International

Introduction

The digital labor market has undergone significant growth in recent years. Employers increasingly seek and value digital skills, and many companies rely on digital freelancers to meet their business needs. This constitutes a unique opportunity for vulnerable communities to access a job market they were previously excluded from. Konexio’s international programs aim at equipping members of these communities, especially refugees and women, with the necessary skills to succeed within the online labor market. Our capacity-building and train-the-trainers approach empowers local organizations, our tested curriculum includes the most in-demand digital skills, and our partner network ensures a direct link to jobs. Konexio is currently active in Malawi, Kenya, and Jordan, and is looking to add more project sites soon. Our partners on the ground are the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), RefuShe, and the UNHCR.

Program

Konexio’s Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) boosts self-reliance and opens up opportunities for participants in the digital world. The DIP is a six-month course combining theory with practical training. The first three months are dedicated to the acquisition of hard and soft skills, after which students start actively freelancing under supervision of Konexio course trainers, delivering online services, earning income, and refining their skills. Konexio’s pilot program was implemented in partnership with JRS in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp (population 50,000) in 2019. In 2021, after winning the Google Impact Challenge for Women and Girls, Konexio and its implementing partner RefuSHE launched a new program empowering refugee women in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2022, Konexio and JRS launched Konexio’s first program in the Middle East in Amman, Jordan, involving a mix of refugees and locals.

Course Structure

Our Impact

Konexio’s programs serve mainly displaced people, as well as the local population. Konexio’s focus is on a young demographic (average age 18-29 years) and on women. One of the aims is to accelerate women’s participation in the workforce, which is why all courses are oriented towards a 50-50 gender split. Since its founding in late 2016, Konexio has trained 2,700 beneficiaries and indirectly impacted an additional 10,000. 78% of these beneficiaries have achieved employment, further education or entrepreneurship within 6 months of graduation. Stan, a program graduate, says: “The opportunity that DIP offered me allowed me to earn my financial freedom. [...] My life is no longer the same, and I am also able to assist the community.”

Student Spotlight

“It was really a dream to have this chance.”
-Stan, DIP Graduate, Current DIP Instructor

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Stan D. arrived in the Dzaleka refugee camp after fleeing violence in his home country. Though safe from physical harm, Stan was left without an income or a way to plan for the future.

Stan joined Konexio’s DIP in 2019 for a crash course in online freelancing. Learning how to operate as an online freelancer opened up new opportunities to put his translation and technical skills to work.

Since completing DIP in 2020, Stan has worked actively as a freelancer and his earnings have allowed him to take major life steps, such as getting married.