Douglas Mwiti 
Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi
- PLP, Safaricom empower Youth through Digital skills
Three hundred young people across Kenya have graduated from a 16-week software development initiative initiated by Power Learn Project Africa (PLP) and Safaricom Hook.
The nationwide program, whose training was completely funded, aimed at equipping youth with cutting-edge digital skills as well as promoting inclusive innovation.
Those who took part came from all 47 counties, a deliberate choice to ensure that talent from rural and urban areas alike could take part in the country’s digital transformation.
Participants were exposed to front-end and back-end development, and were involved in mentorship, hackathons, and project work to prepare them for careers in technology.
Mumbi Ndung’u, PLP Executive Director shared the broader significance of the initiative.
“This is not only a graduation, it’s an investment return for the country.We aspire to see a future where every young African has equal opportunities for digital capabilities, decent living, and the ability to innovate regardless of where they are,” said Ndung’u.
“This partnership with Safaricom Hook has uncovered that, when we decentralize opportunity and unite with a common visionary mission, we can build a workforce of technology that doesn’t only serve Africa’s future, it molds it.”
The graduation is part of PLP’s 1MillionDevs4Africa campaign, a Pan-African effort to reskill one million software developers and match them with impactful economic opportunities.
Further, Ndung’u appealed to the private sector and ecosystem players to bridge the gap between recruitment and training.
“Africa doesn’t have a talent shortage, it has a deployment issue. Across the continent, coast to coast, young people are learning the right digital skills, but all too often they remain disconnected from real economic opportunity,” Ndung’u stated.
“We’re calling on employers, investors, and ecosystem leaders to step up, not just to invest in training, but to actively recruit, hire, and tap into this available pool of talent.
If we match education with industry, Africa will not only dominate in numbers of workforce, but in innovation, execution, and impact.”
Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi noted that their main purpose is to unlock the potential of Kenya’s youth by empowering them to be leaders in the digital economy.
“Through this partnership, we are not merely training coders, but thinkers, makers, and creators who will drive Kenya’s innovation agenda and respond to challenges at national and international levels,” Ali-Kimanthi noted.
PLP has called on employers, government ministries, and investors to partner with its Talent Hub, linking graduates to jobs, internships, freelance opportunities, and business guidance.
Following the success of this cohort, PLP has now opened up applications for its June 2025 cohort as it accelerates its ambition to build Africa’s digital economy by empowering 1 million youth developers.
Between the ages of 18 to 35, and passionate about technology and digital development, are encouraged to apply at powerlearnprojectafrica.org/applications before the application deadline on June 21, 2025.
