Douglas, breaking boundaries through code, Kenya

Douglas: Technology does not have a boundary, knows no gender, race; as long as you have access to a computer, you have access to the internet and you are being guided the opportunities are limitless.

My name is Douglas Mwangi and I'm the founder and director of Oasis Mathare.

Oasis Mathare is a youth-led and a grassroot community organisation that leverages on technology and design to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children and youth from Mathare settlement.

The majority of youth in Mathare slum they don't finish formal education. And for those who do, they don't go to university. And that leaves them with no skills for them to earn a livelihood. We are trying to bridge that gap.

I used to go to a nearby internet cafe where I learned some basic graphic design and got my first employment with no formal training, and I realised that It's really possible to gain a decent livelihood with just skills.

We introduced Code Club so that kids in school can actually be introduced to computer programming. Like I mentioned, most youth in Mathare slum don’t finish formal education. But if they were actually introduced to computing at an early age in an event they don't go uni, at least they know where to start.

The resources that we use from Raspberry Pi are structured in a really creative way to help kids learn. Initially we had developed a curricula to run a Code Club there were some missing pieces. But now with the Raspberry Pi Foundation pathways, it has sort bridged the gap that we were facing.

Evans: At Code Club they teach us how to make stories, cartoons, animations and games.

Hope: The moment the kids realise they belong to a Code Club is when I see their face light up when their project runs. They made me feel achieved. They made me feel as a facilitator, as a good mentor. And that changed me.

Douglas: It feels so nice seeing a student becoming mentors they act as role models to the Code Club participants. As they are being mentors, they improve on their communication, delivery. We are giving them opportunities to work with us, to sharpen their skills so that they can get to a greener pasture.

Keziah: Being idle around the community can lead to so many negative impacts, so I decided to join Code Club to volunteer hoping to have better connection and career growth.

Faith: My thought was like, coding is only for genius kids and the smart ones, but I will encourage a young learner to actually partake this. Coding is not hard, it’s actually fun.

Douglas: For any young person from Mathare slum or any other under-served community from around the globe, and they feel that their future is limited; I would like to tell you that it is really possible. It is really possible to change your life. As long as you have a positive mind, you have hope and you are working hard.