Dessai Kibeho
Dessai Kibeho — Building the future, one skill at a time
In the dusty heat of Kakuma Refugee Camp where homes are pieced together from corrugated iron and perseverance, Dessai Kibeho is quietly shaping a new kind of future.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dessai arrived in Kakuma in 2021—alone. The war had forced him to leave behind a large family, friends, and everything that once defined home - communication is rare now, mostly limited to short messages through Facebook -Yet even under these circumstances Dessai has built something extraordinary. At just 27 years old Dessai Kibeho has become a driving force for digital education and community empowerment in Kakuma Refugee Camp
His small home took three years to complete. Nothing comes quickly here. Permission to use land must be negotiated, and while no one in Kakuma owns the ground they build on, it still carries a price. By the time the final sheet of iron was nailed in place, he had spent nearly 80,000 Kenyan shillings—around $640 USD—a sum he pieced together over time through freelance work and determination. But the structure is more than a house. It’s a base for his dream — to empower others through technology and education.
Dessai is a Digital Trainer and Web Developer teaching everything from basic computer literacy to programming, digital media, and productivity tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. “Technology is always changing,” he says. “When I learn, I pass that knowledge on.” At Season of the Time Media Productions (STMP), Dessai volunteers as Vice Director, helping to run community projects that teach digital literacy, tailoring, and creative media to young people in the camp. When needed, he becomes the manager, trainer, or event organizer — roles that blend into one mission: to give others the tools to rebuild their lives.
His journey into technology began with Learning Lions, a Kenyan initiative that offers digital education in the camp. Selected in 2021 for their Mobile LEAP program, he learned the foundations of IT using only a smartphone. He stood out among his peers and was invited to join the next stage — an intensive BootCamp where he built his first websites and discovered the power of coding. Today, Dessai is completing a one-year, online, Game Development course through the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) in Australia, a scholarship he earned after ranking among the top students in the program. He now trains new students in the same Mobile LEAP program that launched his own journey. Paid work is sporadic — a few training sessions per year bring in modest income, and freelance website jobs depend on local demand. “Most people here still don’t see much value in websites,” he admits. Yet the reward for him isn’t financial.
“It’s powerful to see someone learn a skill that can change their life. In a place like this, knowledge is freedom.”
Dessai speaks often about capacity — a word that carries real weight in Kakuma. “There are so many vulnerable people here,” he says. “The only thing we can really give them is the capacity to become self-reliant.”
His goals are simple but profound: first, to equip others with the digital skills to stand on their own; and second, to keep expanding his own abilities — in photography, videography, and programming — so he can continue to give back.
“ Life in Kakuma is an exercise in resilience. We left everything behind — homes, dreams, families, Starting again from zero is not easy. You have to create your own path.”
And that’s exactly what he’s doing. “If there’s one thing people should know about me, it’s that I’m a changemaker. I don’t want to stay the same. I want to grow — and help my community grow with me.”