DOT Kenya Intern Charity Kariuki has been delivering the ReachUp! program to youth in Mathare, Kenya since September 2011. Mathare is a large collection of slums in Kenya's capital of Nairobi; it's home to half a million people, more than half of whom are under 30 years old.

DOT's ReachUp! program delivers training in technology and business to young people in Mathare and similar communities throughout Kenya. The ReachUp! program is facilitated by DOT Interns like Charity, who are young, tech-savvy new graduates eager to give back and create change in their own communities.

In this Q&A, Charity tells us about herself and her experience delivering the ReachUp! program.

Tell us about yourself!

My name is are Charity Kariuki. I am a young lady with a great interest in IT. I graduated from the Web Design and Web Development program at NairoBits Digital Design School.

I love reading novels, acting and listening to music - specifically rock. I have a passion for basketball and poetry, too - I keep a blog of poems I have written. I work closely with the community, mostly in the slums of Mathare, in Nairobi.    

I work with DOT Kenya, and have been with them since August 2011. It has been an eye-opening experience and an avenue to build my personal skills as well as to give back to my community.

How did you first get involved with DOT?

I first came across DOT when I was still in college. One of the DOT Kenya staff had been involved in facilitating the ReachUp! programme at my college. I later heard of the recruitment of Interns, and being straight from college I applied. That is how I became part of the DOT family, and now I facilitate the ReachUp! program in Mathare, one of the largest slums of Nairobi.

Describe the community you deliver the ReachUp! program to.

I currently have a group of youth, mainly from slums and others from neighbouring areas. Some  have already ventured into business and entrepreneurship, and for others it is one of their goals. They are all thirsty for knowledge and they always motivate me to give my all during our sessions.

What do you hope to do after your Internship?

I hope to continue with my studies in IT, and I hope to continue giving back to the community through the skills I already have and the ones I will gain along the way.

What has been your favourite part of being a DOT Intern so far?                       

Delivering the ReachUp! program has been the best part. Having people, some even older than me give me audience and look up to me as a teacher and ray of hope. Listening to my community participants thank me for the skills they learned through ReachUp! is a humbling experience. I have also enjoyed representing DOT and networking through the avenues that it has opened up for me. For example, I was able to go to the AITEC East Africa Summit in 2011.­­