It was a long and challenging path from the slums of Mombasa to a web design internship in Nairobi but, step by step, Tobias Ouma was able to escape the confines of his past and bleak outlooks for his future.

Born to an abusive alcoholic father who beat his mother and chased both he and his siblings away from home, Tobias endured a painful childhood. In an effort to support the family, his mother was forced to sell illegal alcohol. “I had to drop out of school and help her out,” he says. “My brothers got into drugs – someone had to help mum support us.”

Tobias’ life began to change when he moved to Nairobi. With the support of a youth empowerment program, he completed high school. After graduating, he joined the Samsung Real Dreams partner NairoBits – which he fondly calls “an avenue where broken dreams are repaired.” He enrolled in the Samsung Real Dreams program and studied ICT multimedia and entrepreneurship.

Leveraging the skills acquired during his training and web design internship, Tobias now works in the NairoBits media lab supported by Samsung Real Dreams. He has also started his own small business making and selling clothes.

Observing just how much the Samsung Real Dream program has impacted his outlook, Tobias describes what he’s gained: “I am grateful for every lesson and every piece of advice – but mostly for the positive mindset, and this new confidence that allows me to shape my own future.”