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 repairing, upgrading, and updating, electronic devices like pc, laptops, mobile phones,
satellite dishes, and CCTV cameras. I tried to apply in the field of technology but because I did
not have proof that I can work in this field. This made things impossible to get into tech for me.”
But when he heard about CodeYourFuture from his family member, he decided to give it a
chance.
Struggling with low motivation
“My mindset before CodeYourFuture was that I was never going to land my first job in tech,”
says Ryno, “and this also made me unmotivated to carry on and try to get a breakthrough within
tech.”
When it came to having any previous coding experience, this is what he had to say:
“I was playing around with freeCodeCamp but I didn’t have a clue of what I was doing.”
Ryno was struggling to remember classes and was desperate for a tech certificate to help him get
ahead in life.
Ryno and other supportive members of the CodeYourFuture community. We are delighted with success.
Not giving up
He would not give up, however, and came up with a plan to cope with his studies.
“Usually, when class is done, I didn’t remember a lot. What I did to improve this was to just
review what we did in class just after class. I was also attending homework sessions during the
week. At the same time, I would try and teach other students that weren’t in class. So that they
also get familiar with what was thought in class. These steps helped me get closer to my goal.”
Improving professional development skills as well as tech skills
After joining CYF, he not only improved his technical skills but also his soft skills and speaking
abilities, thanks to the Personal Development (PD) team and the Training Assistants (TA).
“The TAs and PD buddies were with me all the way the always assisted me when I didn’t
understand and also cold calling me so that I could also participate in class. In homework
sessions, the TAs always assisted us. Pd buddies helped us with our soft skills. All of these added
so much value to my life. I would say a version of me 2 years ago, would be so proud of how far
I have come, this is why I was inspired to always pay it forward.”
Becoming employable and finding a dream job
With CodeYourFuture’s help, Ryno has been able to turn his dreams into reality and become
employable in tech. He became a full-stack developer and found himself employed months later.
Shaun, the head of CodeYourFuture South Africa, finds Ryno’s journey inspiring. Shaun says “Ryno has shown alot of growth since graduating from the CYF programme. He has become a highly active volunteer in our community and he is always willing to assist.”
Ryno’s words of advice
To anyone thinking of joining CYF, Ryno has this to say:
“My word of encouragement is to say that with CodeYourFuture you can be what you want to
be. Come join this wonderful community, we are like family, and we will support you all the
way.”
Ryno’s story is an inspiring one and proof that with hard work, dedication, and the right
resources, anyone can become successful in coding, regardless of their background or
circumstances.
You can apply as a trainee for CodeYourFuture, or volunteer to help folks like Ryno realise their dreams of finding starting careers in tech.