Written by Wyatt Foster with insights from Andrew Odongo
In Kibera, football (soccer) is a common interest for many community members. Andrew Odongo is no different. When he was a child, his football coach signed their team up for a CFK Africa Football Tournament. For years, he continued to play in these tournaments. Andrew’s involvement with CFK Africa’s Sports for Development programming was the start of a long journey of growth for him and his connections to CFK Africa.
As a primary school student, Andrew excelled. He passed his exams with flying colors and was determined to continue his education. However, as with many families in Kibera, Andrew’s family did not have the financial capacity to send him to secondary school. He sought out scholarships at three different organizations before hearing about CFK Africa’s Lux Sit and Jim Rogers Scholarship program. He applied and was accepted for an interview.
Ambitious Learning
Andrew was prepared and rehearsed for his interview. However, on the day of his interview, his younger sister fell ill, and his mother had to rush her to the doctor. Still determined, he showed up to CFK Africa HQ slightly late and without a parent or caregiver, a requirement for interviewees. While he was originally going to be interviewed second, he instead had to wait for two hours and was the last to be interviewed. He was worried that he would no longer be considered. Despite these slight mishaps, he had proven his dedication to school and his leadership potential and was chosen for the next steps in the scholarship process and eventually was awarded the scholarship. He was thrilled that he would be able to continue his education.
With support from the Lux Sit & Jim Rogers scholarship, Andrew attended St. Augustine’s Boys High-School in Migori, western Kenya. The scholarship also engaged him in mentorship sessions and learning excursions and exposed him to educational and career paths beyond secondary school. When his cohort of scholars visited Strathmore University in Nairobi, his ambitions and dreams of his trajectory grew tenfold.
Andrew’s relationship with CFK Africa extended beyond being a Lux Sit and Jim Rogers Scholar. Upon graduation from secondary school, he began attending ICT Training at CFK Africa’s Youth Friendly Services Center. After three months of training, he received an ICT certificate and was encouraged by CFK Africa staff to attend Moringa School in Nairobi to further his studies in technology.
There, he received a scholarship and completed a six-month engineering program.
“It was an amazing experience to go from an [informal settlement] community to getting an education at such a good school. Every day of learning was something new and different. After my first day, I dreamt of coding. The next day, my classmates all said they had the same dream.”
Broadened Horizons
After his graduation, COVID-19 had spread to Kenya. Finding employment was difficult, but undeterred, he applied for a scholarship with Google Africa to study Cloud Engineering. While he received the scholarship, a lack of access to a reliable laptop and internet led to him not being able to finish the program.
In September 2020, he secured a position with a tech startup. For a year, Andrew worked on developing an African E-Health platform and gained valuable professional skills. “It was amazing that someone from this side of the world could get an opportunity on the other side of the world.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
After several more years of work and studies, Andrew felt a pull to return to CFK Africa. In 2023, he began volunteering with the scholarship program, conducting STEM sessions and taking the next generation of scholarship recipients to university technology events to inspire others like he was by the academic environment.
Andrew sought even more opportunities. Through the MasterCard Foundation, Andrew received a one-year scholarship to take courses in topics ranging from entrepreneurship and technical skills to leadership skills. Long term, Andrew hopes to develop his own technology company.
For his commitment to giving back to current scholars and other youth in Kibera, Andrew was awarded CFK Africa’s “Community Champion” award in July 2024 at a special event.
When asked how he believes his experiences with CFK Africa will affect the rest of his career and life, Andrew shared, “Giving back makes me happy, so I try to do it to my fullest. I want to be part of people’s success stories and to see them grow from where they were to where they want to be. And CFK Africa has played a major role in that. I think that’s not a bad thing, no it isn’t.”
