Rafiki AI

Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative - KLCI

Rafiki AI

A WhatsApp-based generative AI career chatbot guiding underserved and displaced youth to create career pathway plans in under 2 minutes.

Lagos, Nigeria

NGA

Nonprofit

Youth unemployment is rising globally, with rates surging from 6.6% to 17.2%. Africa faces the greatest burden, home to over 100 million underserved and displaced young people—many of whom remain unemployed due to a lack of career support and access to skills development. In countries like Nigeria, secondary school students often navigate their futures without structured guidance, making them vulnerable to long-term unemployment and poverty. A major driver of this problem is the absence of affordable, accessible career services in low-income communities. Schools rarely have career counselors, and young people turn to family and friends for advice that is often outdated or misinformed (Norton & Cohen, 2007). This early gap in career guidance widens over time, limiting future prospects. At the same time, Africa is experiencing rapid digital expansion, with over 570 million internet users—70% under 30—and an expected increase of 120 million users by year-end. Despite this mobile access, most youth lack digital tools for structured career exploration. Without scalable, tech-driven solutions, millions of young Africans will remain trapped in cycles of uncertainty. Now is the time to leverage mobile technology to provide timely, personalized, and affordable career guidance at scale.

Rafiki AI (https://skill2rural.org/rafiki) is Africa’s first generative AI career chatbot built for underserved and displaced youth. Accessible entirely through WhatsApp, Rafiki guides users to create a personalized career pathway in just 1–2 minutes by exploring their interests, strengths, limitations, and purpose. Young people simply send a message to Rafiki via WhatsApp and engage in a natural, interactive conversation. The chatbot uses generative AI to maintain context and respond intelligently, offering personalized guidance and career suggestions based on each user's input. Rafiki supports over 56 languages—including Swahili, French, and four major Nigerian languages—and allows conversations to pause and resume within 24 hours, making it flexible for users with limited internet or electricity. What makes Rafiki unique is its scalability and inclusiveness. For youth without smartphones, Rafiki AI Champions—trained volunteers—extend access using their own devices, ensuring no one is left behind. With over 570 million internet users in Africa, Rafiki taps into this digital wave to provide instant, culturally relevant career support—turning uncertainty into purpose-driven action. Watch a live chat here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SqZUJ6O0LsI6kH_AuMXOCf3FGcQ0DCUJ/view?usp=sharing)

Rafiki AI serves displaced (refugees and internally displaced) and underserved youth aged 13–25 across Africa, particularly those in rural, slum-urban, and low-income communities. Most attend public schools with limited or no access to career counseling and cannot afford professional support. Take Anwar, a 15-year-old who fled conflict in Sudan and now lives in Kakuma Refugee Camp. With no access to a $50 career coach or a school counselor, Anwar can now create a personalized career plan in just 1–2 minutes using WhatsApp on his Android phone—exploring his strengths, interests, limitations, and purpose. For those without smartphones, Rafiki AI Champions—trained volunteers and young professionals—use their own devices to provide access, ensuring no young person is left behind due to digital barriers. Beyond career pathway discovery, Rafiki also offers CV guidance and interview preparation, helping young people take practical steps toward dignified employment. These additional services ensure they are not only aware of career options but also equipped to pursue them.