When Martin Wachira lost his IT job in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, he had to quickly think of a new source of income.
He turned to online work, where he is now raking in a fortune. He is among hundreds of youths who benefited from the government's Ajira Digital Programme.
Wachira told the Star that immediately after he was laid off at a Malindi-based hospital, he retired to his Voi home in Taita Taveta county and started doing manual jobs.
It was from there that he learnt about the programme and immediately enrolled at the youth empowerment centre in Voi.
“Losing my jobs taught me many lessons. It also came as a blessing because I am now doing many interesting online jobs that are well paying,” Wachira said on Thursday.
With the rising number of unemployed youths, he said, many are now turning to online jobs after undergoing the basic training.
Wachira does digital marketing, web development, Google mapping and transcription, among other online jobs.
The 28-year-old IT graduate said the programme is a game changer for unemployed people as there are plenty of online jobs from European countries and the US that have good returns.
“After the three-day training and five weeks mentorship session, you are ready to go. You only need a laptop or a good working smartphone to start making a living,” he said.
Kennedy Mwadomu, another youth who is also earning a living from online work, said that there are plenty of opportunities that only require digital literacy to undertake.
Mwadomu, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in statistics five years ago, said he has found comfort in the online space and he is mentoring more youths to exploit the platform.
“It is a good space that requires self-discipline because you are your own boss. Aggressiveness is key so that you can take as many gigs as possible,” he said.
He said the platform has opened doors for Kenyans to access opportunities that abound globally.
Mwadomu earns at least 15,000 per task, majoring in data entry, transcription, virtual assistant and digital marketing.
With the rapid digitisation of government services, he is optimistic that more job opportunities will come his way.
The Ajira Digital Youth Empowerment Centre manager in Voi Lydia Ng’ang’a said that more than 80 youths have so far been training on online working, with 40 of them currently undergoing mentorship.
The programme, Ng’ang’a said, has helped to improve the living standards of the young people, with beneficiaries earning a monthly income of up to Sh100,000 through online work.
She further urged youth groups and entrepreneurs to enrol for the Ajira Digital programme, pointing out that it is unlocking employment opportunities. The programme is free of charge and trainees are assisted to find online work.
