I grew up as a sick child, and because of that many people made me believe I would never amount to anything. Over time, I believed it too. I lost ambition, stopped trying, and by the time I finished high school I felt like my journey had ended before it even began. Everything changed when one person chose to believe in me. Their guidance, support, and willingness to take a chance on me helped me rediscover my potential. Doors opened, opportunities appeared, and I gained the confidence to start university and rebuild my future with a renewed sense of purpose. Later, while working as a Volunteer Coordinator, I saw young people struggling with the same challenges I once faced. Many lacked self-awareness, didn’t understand their strengths, and had never paused to think about their goals, their identity, or what they could become. Even those who were already employed often struggled with confidence, communication, professional behaviour, and navigating workplace expectations. They needed exposure, mentorship, encouragement, and a community that believed in them even before they believed in themselves. I knew how transformative that kind of support had been in my own life. I created Skills Academy to offer young people the chance I was given: a place where they can explore their abilities, build confidence, gain practical skills, and feel supported as they shape their futures. Skills Academy exists to restore hope, unlock purpose, and help youth see that they are capable of more.
Skills Academy delivers a structured training program that equips youth with practical soft skills, digital literacy, communication, customer interaction, critical thinking, career development, and leadership. The program runs in cohorts and uses interactive workshops, group discussions, role-play, real-world exercises, and guided reflections that help youth build confidence and apply learning immediately. Each participant completes pre- and post-assessments and receives personalised feedback to track growth. We partner with schools, community organisations, and trainers to deliver sessions in supportive and accessible learning environments.
Participants are also paired with mentors who guide them as they explore their strengths, set goals, and navigate personal and professional challenges. We have also found that even young people who are already employed struggle with communication, workplace behaviour, confidence, and adaptability, so our program supports them as well. After the training, we continue supporting youth through CV writing, mock interviews, job-search coaching, and linkages to internships, apprenticeships, and employers. This model blends skills training, mentorship, exposure, and community support to help young people discover their potential, strengthen their employability, and grow into confident contributors and changemakers within their communities.
Skills Academy began with a pilot cohort at IFAK Kigali and has been spreading through school partnerships, community networks, and strong word-of-mouth from participants. Support from iDebate Rwanda and partners such as the Regional Leadership Center East Africa, the Trevor Noah Foundation, MSU Denver, KPC, and Nilos Techs has strengthened our curriculum and increased visibility. Schools, youth groups, and community organisations now approach us to replicate the program, and youth actively refer peers. We also see interest from already-employed young people who still struggle with communication, confidence, and workplace skills, showing the continued need for our services.
In our first year, we trained 50 youth aged 18–25 through a month-long program covering soft skills, digital literacy, communication, leadership, career development, and critical thinking. All participants joined a three-month mentorship cycle and are currently in their second month, with an 87% participation rate. We are building partnerships to connect graduates to internships, apprenticeships, and employment.
Over the next 2–3 years, we aim to expand to more schools and communities, train additional facilitators, strengthen employer pipelines, and develop a scalable model that can be implemented across Rwanda and eventually the region.
Since launching the pilot, we have continuously adapted and strengthened Skills Academy based on participant feedback, assessments, and partner insights. We added a three-month mentorship component to ensure long-term guidance after training, introduced pre- and post-assessments to track growth, and refined our curriculum to include more practical digital literacy, communication simulations, and real-world tasks. As we progressed, we extended the duration of certain modules especially digital literacy, communication, and leadership because students needed more time to practice and build confidence. We also adjusted the delivery model to accommodate different cohorts, including an intensive schedule for late-joining participants.
We are now developing systems to automate mentorship coordination and opportunity matching to save time and improve efficiency. Additionally, we are building digital tools for storing reports, attendance records, and impact data so we can monitor progress more easily and scale responsibly. As demand grows, we are also creating specialised modules for young people who are already employed but still need support in communication, professionalism, teamwork, and workplace behaviour. These improvements make the program stronger, more responsive, and better aligned with the needs and realities of youth and employers.
Young people can reach out to join an upcoming Skills Academy cohort or receive mentorship, career guidance, and support in building digital, communication, leadership, and employability skills. Schools and community organisations contact us to host the program for their learners, and we provide the curriculum, facilitators, assessments, and mentorship structure needed to run it successfully. Companies also reach out for workplace trainings to strengthen their staff’s communication, customer service, teamwork, and leadership skills.
Anyone interested can contact us to discuss their needs, and we guide them through the next steps.
Email: skillsacademyrw@gmail.com
