Students from Kakuma refugee camp to benefit from free IT training

Twenty candidates from Kakuma refugee camp and its host communities are set to undergo an intensive 30-week program co-sponsored by Windle International Kenya, Microsoft, and Elewa, a Kenyan education innovation firm.

The program which is run by iTalanta academy will be free of charge and is aimed at preparing the students for employment as IT developers.

The project is estimated to cost USD 149,500.

“Talanta” the Swahili word for “talent” aptly resonates with the aim of iTalanta which is to discover, develop and deploy talent, to fill a rapidly increasing shortage of IT resources in industrialized countries with a fast-growing and unlimited pool of talent in East Africa.

Graduates from the program are likely to gain interview opportunities with Microsoft African Development Center or be absorbed into the iTalanta apprenticeship program.

The curriculum will be permanently supervised on-site by experienced coaches from iTalanta and key learning opportunities for the students will be both focused on programming as well as problem-solving skills which are highly relevant in the current market and IT space.

The students will be equipped with a laptop and a bicycle, for their daily commute to the campus in Kakuma.

The iTalanta program is focused on education & employment. It consists of three phases to respectively Discover, Develop and Deploy talent.