Young Women With Special Needs Accessing Work Opportunities in the Digital Economy.
Young Women With Special Needs Accessing Work Opportunities in the Digital Economy.
Ms. Susan Gichobi, a young lady and a person living with a disability from Kirinyaga East Constituency continues to rise above all odds to make a dignified income from digital freelancing. Through the guidance of her mentor, Anthony Kaburi, she has mastered the art of content writing, and she is using the skill to advance her passion for writing by co-authoring online novels with an ambition to set up a website where more young women and persons living with disabilities can get an opportunity to monetize their writing skills and by accessing dignified and meaningful work opportunities.
Upon completing her college education, Susan was unable to secure a job; part of the reason was that she could not access her certificate due to a fee balance owed to the college. She struggled to find an alternative source of employment, but the effort was futile until she discovered the Ajira Digital program in mid-2022. She was trained in content writing, digital marketing, and data entry and keenly followed through with mentorship. She quickly learned the ropes and was able to secure gigs on the Remotask and Upwork platforms, which paid her well. As a passionate writer, she has also ventured into online novel writing and has been able to deliver over 10 chapters. This has greatly enabled her to build her portfolio.
Through the income from digital freelancing, she has been able to set up a small grocery business for her mother and also make some payments towards clearing the college fee balance. Her dream is to establish her writing career by building a blog and website where she can give other writers an opportunity. Along with writing, Susan hopes to engage in motivational speaking and counseling to be able to impact more young people, especially young women living with disabilities.
Susan is a beacon of hope for many young women in rural communities, especially those living with disabilities, that the digital economy is offering work opportunities for all. They can make use of the available digital tools and infrastructure, such as Ajira Youth Empowerment Centers, to access free skills and get linkages to digital and digitally-enabled work.
#MyAjiraStory
#ajiraforshe
Ajira Digital Young Africa Works Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA)