Oliver Zola: from selling shoes on the street to the workshop floor

Oliver Zola wanted more than washing cars and selling second-hand shoes on the street. As a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, his options were limited. He heard about Kazo during English classes at another organisation.

He didn't know what welding was and had never held a power tool. But he had two things going for him: he was young, and he wanted to learn.

At Kazo he learned to strike an arc, read a drawing and turn it into steel. He now works on the workshop floor with a trade in his hands. Like many welders in Kampala, he earns more than someone with an office job, because there are fewer of them.