Huawei Kenya begins ICT talent program amid growing Sino-Kenya ties

Huawei Kenya kicked off this year's Seeds for the Future program, which seeks to develop ICT talent amid growing Sino-Kenya ties, the company said on Wednesday.

Will Meng, CEO of Huawei Kenya, said that the program will be held virtually for the first time providing a five-day intensive training to 60 participants from around the country who will study 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing to empower them to understand the latest technology trends.

Meng said the program aims to develop skilled, local ICT talent and bridge communication between countries and cultures.

"By sharing ICT expertise and experiences in the global business environment, young people from different countries can learn about advanced technologies in the ICT industry and accumulate ICT expertise and skills through the Seeds for the Future program, contributing to the progress of the global ICT industry," Meng said during the virtual launch.

The Seeds for the Future Program is Huawei's global Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) flagship program, which seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of and interest in the ICT sector, as well as improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital community.

The program, which started globally in 2008, has so far benefitted almost 200 students in Kenya since 2014 and is moving forward this year despite the disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We truly believe that talent is the key to success. It is why we invest so much in supporting Kenyan ICT talent which will not only drive the ICT industry but power every other industry," said Zhou Pingjian, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya.

"We hope these students will go on to play a significant role in this wonderful country's development, and drive forwards the digital economy," he added.

Zhou said that China places high importance on the development of the digital economy and earnestly promotes international cooperation in this area.

The envoy expressed his desire for more collaboration between Kenya and China and welcomed all the countries to step up communication and coordination, build up mutual trust and deepen cooperation with one another and as well as build a community with a shared future in the digital world.

He noted that China remains committed to enhancing exchanges and cooperation and working together to narrow the digital divide and promote the building of an information society in Kenya and China.

Joe Mucheru, cabinet secretary ministry ICT, commended Huawei for the highly relevant content and contribution to developing ICT talent and supporting the development of Kenya's digital economy.

Mucheru observed that Huawei has been working non-stop to get the first phase of the National Data Center that is situated at the Konza Technopolis to be completed even during the pandemic-related disruptions.

Lotengan Kelvin Esinyen, who joined the program in 2018 and has since become a full-time wireless engineer at Huawei Kenya, lauded the Chinese tech firm for giving him the opportunity of a lifetime by facilitating a trip to China.

"It was an impressive experience in my life. We were shown all the state-of-the-art equipment, and we visited Huawei's laboratories which was priceless," Esinyen said.