Nairobi, May 13 -- When I walk into Fancy Cuts at the Nanak building along Kimathi Street, I find Edwin Nyamu seated on the couch. His clients know him as Razorcode Barber. He is 24 years old, and the walls around him tell the story of his unlikely success. Award plaques line the space: Barber of the Year 2024, Hairdresser of the Year 2025, Pride of Kenya Awards, back-to-back.

But before the awards, he had his struggles. Four years ago, Edwin had no barbershop, no clients and no skills whatsoever. He had just quit a job as a cashier at a betting shop in Kawangware because, as he puts it, the work "messed up my morals". He knew he needed a real skill to build a life on.

"I did not go to school or undertake any training; I taught myself,"...