From the Streets of Kenya to Sweden: Evans’ Encounter with Volvo Cars Changed His Life

Growing up on the streets of Kenya, Evans was twenty-four by the time he first interacted with a computer. Today he works for us, developing the platform for our infotainment system. This is Evans’ incredible story, and our Non-EU internship pilot programme plays a role in it.

Evans Mwangi Njoki was born into an impoverished family in Kenya in 1989. When he was just eleven, his mother became paralysed after a stroke and Evans had to drop out of school to take care of her. She passed away two years later, and after having stayed with their grandmother for some time, Evans and his younger brother Tirus ended up on the streets.

Spending his days and nights on the streets with nothing to eat, Evans constantly dreamed of going back to school. His heart was yearning for education since he knew it would change his life. When he saw other students wearing their school uniforms, he felt that he should’ve been wearing one himself. “I used to help clean at a slaughterhouse and for the small amount of money I got, I wanted to save enough to buy a school uniform that I could wear while I was cleaning. So that at least I would feel like a student.”

Surviving on fallen avocados and water

After six years of homelessness, a well-wisher found Evans and Tirus and provided a roof over their heads. Finally, at the age of twenty-one, Evans got to join high school. Food was scarce and for one month, the two brothers survived on fallen avocados and water. Unfortunately, they were soon kicked out onto the street again.

Through his teacher, Evans found a home in a nearby church and continued with high school. Again, food was his biggest struggle. “For a whole year we ate just one meal a day,” Evans remembers. “But being hungry wasn’t really a big issue as long as I was going to school. Eventually, I became so thin that some of my classmates teased me because they didn't know about my situation.”

Despite the tough circumstances, Evans became a top student in the district and county. Thanks to his great performance – he even broke the school record – the school management decided they would let him study for free.

A life-changing meeting

When Evans finally finished high school in 2014, a wonderful opportunity appeared. Evans and his brother found a home and a family at the Kithoka Amani Children’s Home which is part of International Peace Initiatives. The children’s home runs a sustainability project where guests and sponsors from all over the world come and visit to meet the children, learn about permaculture, enjoy yoga, do safaris and tour Kenya. Luckily for Evans, one of the guests, Diana Cortés from Sweden, would turn out to be a very special person.

“Diana came to visit with her nine-year-old son and the three of us connected really well,” says Evans. “She told me that she worked at Volvo Cars. I had seen lots of Volvo trucks and buses in Kenya so I knew quite a bit about the company. Thanks to Diana, I got the chance to join the first non-EU internship pilot programme and she hosted me during my three summer months in Gothenburg. It was an amazing experience and it completely changed my life.”

When Evans returned to Kenya to complete his bachelor’s degree in maths and computer science, it was with a new mindset. He had quit thinking small and started seeing himself as someone who could work anywhere in the world. With his salary from Volvo Cars, he bought a piece of land where he would build a house for his brother and himself. Last year, he completed the first bedroom and that's where Tirus now lives. The house is next to the children's home so that when Evans grows old, he will be there to take care of the children and the village.

Back in Sweden

In early November last year, a dream came true as Evans returned to Sweden and Gothenburg to work as a system security and cloud developer at HaleyTek, a joint venture between Volvo Cars and ECARX. HaleyTek is developing the platform for Volvo’s infotainment system. On the second day after Evans arrived, the Volvo EX90 was launched, so that car will always remind him of the time he re-joined the extended Volvo Cars family.

Looking back at his life, Evans wouldn't want to change a single thing. Instead, he appreciates all the difficulties and struggles he’s been through. “The hunger I’ve felt made me resilient and strong, and I appreciate that my mother and my father took care of me when I was born. Neither are with us anymore, but I always say: I may be an orphan, but I’m the one who’s still alive.”