In the heart of Nairobi, Kenya, lies Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, where daily life is marked by hardship and limited access to opportunities. It is here that Paradigm Initiative’s LIFE Legacy programme is making a profound difference. Since its launch in Kenya in September 2023, in collaboration with local partners, the LIFE Legacy project has trained 80 young individuals from Kibera and Tana River, equipping them with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills that open doors to the digital economy and empower them to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Paradigm Initiative’s Life Skills, ICT, Financial Literacy, and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Legacy project stands out as a beacon of success. The project began in 2007 in a small cyber cafe in Ajegunle, Lagos, and has evolved into a beacon of hope across Africa. Since its inception, the programme has impacted the livelihoods of more than 150,000 under-served African youth through digital opportunities and protection of their rights online. This holistic approach builds digital competence and promotes economic independence and confidence. The programme has directly impacted over 3,000 women and girls, providing them with life skills, ICT training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship education.
As we commemorate this year’s World Youth Skills Day, under the theme “Youth empowerment through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital skills,” we reflect on the value of digital skills for young people across vulnerable African communities in shaping the digital future. This day is celebrated annually to highlight the importance of equipping young people with the skills needed for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. This year’s theme resonates with our mission to shape policy, defend rights and build capacity in the digital environment towards a digitally inclusive and rights-respecting world.
PIN’s LIFE Legacy project provides free access to a 10-week physical training programme that covers full-stack web development training. After the training, youths possess the skills to design and develop web and mobile applications, engage in graphic design and animation, and understand computer networking, building their capabilities to thrive, contribute to the digital economy, and bridge all divides to ensure equitable digital inclusion for all girls.
One inspiring story is that of Esther Olatude, a young woman from Ajegunle, Nigeria, who did not know how to use a computer in 2008 when she joined the programme. Our Echoes of LIFE documented that after the training, Esther shared the knowledge she acquired with six other people, completed four months of internship with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) at the UK Deputy High Commission in Lagos, before securing a full-time position at the privately run Terminal 2 of Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. Today, Esther is a Product Engineer at an international software company. Stories like Esther’s resonate in Kibera, where young women, often facing social and economic barriers, now envision futures as digital creators and innovators rather than mere users.
In Kibera, after undergoing training on programming basics, Mary Atieno was selected into the Women Techsters Cohort Bootcamp programme on Software Development. Mary also developed a water management system that provides automated water access in Kibera, where users can pay through mobile banking and access water based on their payment.
Paradigm Initiative’s approach creates safe, resource-rich environments, provides sustained mentorship, and nurtures girls’ confidence and skills to thrive in ICT fields. The programme’s commitment extends beyond training, offering continued support for up to a year to ensure a lasting impact.
In 2024, the LIFE Legacy programme expanded to 11 countries and trained 707 young people through 25 cohorts. In Senegal, PIN donated laptops to partners to strengthen digital inclusion efforts and the LIFE@School initiative was launched in Cameroon and Tanzania to bring foundational digital literacy into classrooms. This expansion underscores the programme’s scalable success and its role in fostering inclusive digital transformation across Africa.
As the world commemorates World Youth Skills Day, our LIFE Legacy is a testament to how targeted ICT education can close the gender digital divide, build skills for all youth and have a lasting impact on the lives of the most vulnerable. Investing in young people from underserved communities like Kibera empowers a generation of youths who will lead Africa’s digital future, turning dreams into reality and barriers into breakthroughs.
Are you interested in supporting this initiative? You can partner with us by contacting hello@paradigmhq.org or donating in cash or kind through this link.