My name is Christabel Masheti and I am a DOT Kenya Intern. I have a Diploma in Food and Beverage Management.  I consider myself as self-motivated, a go-getter and ambitious. When I applied for the internship, I didn’t think I had a chance because we were so many at the interview (about 300 people) and they needed only 20 so I consider myself very privileged to have been picked.

The training was intriguing and I learnt what most people pay thousands of shillings to be trained in.  It changed my perceptions of things in life and I believe it will help me for the rest of my life.

After the training we were deployed to centres where we were to train young people. To get participants at first was a challenge because many young people did not see the need for such trainings, but the few who came got much more than they bargained for. I have had a chance to work at Kimathi Information Centre (K.I.C), Kumekucha, and Make A Better World Kenya (MABWOK), which is in the Mukuru slum. In all this places, the youth felt the need to rise up and think of starting a business, not just for helping themselves but to create job opportunities for others too. Not all the young people I have worked with are business minded, but I felt that they gained life skills that could help them even in their career choices.

Before this Internship, I saw few opportunities to sustain myself but after this program I see many opportunities that I can exploit. I strive to do my best in everything I do and I believe I can achieve my goals despite all the barriers that might come my way.

I am very grateful to DOT Kenya for the chance they gave me to change the course of my life; to be a better person.