Forty young people in Mandera East have completed a 22-day Digital Skills training, aimed at equipping them with practical skills that can improve their access to employment, entrepreneurship and other livelihood opportunities.
The training, implemented under the Boresha Nabad Project, focused on practical digital skills, including graphic design, CorelDRAW, newsletter writing and digital communication.
The beneficiaries were drawn from various training institutions, youth at risk and learners from four schools in Mandera East.
The initiative incorporated practical attachment opportunities, with trainees placed at different training centers to gain hands-on experience and apply the skills acquired during the boot camp in real working environments.
CEC for Social Services, Mohamud Ali, says the approach is intended to bridge the gap between training and actual economic opportunities, by connecting young people with private-sector institutions, where they can gain experience, build professional networks and potentially access employment opportunities.
As part of the intervention, 18 desktop computers are being handed over to beneficiaries, in order to support continued digital learning and skills development.
The training Institutes will each receive seven computers, while four participating schools will receive one computer each.
The Institutions will also receive three workstations each to provide suitable spaces for the new equipment and accommodate some of their existing computers.
The support is expected to strengthen the institutions’ capacity to provide continued learning and practical opportunities for young people beyond the boot camp.
Four schools in Mandera East are also expected to benefit from the programme through the newly provided computers.
The equipment will allow learners involved in journalism and peace clubs to practise newsletter writing, graphic design and digital communication.
The programme is also expected to create a multiplier effect, by enabling trained learners to share their knowledge with other students.
The initiative is being implemented through a Market Systems Development approach, which seeks to strengthen the wider systems around young people rather than focusing solely on classroom-based training.
Under this approach, partnerships with private-sector and community institutions such as Hacbad and Safina are considered essential in creating pathways for young people to gain practical experience, employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The programme also links digital skills with peacebuilding, particularly through school journalism and peace clubs.
Young people are expected to use digital communication tools to produce content promoting peace, social cohesion and positive community engagement.
The handover of the computers and other equipment, therefore, marks a shift from training to practical application, with stakeholders hoping the investment will help transform digital skills into sustainable livelihoods for young people in Mandera East.
The broader objective is to create a generation of young people who are not only digitally skilled, but also able to contribute to economic development, innovation, peace and resilience within their communities.
By Adan Mohamed.
