From Little Opportunities to Becoming a Digital Technologist

Yvonne grew up in rural Kenya with little opportunities that would advance and assist her in achieving her goals. She found it challenging to articulate herself, causing her self-esteem to plummet. But Yvonne shares, “this perception changed when I joined the Asante Africa Foundation, Youth Livelihood Program.”

The day she joined the program, she knew being part of Asante Africa’s Youth Livelihood Program was an added advantage and it would enhance her skills. Our program plays a vital role in the community in expanding youths’ confidence and skills sets. Some of the skills she acquired include communication skills, leadership skills, higher-order thinking skills (i.e. evaluating, planning, monitoring, and reflecting), digital literacy skills, and problem solving skills.

“I was happy because I knew I had a great opportunity to enhance my skills, it was an added advantage. I volunteered to join Asante Africa’s school-based club, a part of the Youth Livelihood Program, because it plays a vital role in the community. It builds the confidence and the skills to take on larger, higher impact community projects.” The program emphasizes cultivating youth-led solutions through leadership and entrepreneurship. 

These skills helped Yvonne build her own small home-based business. But, due to Covid-19, the business did not perform well and she closed it. A few months later, she started a community group using her leadership skills. She gathered a few local community members and visited orphanages and helped the community elders with day to day tasks. 

“In the program you will learn the best way to communicate with both individuals and large groups, and you will gain emotional intelligence as you develop new relationships. Also, teamwork plays a vital role in harmonizing and maximizing work efficiency and building good relationships between colleagues,” Yvonne says.

Asante Africa Foundation educates and empowers youth; they foster entrepreneurial skills and support youth to achieve their goals in life. Currently, Yvonne is a digital technologist with Asante Africa Foundation. Yvonne’s words of wisdom to students, “Students should not limit themselves to learning. They should grasp every opportunity that comes. For instance, interacting with Asante Africa’s program students will not only equip themselves, but they will gain core skills relevant to their field.” 

Written by: Zakaria Attioui