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Girls at Nairobits are coding their way out of poverty
Rita had never heard of web design before she enrolled at NairoBits, a tech education programme for young women living in Kenya.
Now, thanks to Malala Fund donors, she’s coding her way out of poverty.
After graduating as the best female student in June, Rita is working as a freelance developer and looking to go to university thanks to a sponsorship she received from her hard work.
In the poorest areas of Kenya, education is the only weapon girls like Rita have to fight poverty.
In July, Malala met with Rita and many other students at Nairobits. As she sat with them at their workstations, they shared with her what they working on in class. One project was a fashion website by Diane, a 19 year-old student.
What was it like comparing homework with Malala? “It was an awesome feeling,” Diane said. “I shared with her my course one projects and she asked me how I finished the project. I explained how i came up with such a project in a month and I started by learning computer basics.”
Jackline, 20, showed off a website, banner and brochure she is designing for a local hotel. “I explained to [Malala] the concept behind my project, from the layout to the colours.”
Few opportunities exist for girls living in Kenya’s slums. The brightest students are often forced to choose to leave school because their families cannot afford tuition. They settle for making small amounts of money from day work, selling water, cleaning homes or washing motorcycles to support their siblings.
Programs like NairoBits are helping girls design a better future for themselves and their families. They are given the skills they need to build a career in one of Africa’s bustling tech centers.
