Digital Skills for a Better Future: Estella’s Story

“Here at RefuSHE, I felt like I was part of a big family. I made friends and learned so much. The skills I've gained will have a lasting impact on my life."
— Estella, 21, Rwanda

Estella Nishimwe is a 21-year-old Rwandese refugee born and raised in Kenya. She is the seventh of eight siblings. In 2021, after completing her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, Estella was referred to RefuSHE by RefugePoint, a humanitarian organization that supported her education. It was at RefuSHE that Estella learned about the digital skills training program and decided to enroll.

When Estella joined the program, she had limited computer knowledge; everything about them was new to her. “Before I joined the course, I really didn’t know much about how to operate computers but I found it wasn't too hard to learn,” says Estella.

Estella started with the fundamentals, learning how to operate a computer, navigate programs like Microsoft Office, and use the internet safely. Being a fast learner, she quickly grasped the basics and began acquiring more advanced skills in digital marketing, content creation, freelancing platforms, and data entry.

“My favorite units were digital marketing and transcription,” says Estella. “I learned how to use different online tools to market products and I felt it was an area I would like to explore further. I also enjoyed learning how to transcribe audio and video.”

About a month before her training ended, Estella started to explore different freelance platforms. She set up a profile on Remotasks and began tackling tasks, putting her classroom skills like video and audio transcription and image labeling to use. In addition to Remotasks, Estella also created an Upwork account where she currently sends proposals and hopes to secure work soon. Apart from these freelance platforms, Estella also engages with platforms like Mobiworkx for survey-related tasks.

On average, Estella makes Ksh 16,000 in a successful month. She uses this income to assist her single-parent mother with household expenses and provides transport money for her younger brother who is attending high school.

In addition to gaining digital skills, Estella also received other services at RefuSHE including medical care, transport money to campus, and nutritious meals during the training period. Moreover, Estella highlights the value of group counseling sessions she attended where she had the opportunity to listen to the experiences of other refugees like herself. “Hearing other girls share their stories made me realize that everyone faces their own challenges and inspires me to become more resilient,” Estella says.

In the future, Estella plans to launch her own digital marketing agency. She's confident that the skills she acquired at RefuSHE will greatly contribute to her agency's success and her performance in the digital marketing field. “Here at RefuSHE, I felt like I was part of a big family,” says Estella. “I made friends and learned so much. The skills I've gained will have a lasting impact on my life.”