Cornellius Ngondo, an instructor at Moringa School in Nairobi, Kenya, promises to take his programming students on “an amazing journey into the techy and geeky side of life.”
He talks about the languages a computer understands, with Java used to build Android, Python used to build most of Google, and PHP used by “Mark Zuckerberg, in a dorm room, on a diet of pizza and coffee, to make Facebook.”
Despite the rapid growth of digital skills building programs, the demand for programming skills from employers and students still outpaces supply. While students need more than basic coding familiarity to launch billion dollar companies, courses such as these have the potential not only to equip young people with the skills they need to succeed, but also to promote entrepreneurial opportunity and economic growth across the continent. What more is needed to build digital skills on the continent that will be home to the largest workforce in the world by 2050?
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
