Different journeys, one ambition: building a future in technology

There is no typical student at kood/Nairobi.

Some arrive from university, eager to complement their academic studies with practical experience. Others have established careers in entirely different industries but see technology as the future they want to build. Their ages, professions and life stories vary considerably, yet they all arrive with the same ambition: to become capable of building real products and solving meaningful problems.

Cynthia’s journey perhaps captures that determination best.

Working as a Regional Head in Uganda’s insurance sector while completing an MBA in Information Systems Management, she had spent years dreaming of becoming a remote software engineer. She researched international opportunities extensively and even created a savings plan that would allow her to study at //kood in Estonia.

Then plans changed. When applications opened for the first Nairobi pilot, she applied immediately.

“On my wall of answered prayers,” she recalls, “I wrote: ‘Thank you God, //kood has admitted me.’”

Her story illustrates something that appears throughout the cohort: many students are not starting from scratch. They are building on careers, education and previous experience, searching for a more practical way to develop the skills needed in today’s technology industry.

Jerry arrived while studying Information Technology at university. Although his degree provided a solid theoretical foundation, he felt there was still a gap between classroom learning and the realities of software development. What attracted him to //kood was its distinctive approach to learning through projects and collaboration rather than traditional teaching.

That decision proved transformative. Months later, after completing practical projects and building a portfolio, Jerry felt confident enough to begin applying for junior software engineering roles—and secured one.

Others describe similar experiences.

Timothy says the programme opened an entirely new perspective on software engineering. Instead of focusing on individual technologies, he learned how complete systems are designed and deployed. The experience has strengthened his ambition to combine software engineering with his background in financial engineering and eventually work in fields such as quantitative finance and data science.

For Rozie, the value lies in the opportunity to learn through practice. Building applications, debugging software and working through increasingly complex projects has given her confidence that simply wasn’t there when she started. Looking ahead, she hopes the portfolio she is building today will open the door to a career in software development tomorrow.

Yet perhaps the strongest common thread running through every conversation is not technology at all.

It is the community.

Students repeatedly describe learning from one another as one of the programme’s greatest strengths. Ruth speaks about collaborating with people from different backgrounds and becoming more confident in explaining her thinking. Joseph credits his peers with constantly challenging him to improve. Jerry describes how discussions during peer reviews introduced him to completely different ways of solving the same problem.

These are the kinds of experiences that cannot be replicated by watching tutorials or studying alone.

Software engineering has always been a collaborative profession. Modern development teams review one another’s work, discuss ideas, challenge assumptions and learn continuously. The programme mirrors that reality from the very beginning.

Every student’s destination is different. Some hope to join established technology companies. Others dream of launching their own ventures or creating products that solve problems in their communities. Their journeys may be different, but they all share one important belief: meaningful learning happens by building, collaborating and persevering through challenges that initially seem impossible.

And perhaps that is why there is no such thing as a typical kood/Nairobi student. Only people ready to build a different future.

kood/Nairobi is funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (EstDev) and delivered in cooperation with Kenyatta University. The next Selection Sprint takes place from 20 July to 7 August 2026, with the main programme beginning in September 2026.