My name is Christel Zaho. I was raised in Congo.
While in Congo, my country experienced a severe war that claimed the lives of many of my loved ones. This left me with deep trauma. Despite the challenges, I did my best to advocate for peace within my community, but the situation worsened, and my efforts were not enough. Eventually, my biological father and I were forced to flee to Kenya in search of safety.
Because of what I went through during the war, I developed a strong desire to study Political Science, hoping it would give me the platform to enter politics and contribute to lasting peace. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints at home, and my father being unable to support the cost, I couldn’t pursue that dream.
However, through one of my father’s friends, I learned about Youth Voices Community (YVC) and a computer training program they were offering for youth. I applied, went for the interview, and was selected to join a six-month course in Computer Programming, Graphic Design, and Digital Management.
I successfully completed the training and graduated with a certificate. I am now a professional in the fields mentioned above, all thanks to the full sponsorship and support I received from Youth Voices Community.
Despite the challenges, we still face as refugees especially regarding documentation, my fellow refugees and I did not sit and wait. Instead, we teamed up with our Kenyan classmates and started a company that offers services in Digital Marketing, Branding, Design, Web Development, Programming, and Consultancy.
Today, we are proud and grateful. YVC opened our eyes and gave us hope when we had nothing. We registered a company with nine founding members, and we named it Crea8tive Technologies.
We are now working to inspire and influence more refugees to rise and seize the opportunities the world has to offer by actively engaging them and encouraging them to believe in their potential.
