The Dadaab refugee complex is not the obvious location for a story of digital entrepreneurship. Yet Khalif’s journey, from being forced to flee Somalia at age 14 to forming the Dadaab Collective Freelancing Agency – a refugee-led organization providing digital training and online translation services – is a testament to the fact that entrepreneurship can be found everywhere.
Khalif was forced to flee Somalia as the country erupted into civil war. Leaving behind his parents and his siblings, he travelled with his aunt and five cousins to Kenya, ultimately ending up in the Hagadera camp of the Dadaab complex.
“It was the first time I’d ever met someone who wasn’t Somali.” He explained. “And the first time I’d ever heard a language other than Arabic.”
Employment opportunities were hard to come by. While the “lucky ones” would get scholarships to go to university, for the majority, it was a choice between basic labour - from collecting firewood to cleaning – and working for NGOs. Khalif wanted more. “I think I’ve always been someone who wants to challenge himself,” he points out confidently.
Inspired by a friend’s success as a digital freelancer, and equipped with only a smartphone, Khalif took the plunge. Using his ability to speak multiple languages, he was quickly able to find work as an interpreter and translator. What started out as a one-off job, snowballed into helping clients all over the world.
Khalif was now starting to earn a sustainable living, but his demand for constant improvement didn’t let up, and when he saw the Danish Refugee Council offering courses to help improve digital skills, he jumped at the opportunity.
During the six-month training program, he received training in linguistics, digital marketing, and graphic design, as well as taking part in a virtual mentoring program.
Equipped with a greater digital skillset, he has been able to find more work and afford the upkeep of a laptop, solar power bank, and personal internet network. Khalif uses his earnings to support his family both in Somalia and Kenya with school fees and to provide for his friends in Dadaab.
The impact of the Ajira Program goes beyond just financial return, however. Khalif is determined to ensure that others can benefit from his experience on the program and has since helped to set up the Dadaab Collective Freelancing Agency, where he and a group of other freelancers train young men and women in the community, providing them with the digital skills and capabilities so they too can have the opportunity to choose a different career path.
Not only has the Ajira Digital program helped to promote greater economic opportunities for participants like Khalif, but it has catalyzed knowledge and skills transfers through initiatives such as the Dadaab Collecting Freelancing Agency, and ensures that many more young people like Khalif can carve out sustainable careers in the digital economy.