M-Pesa or Airtime: which beginner coding tool worked better for you?

The two-week plan is solid, and that borrowed WiFi trick will save them a tonne. One thing I’d add: if they go the YouTube route, tell them to actually code along while watching, not just binge. Even if it’s just copying what’s on screen, that hands-on part sticks way better than passively watching. And yeah, once they’ve done that for two weeks and still want more, a 200 bob Udemy sale becomes money well spent. What do their phones look like? That’ll affect what tools they can even run.

Definitely second the two week plan. One thing that helped me was downloading YouTube videos while on free WiFi, then watching later on the bus or at home without touching my data. Also, tell them to wait for Udemy sales, courses sometimes drop to around 200 bob and that makes the paid path feel less painful.

Free YouTube plus borrowed WiFi is honestly a solid start, especially if they don't even know if they like coding yet. I'd say have them pick one beginner playlist and stick to it for two weeks, then if they're still hooked, that's when a small paid course on something like Udemy becomes worth the money. Also, they can use free apps like Mimo or Sololearn to practice on their own without burning through data. What kind of coding do they want to try first?

That two-week plan is solid, I second the idea of borrowing WiFi to download videos. If they're on Safaricom, they can also check if the free data for learning platforms like Google Digital Skills still works, sometimes that helps stretch the airtime. And yeah, asking what they want to build first will save a lot of wasted YouTube hopping. What have your cousins said they're interested in so far?

The two-week plan is the way to go, it keeps things cheap until you know the interest is real. One thing that helped my girls here in Mombasa was using the free Safaricom learning data for stuff like Google Digital Skills, then downloading YouTube videos at a friend's place or a cyber. Also tell them not to stress about picking the "perfect" language, just start with something visual like HTML or Scratch if they want to feel a win fast. What are your cousins hoping to build, even vaguely?

I like the two-week plan too, it really helps test the waters without spending much. And honestly, even if they pick a paid course later, that borrowed WiFi trick for downloading YouTube videos first will save them a lot of headaches and data. What kind of phone are they using? If it's a 2GB RAM device, tell them to avoid heavy IDEs and stick with lighter stuff like termux or online editors for now.