Samson Kapeyi is a cheeky, boisterous 32 year-old computer scientist, based in Kampala-Uganda. He has facilitated learning in one of Refactory’s core software development courses/bootcamp, for a little over four years. This challenge is one he took on in an effort to fill the gaps he had noted in the tech industry that he has worked in for 12+ years. 

Having worked on some exciting projects that saw brilliant solutions come to life was not enough. Kapeyi wanted more out of life. “By 2016, I had been out of university for a while and I was bored with the gigs that were not giving me as much. At that point, reskilling was appealing. I enrolled in the Applied ICT in Health and Leadership Program at International Health Sciences University, IHSU (currently “Clarke International University”), the program that bore Refactory,” he says. In this program, Kapeyi made several life-transforming relationships. One of those was with the Program Director, Michael Niyitegeka, who ran the skilling centre in partnership with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) to develop and harness the tech talent in Uganda.

During his time at IHSU, Kapeyi also connected with some of the facilitators who, upon completing his course in 2017 gave him an opportunity to be part of yet another community-crisis-solving project. “The project – Justgood.work, done under UK-based supplychain solutions firm – Fifty Eight, was to avail immigrant workers with all the information needed to thrive where they had gone to work.  “Michael shared the opportunity with me because I had the needed skills. I volunteered with the organization as this project presented a great opportunity to learn,” Kapeyi recounts. He has gone on to work as a senior software engineer for Fifty Eight for the past 4 years.

Facilitating learning & skills development as a key to building the tech industry

While there’s still so much software to build for the world today, Samson Kapeyi reminds us that the need for skilled talent to keep the industry’s wheels turning is even greater. Technology is poised to pull millions, maybe even billions of people out of poverty over the course of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, in the global south, the talent pool for the most competitive tech jobs is mostly empty, making it impossible for our young people to participate meaningfully in this great opportunity. “Therefore, you need to mentor and offer knowledge to other people so that when you need to hire, there is a pool to pick from. Facilitating learning at Refactory allows me to help other people master the craft, which in turn grows the industry,” he adds. 

Despite the tech industry having numerous opportunities, many young people who get out of school remain unemployed because they lack the skills required to work here. For Kapeyi, it is always thrilling to initiate students into this exciting arena, as he handles the first technical modules in these fundamental courses at Refactory. Samson introduces students to software development and the internet, covering fundamentals of programming, the structure of the internet, version control tools such as Github, and  HTML/CSS fundamentals. 

“When we start off, many are green, scared, with no idea of how to write a webpage. Three months later, they are interning, working for the likes of Laboremus (U) and firms in different parts of the world and can earn a living. That is what I live for!”

While at Andela, Kapeyi recalls working with people from various backgrounds which made work exciting & always something to look forward to. “For instance, at one time, they hired a fisherman who, after six months of training, worked with a company in the USA. They were thrilled to have him because he was brilliant. The sad thing is that people do not know these opportunities or think they are beyond their reach,” he says. 

Kapeyi is thrilled to be a part of the change that Refactory is bringing to the industry through skillset, toolset and mindset change. As a facilitator at Refactory, Kapeyi says, one must push himself to know more. “You cannot teach what you don’t know, or fully understand! Additionally, technology continues to evolve. I keep learning from the students too new ways to tackle different challenges,” he says.

While facilitating learning has opened several doors for Kapeyi, as his students have recommended him to get side projects, he warns anyone who is eager to take this path that some learners are conditioned to expect all solutions to come from their facilitator or trainer. Kapeyi says it may be an uphill task to get them from desiring to be spoon-fed to looking for answers. “Even in instances where I know the answers, I refuse to give them on a silver plate and choose to guide the learners to arrive at the solutions.  Though it is difficult, it is rewarding and most impactful ,” he says.

Impacting lives

No doubt, Kapeyi has influenced lives, but most recently, one that stands out is Kylie Lutwama who was a radio presenter before she came to Refactory. Starting out, she was sceptical and timid because she felt that everyone else but her, was brilliant. “I encouraged and directed her, reminding her that I have seen many who thought the same but soon turned out to be great engineers. Recently, I saw a tweet by Kylie saying she had got her first paying tech job which was really delightful. I am grateful to be able to touch so many lives while doing something I love and I am proud of them,” he adds with a smile.

Facilitating learning at Refactory has brought Kapeyi some unlikely friends in the form of former students and those who have stayed on as his mentees. He beams with pride, recounting the milestones his students have achieved, opportunities they have scored and the value he has derived from mentoring these young techies.  “I also encourage people to mentor others because if you do not light the way for someone else, there is little-to-no point in your own learning. Seeing my students grow and also help others is great,” he concludes.