuma DIP site. Our students were eager to discuss how the program is going, and got the chance to show off their skills in a live demonstration of web scraping in class.

Funding from the US embassy in Nairobi was instrumental to Konexio’s launch at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, where we are currently serving 30 young female refugee and local Kenyan students.

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Our Kakuma Students are Freelancing!

3/10/2023

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Kakuma cohort one has now entered the freelancing section of our course! Over the next three months, students will begin applying for jobs on platforms such as Remotasks and Upwork, receiving guidance from ICT trainers Taban and Juma.

This pivotal stage of the course equips students with the skills to navigate common challenges, such as ID verification and bank account setup, ensuring a smooth transition into the freelancing world.

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