“I got a developer job in less than a month after my training….I can tell you that coming to Moat Academy ranks among the best decisions I have ever made in life”- Afeh
MA: Can we meet you?
Afeh: My name is Araromi Afekhafe; my friends call me Afeh. I am an Elect./Elect. Engineering graduate with a Masters degree in Telecom Engineering. I am of the opinion that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. I came down to Lagos from Benin City for the sole purpose of attending the Cohort 6 Bootcamp of Moat Academy, and I was greatly privileged to have been the class captain of the Cohort.
MA: What were you doing before joining Moat Academy?
Afeh: I was an International Support staff for a program (MAST Nigeria) sponsored by Wycliffe Associates, USA. By God’s grace, I was part of a two-man team serving as Team Leads tasked with the responsibility of preparing for, and managing Bible Translation workshops (held in Jos, Plateau State) for language groups from all across Nigeria. My contract was fully executed with them by August 2017 so I returned back to Benin City to map out my next course of action as regards my desire to go into software development, a plan I dropped before moving to Jos.
MA: Why choose Moat Academy?
Afeh: The thing is, my previous job had conditioned me to work with “quarters,” a three-month time-frame. So I decided to investigate further by going to the Moat Academy website, then I saw the detailed course outline which was to run for 10 weeks. I was like “Wow! This is pretty impressive… but is this really possible or is it just a very good scam?”
MA: What exactly do you want to achieve with the software development skills?
Afeh: To become a part of those (Nigerian youths in this generation) who employ programming as a means of proffering solutions to some of the challenges (social and economic) around us in this country—solutions that will spur individual and societal development as well as place Nigeria on the world stage of IT.
MA: How has things changed for you since gaining software development skills?
Afeh: If I am to pick just ONE thing, it would be perspective and this is in two-folds. First, whenever I see any webpage now I subconsciously begin to figure how it was put together and what technologies were used. Second, I now frequently examine the world around me and ask myself how software development can be useful in certain situations and environments.
Another is my thought process; it is one thing to say you are a programmer and another to think like one. A third is that I got a developer job in less than a month after my training.
MA: What was your biggest fear before coming to Moat Academy and what do you feel about it now?
Afeh: At first I feared that it was a scam and if not, maybe a programme that will not deliver all that has been promised on its cover. I did some research online and one person in particular I really did look at was Toba (his Facebook profile and the dipoleDIAMOND website). I was like, “If this is a scam then these guys must be very good! But if it is not, how then is it possible for a newbie like me to obtain two years worth of experience in ten weeks?”
I decided to take the plunge albeit taking the precaution (do not laugh), of asking if I can resume by paying just the first installment, I told myself if it ended up being a scam or a huge joke then the losses I shall count shall be bearable.
Lo and behold, based on my experience of the first three weeks, nobody reminded me to pay the remaining instalment. At that point, my fear was now; whether I would be able to cope and finish the race… but thank God for how Moat Academy is set up, not only did I finish the race, my expectations were surpassed. And today, I can tell you that coming to Moat Academy ranks among the best decisions I have ever made in life and of course, the positive consequences of that singular decision shall reverberate through the future.
MA: How will you describe your experience in Moat Academy?
Afeh: The learning environment in Moat Academy is a fantastic one. Though it is a family affair between the faculties and the students, yet there is that constant push from them to keep students on their toes. I discovered that, embracing it all, even the different approaches and teaching methods of the different facilitators, helped to re-arrange my thought process and the way to analyze a situation. I have learnt to think on my feet, to approach any problem the way a developer should, and to come up not just with a solution but the simplest solution possible. I was taught by facilitators who not only know, but have been integral parts of various IT companies and are also well-established tech-entrepreneurs in their own right. It is this industrial angle from the faculties that makes it more rewarding for a beginner compared to if that beginner decides to be self-taught.
MA: What advice do you have for those coming into Moat Academy?
Afeh: Every instruction you are given is meant to serve a purpose, you will do yourself much good to follow and adhere to each and every one of them no matter what issues they touch on, or how they may sound at the time of giving
MA: What have been able to achieve with the training?
Afeh: I developed a web app titled “debateNaija” (now called shareViewNaija) which I am currently on, expanding on its features with the aim of making it live soonest. A representative of an IT firm (dipoleDIAMOND Ltd) was present during our demo day, and that singular contact was the means through which God gave me a job with the organisation. At my workplace, even though I get to hear and see incredible things being done, it is the training at Moat Academy that has given me the solid foundation on which to build upon and acquire more skills.
