New Tech for underprivileged youths

Globally, many companies are struggling to get the right skills in new emerging technical areas while at the same time many youths from underprivileged backgrounds lack skills to fill these emerging opportunities.  

We are proposing a solution like Lambda School or Andela but now focusing on more on training youths on new tech like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Block Chain, Augmented Reality, Internet of Things, and linking them to employment opportunities or funding to be self-employed.

Our long term vision is to ensure equal access to quality technical skills to everyone, no matter where they are born. We hope to help thousands of youths from inner cities and poor communities to have equal opportunities to have careers in technical fields or start their own technical related ventures.

Today, the majority of youth in Africa do not have stable economic opportunities. Of Africa’s nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35, one-third are unemployed and discouraged, another third are vulnerably employed, and only one in six is in wage employment. In Djibouti, a fairly marginalized country, the rate of youth unemployment is over 21% and girls and women are the most affected. Also, according to UNESCO, only 35% of students studying science, technology and mathematics related subjects in higher education globally are women. On the other hand, many companies, government agencies and non-governmental organizations struggle to find skilled people in new technologies such as AI, Big Data, Cloud Computing, IoT, VR, AR, Blockchain, 3D printing. The mismatch between the demand and supply side of youths with skills in these technologies is a problem that if addressed will spur economic, social and environmental transformation globally.

Our approach is to set up a resource and innovation center in Djibouti, which will be equipped with tools and equipment for technical skills development in new emerging technologies. We shall recruit youths from poor backgrounds who have an interest in technology, with at least 60% female. We shall recruit trainers across the region. The youths will undertake 6 months of training, conducted by the trainers and industry experts, who will share skills via virtual (online classes) and physical bootcamps. We shall link the trained youths to opportunities in various private and public sector companies to gain meaningful employment or project contracts, and provide funding for those who wish to set up their own ventures. We shall get a percentage of the compensation for those who successfully get employed or start businesses; and use the funds to support our operations and also scale.

The main beneficiaries for our pilot will be youths from underprivileged families in Djibouti, aged below 30 years. Most of them will have some secondary school education and have some interest in technology. We shall strive to have at least 60% of beneficiaries’ female. We have already started engaging some of the youths through a potential local partner in Djibouti, a government run incubation center. The youths, through interviews and talks, felt that they don’t participate in shaping the local and global development agenda and have expressed desire to improve skills and have income that can enable them live improved lifestyle. Our project will enable youths who would otherwise be jobless and poor, create solutions that can positively impact their country, the region and the globe; while gaining skills that they can also pass on to others and high income to improve the lives of their families.

The project aligns with the challenge because it will help youths, who are an active under-utilized work force, to gain meaningful and durable skills in new technologies that will provide higher wages, and enable them be competitive for new job opportunities. The project focuses on enhancing skills in new emerging technologies that will help prepare these youths for global job markets. The project also has special focus on improving skills for young women who are marginalized in technology.

We shall be among the first to offer such program in the world, targeting mostly new technologies like AI, Bid Data, VR, AR, Blockchain and also hardware based new technologies like IoT and 3D printing. Few organizations like Lambda School and Andela focus on software development skills. We have strong emphasis on young women from underprivileged backgrounds.

Our project will enhance the adoption of new emerging technologies by youths from underprivileged backgrounds. The skills will be transferred through physical lessons and virtual classes and bootcamps, set up via existing online learning and interaction platforms like slack, howspace and zoom.

Our team members have previously worked with our sister organization, SDFA -Kenya, to set up resource centers focusing on youths and women in East Africa, that have provided skills and enabled over 5000 beneficiaries to have increased income with new jobs and self-employment. Even though these were not new tech focused, they proved that there is a need. There are millions of unemployed youths in many countries, who lack skills or funds or opportunities to gain any meaningful employment. On the other hand, many global and local companies require new edge skills and struggle to get highly skilled human resources.

Companies like Moringa School, Andela, and Lambda school have shown that there is a need for technology skills.

Youths from underprivileged backgrounds will receive skills training in new emerging technologies. They will also receive mentorship. These youths will have improved skills to be marketable for job opportunities. Local, regional and global companies, government agencies and non governmental organizations interested in new emerging technologies will attract these youths for full time, part time or contract/project-based employment opportunities, hence satisfy their high skills labor demand. These youths will earn increased income which will help them improve their livelihoods and support their families and communities. These youths can also share the acquired skills and work experiences with other youths in their communities and hence increasing the impact.

This project will be a new pilot that will aim to serve 200 youths in 12 months. We have already held assessment and held interviews and talks with potential youths as part of our design thinking process.

In the next 1 year, the goal is to train and ensure at least 200 youths have meaningful employment in high paying technology jobs. This will be achieved through setting up 1 center in Djibouti, in partnership with an already existing government incubation facility.

The next 5 years, the goal is to ensure 10,000 youths have skills and employment opportunities in new emerging technologies. This will be achieved through partnerships with universities, colleges across at least 3 countries and sharing a tested model. The universities will offer physical facilities for the trainings. We shall also focus on increasingly using digital learning and collaborative classes to reach out more young people.

Financial barrier – the project requires adequate funding to replicate quickly beyond pilot phase. Training new technologies will require more financial resources than traditional software development.

Technical barrier – introducing emerging technologies to youths from underprivileged backgrounds will require skilled trainers and industry experts, who may not be easy to find.

We plan to continuous approach corporate and government agencies to raise funds to cover initial costs for setting up projects in new regions. Potential employers can also pre-pay for training of youths for specific skills they require.

We plan to reach out to industry experts across the globe, and effectively market the opportunities they have to impact young people from underprivileged backgrounds. We shall also create short boot camps for advanced skills to reduce the time involvement for busy experts.

4 people for now. 1 full time and 3 part time.

The project will hire additional 3 people as trainers in the fist 12 months. 

SDFA Global team members have over 30 years combined experiences working in technology, and community projects to enhance skills. This project was born out of one of the founders , Evans’, experience as an early stage venture builder in Kenya, where he has struggled to find suitable talent for his portfolio companies.  Piper has worked on projects to improve skills for women in both Ethiopia and Haiti. James is a marketing and product expert, having worked with Meltwater. Bramwel is an experienced network engineer who has worked extensively in Djibouti. He has experienced first hand the lack of technology skills among young people in Djibouti and more often he has had to hire expatriates.

The pilot project will be implemented in collaboration with an existing government incubator in Djibouti which will offer physical space.

We shall get a percentage of the income earned by the youths who have gone through the program when they are employed or fulfill contracts.

We require sustained grants and donations. We shall also use any revenues we generate to re-invest into replication and growing the program.

Solve will provide financing to enable us implement the pilot project.

We need industry partners who can volunteer to provide skills in the emerging technologies like AI, Block chain, IoT, Cloud, among others. 

We also need companies which can offer employment and job opportunities for beneficiaries of our project. 

MIT faculty or other university faculty - to offer training.

Technology and other companies that require skills in new emerging technologies to provide employment to our beneficiaries. 

We shall focus on providing training to at least 60% young women from underprivileged backgrounds and helping them earn income to improve their communities. 

We shall focus on helping youths who are in the active age group for working to gain skills in new technologies and job opportunities. 

Our project focuses on advancing technology skills for youths who are out of secondary education and hence adults. Our project will easily be replicated in Portugal and serve as a center to provide high level talent in new technologies for European companies and organizations.