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Good practice

AkiraChix codeHive — Residential Tech-Training Pathway for Young Women in East Africa

Kenya · Nairobi · See the Kenya profile

Since 2010, Nairobi's AkiraChix has trained under-resourced East African women in software development via its residential codeHive programme; reported graduation near 90% and placement 74-95% by cohort, with monthly wages rising several-fold after graduation.

90 %
Graduation rate (2022 cohort) (2022)
74 %
Job-placement rate (2022 cohort) (2022)
59 %
Placement into full-time roles (2022 cohort) (2022)
up to ~833 US$
Highest reported monthly wage (2022 cohort) (2022)
95 %
Placement rate (2020 cohort) (2020)
100 US$
Average monthly wage before the programme (2020 cohort) (2020)
350 US$
Average monthly wage after the programme (2020 cohort) (2020)
500+
Cumulative codeHive graduates
80 %
Projected placement rate (2025 cohort) (2025)
fivefold
Projected lifetime-earnings uplift
AkiraChix codeHive — Residential Tech-Training Pathway for Young Women in East Africa

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
AkiraChix
Period
2010–present (codeHive since c. 2018)
Keywords
technology education, digital skills, women's economic empowerment, entrepreneurship

Context

AkiraChix is a Nairobi-based nonprofit founded in April 2010 by four women technologists to close Kenya's gender gap in technology. It now runs codeHive, a fully subsidised, year-long residential programme in software development, product management and digital design for women aged 18-24 from under-resourced backgrounds across East Africa.

Results

AkiraChix's 2022 impact report cites a 90% graduation rate and a 74% job-placement rate (59% into full-time roles, earning up to roughly US$833 per month); tracking of the 2020 class reported a 95% placement rate, with average monthly wages rising from about US$100 to US$350. The GitLab Foundation documents over 500 cumulative codeHive graduates and projects an 80% placement rate for its funded 2025 cohort, with an estimated fivefold lifetime-earnings uplift.

Conclusions

The strongest quantitative claims - placement rates and wage changes - are self-reported in AkiraChix's own annual impact reports rather than independently audited, and placement figures vary noticeably between cohorts (74% to 95%), so year-to-year comparisons should be read with some caution.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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