Elton joined the HLA months ago but has been a part of the Kaya Community for over four years.
In this interview he shares how we went from just hearing about Kaya to taking one to two courses, then becoming a huge fan and an avid user, a champion and now a staff of the HLA providing support to learners on the Kaya platform!
Tell us a little about yourself
Jambo! I’m Elton from Nairobi, Kenya but currently live and work in London for Save the Children UK. I work in the Humanitarian Leadership Academy as a Learning and Platforms Support officer.
What is your professional background and what do you currently do?
I have a background in Development and studied Development and Policy Studies in university and have professional experience in the development sector. I have previously worked and volunteered with VSO International in Kenya working in youth empowerment programs as well as Climate Change programs.
Currently, I work at the HLA providing first-line technical support to users and partners on Kaya by responding to queries and coming up with innovative solutions to problems that arise on the platform.
How did you first get interested or involved in humanitarian work?
I suppose I always had interest in working in a career that helped people and impacted their lives in a meaningful way. This is what drew me to humanitarian work and led me to study Development Studies in university. My choice was further cemented when I volunteered with VSO Kenya in their International Citizen Service (ICS) program.
How did you first hear about Kaya and what made you start your learning journey with us?
I first heard about Kaya during the height of the COVID pandemic when I was looking for ways to upskill in my career. I came across Kaya and the goldmine it is when it comes to sector specific knowledge. This kickstarted my journey of using Kaya for the last 4 years. Plus, it being a free service made it all the more appealing to me.
“…Working for Save the Children at the HLA is a dream come true for me, I have my eyes set to the future. I would love to enhance user experience on Kaya and be an ambassador for Kaya.”
What are your top three courses on Kaya?
FIELD Programme – this is a hub for many more courses around Humanitarian action in emergencies and I love how comprehensive it is. If you want to learn more about humanitarian response in a multi-faceted way this is the course for you.
MEAL DPro: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning for Development Professionals – this course helped me with my professional development having been in the development sector MEAL was something I had to learn.
PgMD Pro: Program Management for Development Professionals- Program management is essential in development work especially in previous role as a program assistant. This course equipped me with tools and skills that helped fulfil my role successfully.
Has your learning changed your outlook, perspective, or approach to your humanitarian work?
With new insights and knowledge acquired from my learning I now have a holistic understanding of the humanitarian work we do. This is especially true as a tool, Kaya can be used to empower communities and individuals to achieve much more than previously possible.
What’s next for you? What is your next professional goal?
Although working for Save the Children at the HLA is dream come true for me, I have my eyes set to the future. I would love to enhance user experience on Kaya and be an ambassador for Kaya. As a resource I know it could empower many more young people from marginalized communities.
I also look forward to increasing my expertise especially around education in emergencies. For now, the sky is the limit!
Thanks for speaking with us, Elton and congratulations on your journey so far. Indeed the sky is just a starting point for people who learn with Kaya.
