Digitizing marginalised communities

According to UNESCO (2020), approximately 1.2 billion students and youth worldwide are affected by school and university closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To adjust to these new circumstances, governments must develop innovative solutions to ensure inclusive learning opportunities during this period of unprecedented educational disruption. This is especially true in African countries, where despite recent progress traditional education has faced infrastructural challenges and struggled to develop the human resources necessary to 
address students’ educational needs (Krönke & Olan’g, 2020; United Nations, 2019; UNESCO 
Institute of Statistics, 2016).
As schools and universities across the continent close or move to remote teaching to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many pupils, students, parents, and educators are trying to participate in this new learning environment. However, Africans’ ability to make use of e-
learning varies drastically across the continent. 

Subsequently, individuals across Zimbabwe, in our case the Zvishavane community middle and lower class in particular find themselves with little or no exposure to computer technology until University freshman enrolment.

Not only is this dis-empowering, but a problem that sees most of the youth failing to access research, careers, scholarships and external opportunities to enhance their learning progress. This leaves most of them idle and utilizing most of their free time engaging in drug, substance abuse, and carrying out other various illegal activities within the community. 

There is huge skills gap between theoretical  skills attained in school and practical skills sought by employers.

TENCHIG Initiative therefore seeks to rewrite the narrative on the life of most youths within the Zimbabwean marginalised communities by empowering them with ICT (Information and Communication Technology) skill sets.

This we believe will empower them to take advantage of opportunities i.e. research, job applications, university enrolment, online courses etc. around the country and accross the globe.

Computer literacy in today’s evolving technological world is a necessity.However, this requires one to have access to basic computer facilities and educational platforms. 

Through TENCHIG Initiative we aim to revolutionize the education scheme of marginalized communities. This we will do by having our educational facilities provide access to computer skills education material online and also initiate a sharing space that allows students from different social and economic backgrounds to collaborate tutor, and work towards peer learning to create a better futur for themselves. 

We believe the more people are exposed to technology, the better they become ready to tackle current problems in this 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)

Through research I have also seen that more young people in marginalized areas are keen to get digital skills but what they lack are resources and conducive platforms. There is a huge digital divide among  these young people  and hence this Initiative is working to address this challenge sustainably.

Through this initiative I would like to ensure more young people in marginalized areas get access digital skills so that they have their share in the digital space and better transform their communities through computer technology.

To date , through TENCHIG Initiative, we  have managed to educate and equip more young people  in computer skills. In particular ,this year over 3000 young people got access to our online resources and acquired digital skills at affordable fees.60% of these were young girls who participated and benefited from our programs which has in turn helped reduced teenage pregnancies  by 60% in respective  communities. 

TENCHIG Computer Educational Initiative, utilizes a tri-functional hybrid system designed to cultivate critical thinking , problem-solving skills and elevate computer literacy among the youth.

Our clients have access to critical mind challenging ( individual and teamwork ) computer operation packages ; access to cheap and affordable quality printing; copying/scanning  facility and fast browsing  WIFI network.

Through a our team of experienced computer  tutors and leaders TENCHIG offers a computer literacy oriented service facility with both online and physical platforms ( seminars/ trainings/workshops)  dedicated to teaching  young people including women in marginalized communities on computer operation packages; basic functions , intermediate upto advanced level and uses of a computer in the everyday life .

The success of this Initiative has also been facilitated by the collaborative effort between TENCHIG  team and community  leaders which have allowed us to interactively engage the young people who benefit from our programs.

Solve offers support to founders like me who are committed to protecting and promoting people and the planet.Becoming a Solver will certainly expose me to the practical knowledge of the administrative, financial, and organizational aspects of social entreprise which will be of great help in operating and scaling up my organization.I also would appreciate  if I get funding which will help me to scale up my Initiative. 

At TENCHIG ,we provide our learners with the tools to operate at the speed of digital, to innovate and to ignite social change in their respective communities and beyond. What sets us apart from our competitors ( schools, cafes  colleges etc), is that we don't just close the digital gap, we influence and empower marginalised young Zimbabweans to create a whole new reality and future for themselves through trainings and supports.

There is a huge skills gap between theoretical  skills attained in school and practical  skills sought by employers, our work in digital  is helping  bridge  that gap through  hands-on digital skills trainings.These skills include affiliate marketing  ,online  freelancing  ,web  development  among others. 
We have also initiated a sharing space that allows students from different socio-economic backgrounds within local communities  in Zimbabwe to collaborate, tutor, and work towards peer learning to create a better future.An equal whole world of creativity we unleashed.

Notably ,our organization focus is consistent with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth.

My goal is to cultivate critical thinking , problem-solving skills through computer technology among the youth especially in marginalized communities.

I would like to establish a rigorous computer educational facility, leveraging technology for the improvement of livelihoods  in marginalized communities.

