Blog
News, ideas, and real stories from the CodeYourFuture community. Discover how people are learning, growing, and creating brighter futures through tech.
Facing barriers in the UK When Luan Murilo de Oliveira e Souza moved to Manchester from Brazil, he could barely speak English. “Many times, I didn’t understand what people were saying on the street, I couldn’t make friendships, and everything was very difficult,” he recalls. Despite having a degree in civil engineering, Luan struggled to […]
Read more
In 2020, while navigating the challenging asylum-seeking process in Scotland, Ahmed found himself in a difficult limbo, facing limited educational and work opportunities due to the UK asylum policy. However, Ahmed refused to let his circumstances define him. He wanted to break through the software development industry and contribute to society, so he embarked on […]
Read more
Discovering CYF and overcoming challenges. Anosh faced significant hurdles before joining CodeYourFuture (CYF), especially with immigration issues. “I felt the doors to a tech career were firmly closed,” he recalled, reflecting on a period of uncertainty. His introduction to CYF was through a family connection, marking a turning point in his pursuit of a tech […]
Read more
Personal challenges marked Deago’s time before CYF. He recalls, “I was on state welfare… losing the will to continue – everything began to feel pointless.” Deago’s circumstances reflect a reality many CodeYourFuture applicants face, where financial and other barriers prevent them from getting the skills they need to start careers in tech. Discovering CodeYourFuture […]
Read more
Three years ago, Saadia moved to the UK with a heart full of dreams. “I had a stable job back home, so I was confident that I wouldn’t have any problems finding one here,” she recalls. But the reality was quite different. Her qualifications didn’t translate to job opportunities, and she was at a […]
Read more
A goal of changing careers Shawen was at a crossroads in his life when he discovered CodeYourFuture. He had been retrenched and was struggling to find a job, but he knew he wanted to learn something new and enter a new field of work. After trying to learn coding on his own through Udemy courses, […]
Read more
Ryno is a perfect example of the power of CodeYourFuture (CYF), and how it can help people from all walks of life. Coming from a small town with scarce jobs, Ryno had to make do with upgrading electronics locally. “Finding employment in our community is very difficult,” says Ryno. “Because of this difficulty,I started […]
Read more
Before CodeYourFuture, Douglas worked in manual labour. “A typical day involved waking up at 5am to start work at 7am”, he says. “When covid hit in 2020, we could not work for 4 months, I considered the idea of finding an alternative career.” “I’ve always wanted to know what is going on behind the scenes […]
Read more
Colette grew up in a poverty-stricken housing development in Linwood in the 1980s. The area was rundown and desolate – “It was not a healthy environment to grow up in”, she says. Colette only discovered in adulthood that she had dyslexia. As a result of this learning difficulty and the challenges that came with her circumstances, […]
Read more
CodeYourFuture (CYF) trains refugees and people who have financial, social or other challenges in coding. The program is free and helps graduates secure meaningful work in tech. CYF alumni Omolola shares how her lack of experience did not stop her from launching her career in IT. Making ‘IT’ work While Omolola knew that she wanted […]
Read more
Mursel is a refugee. He was a lawyer before he came to the UK. When he arrived, he had no idea what to do. He was unemployed and lacked finances so he considered his options. Mursel decided to try to change career. “I wanted to find a meaningful job and prepare a good future for […]
Read more
Once Erick discovered that coding was behind websites and apps, he knew he wanted to be a coder. Erick discovered coding at The African Leadership Academy, a high school in South Africa that helps Africans who have the potential to catalyze positive change on the continent. He loved apps and technology, but he never […]
Read more