Meet our new ICT Trainers in Kakuma, Kenya: Taban and Juma

💻🙌 In February, Konexio and JRS hired two ICT trainers, Taban and Juma, to undergo our 8-week training-of-trainers (ToT) program and become the ICT instructors for our new DIP in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Since then, Taban and Juma have been working diligently to master our Digital Inclusion Program (DIP) curricula, learning how to teach computer operating systems, excel formulas, professional client communication, and more! They have one week left of the ToT, after which they will be ready to teach their very own cohort of students. Let's hear from our new trainers!

First up, we have Taban, a techie who is passionate to learn more about the freelancing sector. Taban sees a lot of potential in the young refugee residents in Kakuma, and hopes to bring them an opportunity to experience financial stability. Taban’s responses have been lightly edited for clarity and accuracy.

Qn: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Taban: I'm a 22-year-old South Sudanese refugee currently residing in the Kakuma camp. I completed both my primary and secondary education in Kakuma and I’ll have been in the camp for 19 years as of this year, 2023. Being raised by a single mother limits my ability to use technology in terms of helpful digital devices, but I thrive when I can satisfy my technical appetite. I'm currently studying computing online from free web resources like YouTube.

Qn: Describe your past history of mentoring and coaching students? 

Taban: Before joining the Konexio team, I worked as an assistant teacher and an ICT coach at Greenlight Refugee Secondary School and Ngundeng Elementary School, respectively. Having these essential principles in both the teaching curriculum and facilitating ICT in school has exposed me to a variety of abilities and experiences that have prepared me to cope with different personalities with ease. This also inspired my great interest in technology and education facilitation.

Qn: How did you come to join the digital freelancing program?

Taban: I found out about the program via the JRS notice board, and a colleague of mine sent me an electronic copy of the application advertisement. Following that, I conducted an online search for the organization and discovered that they specialize in providing digital skills to the most disadvantaged. I got an overwhelming desire to join after that.

Qn: How would you describe your training so far? 

Taban: This training has greatly increased my knowledge of one of the fastest growing work fields in the twenty-first century: freelancing. As a result of my teacher's assistance, I can now apply for online jobs with more confidence. I believe I have discovered a newer version of myself, perhaps a digital one.

Qn: What parts of the course do you find most exciting?

Taban: I enjoy working with Google Sheets and Docs because I am well-versed in both. Adora's [Konexio’s Head Trainer] ability to explain each new idea has really impressed me. She delivers each topic by breaking it down into simple detailed pieces of information that can be easily absorbed. I believe I should adopt her teaching method. Furthermore, I believe that surfing the web all day has really improved my research talents and my ability to explore new concepts.

Qn: What parts of the course do you find most challenging?

The more difficult aspect of this TOT course, in my opinion, is the freelancing portion and effective content facilitation. I find the tools required for freelancing difficult because I am new to freelancing, with limited expertise in the freelancing sector. I also have some difficulty with facilitating concepts; The use of the “what, why, and how” method [a learner-led approach] to facilitate concepts is challenging for me because I have never been exposed to such ideas. I have only used a more traditional approach to teaching.

Qn: What are you looking forward to after you graduate from the ToT and take on your first cohort of DIP students?

Taban: I am excited to share my ToT training course experiences with my first DIP students so that they may make a difference in their lives and experience more financial sustainability after the course. Furthermore, it has always been my ambition to advance my freelancing profession. Encouragement and mentorship services for students would be my main focus too.

Qn: How do you foresee the DIP making an impact in the Kakuma Refugee Camp?

Taban: For this, I have expectations: refugees in Kakuma, particularly young refugees, have a lot of potential, but what restricts their capacities is a lack of opportunity. With the establishment of the DIP program in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, I believe they will grab the opportunity with passion and make excellent use of it.

Qn: How will this position advance your career?

Taban: I am a techie; I love to engage with technology in all dimensions. This position will act as a gateway to the field of freelancing which I have a strong desire to explore. This course will equip me with basic knowledge and experience in this booming economic field.

Qn: How do you keep up-to-date on industry trends and changes?

Taban: It is obvious that technology is always changing, and in order to stay up with these challenges, I have been following all of the news agencies that broadcast technological content on both social network platforms and their websites. This allows me to stay up to date on critical trending technology. Aside from this, I spend a lot of time online searching the web, which boosts my chances of discovering new ideas and innovations.

Next up we have Juma! Juma is an attentive teacher who is keen to boost his knowledge of online freelancing and education facilitation. Juma sees the DIP as an important opportunity for Kakuma residents, particularly female refugees, to experience increased economic opportunity. Juma’s responses have been lightly edited for clarity and accuracy.

Qn: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Juma: I would describe myself as a collaborative and solution-driven person, passionate about technology for several years. I love to contribute to problem-solving as much as I can.  

Qn: Describe your past history mentoring/coaching students? 

Juma: ​I taught in high school in 2017 before I joined university. My character has helped me establish productive and healthy relationships with all my students, as I like to listen to others' opinions, contributions, and insights. This helps me find suitable teaching approaches to take for each of them, as by listening to them, I can explore their needs, interests, concerns, and professional aspirations.

Qn: How did you come to join the digital freelancing program?

Juma: I joined the Digital Freelancing program through an advert JRS Kakuma Kenya posted on their notice board towards the end of 2022.

Qn: How would you describe your training so far? 

Juma: The training is very good, and Adora [Konexio’s Head Trainer]  is always available to respond to my questions. 

Qn: What parts of the course do you find most exciting?

Juma: I found data mining and data scraping to be so exciting. I learned how to use new tools for these tasks which can be applied to different kinds of websites very easily. 

Qn: What parts of the course do you find most challenging?

Juma: The challenging part of the course is live presentation, as it is something new to me. I have never been a "facilitator" before [where the trainer prompts learners to take an active role in self-learning]. For presentations, I find being confident and using tonal variation quite challenging. But I am trying hard to improve these skills by following my trainers instructions and listening to a podcast on facilitation for 30 minutes every day.

Qn: What are you looking forward to after you graduate from the ToT and take on your first cohort of DIP students?

Juma: I look forward to using my skills, knowledge and experiences gained in the ToT training to transform the life of new students, and to join the freelancing to make money online.

Qn: How do you foresee the DIP making an impact in the Kakuma Refugee Camp?

Juma: First, Kakuma refugee camp is a place where there are no job opportunities …. I believe the DIP will create opportunities for residents to make money online, especially for female refugees. 

Qn: How will this position advance your career?

Juma: As a person who is passionate about teaching and learning new skills, this program will bring me opportunities to acquire new skills online, such as programming. 

Qn: How do you keep up-to-date on industry trends and changes?

Juma: I keep up with industry by subscribing to industry newsletters that summarizes news, stats, and trends in my inbox every morning. I also Attend monthly meetups to inspire new ideas, and create opportunities for new connections.