Meet The 9-Year-Old Kenyan Teaching Computer Hacks On TikTok
TikTok, as we know, has the potential to change lives and shine a light on talents that may have gone unnoticed previously.
Elvis Muchiri, more commonly known as Evolve with Elvis, has become a topic of conversation on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter as he teaches his audiences how to use keyboard shortcuts with his younger sister Megan.
The young boy started posting on TikTok in March of this year and has already gained 125,300 followers and over 1.7 million likes.
He also has gained a platform on YouTube with 8,490 subscribers since April.
He takes to these social media platforms to give shortcuts for Windows, teaching that keys such as Ctrl + T can often be used to open a new tab in an Internet browser, and how Control + L helps you align your text, among many others.
Twitter users have said they have learned a lot from Elvis, with others also appreciating the 9-year-old’s sense of humor in his comments.
One TikTok user asked, “Elvis, how do I buy a computer?” he replied, “Money has to be involved no shortcut for this.”
Followers noticed that he was using Windows 2007 and have since tweeted there was a donation of $600 for him to upgrade his setup and give more tips.
Since then, a fundraising page M-Changa Africa, set up by Elvis’ parent Francis Muchiri has raised over $1,100 to fulfill a 3 year program of setting up a technology institution in Nairobi and support local schools and youth centersOn the fundraising page, they state it is no doubt that computer literacy, specifically artificial intelligence, is transforming people’s lives in all sectors around the world, and Kenya is keeping up well.
Their vision is to transform Kenya and Africa through technology, provide state-of-the-art training to the remotest parts of the country and the larger continent of Africa, and promote innovation and creativity to meet global socio-economic and technology challenges.
According to the 2021 Ibrahim Forum Report, 58% of Kenyans have access to the internet, but only 29% of the population had a basic level of digital literacy.
The Kenyan government has now taken a step to introduce coding as a part of the school curriculum in primary and secondary schools to contribute to improving digital literacy among young people additionally President Biden announced last year the Digital Transformation with Africa initiative, investing $350 million to expand digital access and literacy in Africa.