Starting immediately, we are also offering our language learning program with scholarships to healthcare professionals from Kenya. Kenya, with around 55 million inhabitants, is the third-largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a young population and rapid demographic growth – in other words, well-educated professionals often struggle to find qualified employment due to a constant number of available jobs. In 2024, the governments of Kenya and Germany signed an agreement to facilitate the migration of skilled workers. This agreement aims to simplify the process for Kenyan healthcare professionals and thus support the German healthcare system.
Important information for employers: Healthcare education in Kenya takes place at universities and medical colleges according to international standards and at a high level. Graduates obtain diplomas or bachelor's degrees in healthcare and must be registered with the Nursing Council of Kenya in order to practice. The best students are awarded tuition-free spots at public universities. Instruction is conducted in English, which is, alongside Swahili, one of Kenya’s official languages. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed Kenya from its "Health Workforce Support and Safeguard List" because the country now trains more healthcare professionals than it needs domestically.
Over the past year, we have established contacts with major public universities and conducted many online discussions. We presented our program to graduates and received very positive feedback. During our recruitment trip to Nairobi, we gave presentations to students and professors about our program. On-site, we conducted approximately 80 personal selection interviews. We met highly motivated, exceptionally friendly, and open young people who are eager to work in Germany.
The heads of the healthcare departments, as well as the German Embassy in Nairobi, support our activities. They confirmed our impression that many young Kenyans are currently willing to learn German to build a promising professional and personal future here. Both the Goethe-Institut in Nairobi and private language institutes report a high demand for German courses. Our first in-person language course with about 20 talents will start in May 2025, with additional courses for fully trained professionals to follow. We are delighted by so many positive and promising encounters. Together, all these factors will soon enable German hospitals to recruit qualified healthcare professionals from Kenya. This way, we help to meet the growing demand for skilled workers while simultaneously creating new opportunities for young people.