A Cashier, a Mentor, and a Changemaker
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket hummed softly as Nancy guided her colleague’s hand across the keyboard. “See here? This is where you track the inventory. If we don’t update it daily, we lose money.” Her voice was patient, confident….the voice of someone who’d earned every bit of knowledge she was sharing.
Two years ago, Nancy had never touched a computer. The keyboard beneath her fingers now? It might as well have been a door to another world – one she’d fought hard to unlock.
The Moment Everything Changed
When Nancy talks about her journey, her face lights up with quiet pride. Not long ago, she was a young woman in Samburu unsure of what her future would hold. Financial struggles had nearly forced her to drop out of school. But a scholarship from Asante Africa Foundation changed everything. It allowed her to complete high school and, more importantly, gave her the confidence to dream again.
After graduation, Nancy joined DEEP – Asante Africa Foundation’s Digital Employability and Entrepreneurship Program designed to equip young people with digital, professional, and entrepreneurial skills that unlock real opportunity. For Nancy, DEEP became more than just training; it was a lifeline! She learned how to use technology to solve real-world problems, gaining certifications and hands-on experience in areas like software management and business operations.
The results spoke for themselves. Soon after completing the program, Nancy landed her first formal job as a cashier at a major supermarket in Samburu. Her new digital skills made her stand out. She quickly mastered the store’s computer systems, and within weeks, she was training other staff, showing them how to catch inventory errors before they became losses. Her manager started calling her “the tech expert.” What started as a job became an opportunity for leadership and impact.
Nancy often says she feels proud. Not just for herself, but for everyone who believed in her. She credits Asante Africa Foundation and the DEEP program for helping her move from struggle to stability, from student to mentor. “Because of DEEP,” she says, “I can now support myself, help others, and see a future I once thought was impossible.”
Nancy’s story is one of many. But each one proves the same truth: when young people are given the tools and the chance, they transform their own lives, and go on to become the teachers, the leaders, the ones who lift others up. That’s the real power of DEEP, and the real promise of Nancy’s generation.