Mastering Skills, Shaping Futures: The Generation Kenya Approach – Mildred and Naomi’s Story
In 2020, Mildred Auma graduated with a degree in Natural Resources Management but, like many of her young peers in Kenya, faced the harsh reality of unemployment. For three years, she struggled with inconsistent work and financial insecurity, unable to find a job due to a lack of experience and certifications. However, by a stroke of luck in 2023, Mildred’s dire situation started to take a positive turn when a relative suggested that she trains in customer service at Generation Programme Kenya, a non-profit that delivers sector-leading employment through their Skills. Opportunities. Growth, a project supported by CFYE.
Like Mildred, Naomi Muthithi, despite holding a degree in Environmental Science, faced years of unemployment. She felt desperate and found it difficult to even secure an interview, let alone a position. The hopelessness of a job search for both these young women was settling in and it was only until they joined Generation Kenya’s Digital Customer Service Programme that this changed.
Generation Kenya came at a perfect moment for both Midlred and Naomi, as the organisation focuses on preparing, placing, and supporting Kenyan youth into decent employment, while also seeking to improve the functioning of education to employment systems. Within their Skills. Opportunities. Growth project, they aim to effectively enhance the livelihoods of undeserved youth in a sustainable way by equipping them with necessary market-oriented skills for employment opportunities in technology, apparel manufacturing, and customer service sectors.
Mildred believes that joining the programme opened a door for her that she will forever be grateful for. At the time, she was growing increasingly frustrated spending all day at home, with little employment prospects, and no idea on how she would provide education for her child. In university, she had studied natural resource management and majored in forestry, obtaining her degree in four years. But Mildred felt a sense of regret, describing the amount of time spent on campus and the rigid structure as a set-back. Looking back, she would have preferred taking a customer service course due to its flexibility and time-efficiency, something that eventually came to fruition through Generation Kenya.
After applying to the Digital Customer Service Programme, Mildred was most looking forward to learning how to communicate with people from different social backgrounds. Her expectations were certainly met as she navigated the programme, taking away newfound communication, perseverance, and future orientation skills. She is especially grateful for these skills now that she uses them at her job as a customer service representative at Cleanfax Laundry and Dry-Cleaning.
Alongside the socialisation aspect, Mildred found herself most appreciative of how Generation Kenya’s coaches mentored and supported her.
I have had job opportunities that I know I wouldn’t have had if not for the programme. One thing stood out for me, it helped me learn how to be patient, accountable, and more responsible because if I do not push myself, no one else will.
– Mildred
This sentiment is one that keeps her going at the start of every day.
Naomi sings the same praises for her own coach in the programme, who taught her how to write a corporate-level CV, how to be confident and outstanding in interviews and beyond, how to be resilient, and how to have a growth mindset. The right support at the right time can make all the difference and for Naomi, this encapsulates her experience well – her coach provided the perfect guidance, or as she calls it, the ‘life manual’, just when she needed it most. This focus on soft skills is what stood out the most for her. These skills are ones that most unemployed youth lack, especially graduates who are unable to secure a steady job because of non-market-ready skills. Looking back, Naomi was one of those graduates before joining Generation Kenya. Now, she has received more than just a job, she believes the programme impacts different aspects of life directly and indirectly, confidently affirming that it made her a better person in several spheres of life.
Initially, Naomi struggled with recognising this influence as she tried to internalise and adapt to the programme’s ethos. It did not take long until she realised that what was being taught were basic principles necessary to succeed in the employment landscape now and in the future. This realisation was further solidified after she graduated from the programme and secured a job with Jumia in customer service. Following this foot in the employment landscape, Naomi found another position as a Field Escalation Officer at Apollo Agriculture and has since worked her way up to Field Sales Manager. In her off-time, she is pursuing an MBA in strategic management and aspires to make positive impact in the corporate world by influencing processes and customer-business-society interactions for a better world.
Do you see those highly impactful corporate leaders whose strategies influence the rise of great companies with a satisfied customer base and acceptable interactions with society? I aspire to be like them.
– Naomi
To others struggling with unemployment, Naomi advises, “Do what it takes to save yourself and do it wholeheartedly because for as much as people and organisations are out there to hold your hand, a folded hand is difficult to hold.”
Mildred echoes this sentiment, urging young people to “learn a skill because it really comes in handy when looking for opportunities. I would recommend Generation Kenya anytime, any day, because I am a proud alumnus who has nothing but good things to say about the organisation.” She plans to become more independent financially and be in a place where she can contribute to creating job opportunities for youth. Like Generation Kenya, she hopes to mentor young people to believe in themselves and encourage them to be anyone they want to be as long as they put in the work.
Mildred and Naomi’s journey with Generation Kenya illustrates the profound change that targeted skills training and mentorship can bring to the lives of young people facing unemployment, offering them a path to stability, growth, and success.
Faatimah Clarke
September 3, 2024