Through this initiative I would like to ensure more young people in marginalized areas get access digital skills so that they have their share in the digital space and better transform their communities through technology.This will be possible  through continual improvement in all aspects of our initiative , leveraging data and innovation to drive our efforts.

As an Initiative we are working on uplifting Computer Literacy in Zimbabwe.Currently we are operating within Zvishavane community where we are targeting 30% of young people who will benefit from our programs and that will be about 10 800 individuals the the 35761 people in Zvishavane.

We use Quantitative measurement and Anecdotal evidence to assess the impact of our Initiative in our community.

Our aim (Vision 2030 ) is to have at least 80% of those would  have gone through our programs reflect engagement with ICT online platforms, through research, applications and work related issues.

To date , through TENCHIG Initiative, 55 % of young  people who have gone through  our programs  have shown improvement in their respective  schools ,workplaces .58 % of them are already generating revenue online through  various digital  skills acquired.This data is collected through testimonials and  feedback.

Computer literacy in today’s evolving technological world is a necessity.However, this requires one to have access to basic computer facilities and educational platforms. 

Through TENCHIG Initiative we aim to revolutionize the education scheme of marginalized communities. This we will do by having our educational facility provide access to computer educational material online and also initiate a sharing space that allows students from different social and economic backgrounds to collaborate tutor, and work towards peer learning to create a better future.

Through our activities  ,drug abuse ,teenage  pregnancy,unemployment  and theft among youths in communities we work have reduced  by 70%.This has been evidenced by data collected through  feedback  from community leaders ,assessments, reports ,and testimonials 

As noted in the above response, To date , through TENCHIG Initiative, 55 % of young  people who have gone through  our programs  have shown improvement in their respective  schools ,workplaces .58 % of them are already generating revenue online through  various digital  skills acquired.

We envision communities where young people and women have ample exposure to computer technology and in turn use it for the betterment of their livelihoods through self job creation.

We believe that empowering a young  person with computer literacy programs is a great initiative that will see them grow into responsible adults and maximize opportunities in today`s digital age.

The  more these young people are exposed to technology, the better they become ready to tackle current problems in this 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)

Currently we have an Online Learning Portal which is already operating through our Website.Our plan is to leverage online tools to reach our target market .This has also been necessitated by the current  COVID-19 era which have limited our physical meetings to 50 students per session.We are also complementing  the online platform with physical meetings (workshops/trainings/seminars) as situation normalizes.We  are also working  on developing  a mobile application  (for both Android&Mac OS )  so that our clients can access our programs with convenience .

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have always been part of TENCHIG Initiative's values both professionally and personally. 

As a professional , my goal is to debunk a myth that women especially in marginalized areas cannot access digital skills.Statistics show that there are more men (boys) as compared to women ( girls)  who have access to digital skills in Africa and hence there is a gender bias in this field.

This is why at TENCHIG Initiative ,60 % of his target will be girls.This will help to remove the dependence
syndrome through self job creation and empower them to work and support themselves while fostering inclusion.

Through my work at TENCHIG, As a leader, I always ensure that everyone is involved in the digital revolution regardless of gender ,location or background.I believe the more young people especially girls are exposed to technology ,the better they become ready to tackle current problems in this 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Our clients have access to critical mind challenging ( individual and teamwork ) computer operation packages ; access to cheap and affordable quality printing; copying/scanning  facility and fast browsing  WIFI network.We also offer a computer literacy oriented service facility with both online and physical platforms dedicated to teaching  young people including women in marginalized communities on computer operation packages; basic functions , intermediate upto advanced level and uses of a computer in the everyday life .

VALUE PROPOSITION

1. Critical mind-challenging [individual and teamwork] computer gaming.
2. Youth computer literacy oriented service facility [Dedicated to teaching youth in communities on computer operation packages, the basic functions and uses of a computer in the everyday life]
3. Access to cheap and affordable quality printing, copying and scanning facility.
4. Access to a fast browsing WIFI network.
5. Computer Repair centre ( hardware/software) ,website and software development, for  individuals and corporates.
More so evolving to become Zimbabwe's leading digital skils training  plartform.

The venture brings money through its four revenue generating areas which are ; Computer Skills Educational facility, Gaming facility , Printing facility and Computer repair centre ( software;hardware).

We project that the Computer Educational facility would be our sustainable revenue generating backbone.This will be possible through payment of fees for various computer programs we offer.
Branding and Marketing are some of the strategies we have utilized to reach a wider market .We also have Brand ambassadors who  go about marketing our services to potential learners in the community.This has not only helped us to understand customer needs but also brought with it the much needed revenue and growth to the social business

So far I have received one grant from Accountability  Lab Zimbabwe  which amounts to 2000 USD.I am still applying  for other opportunities  which I believe  will win as we expland our work across  the region.I was also nominated  for the Global Startup Awards where  I had opportunity  to pitch before investors and now awaiting  response.I also was part of the  finalists for the Total Energies  Challenge  which has attracted  some investors  to my Initiative  but we are still deliberating  about amount  of investments.