What is the name of your organization?
Learning Lions ICT Campus
What is the name of your solution?
Learning Lions ICT Campus
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
The Learning Lions Campus is a digital career-building program, in the rural, remote region of Turkana, Kenya.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Turkana County, Kenya
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Kenya
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Learning Lions offers an integrated learning job creation program, focusing on remote areas and underprivileged youth. We chose Turkana, a region in north-western Kenya, bordering Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda as a starting point for our program. The region suffers from poor infrastructure and very few job opportunities – if the model works here, it could work anywhere.
The county’s semi-arid climate makes sustainable agriculture very difficult, so that the majority of food supplies have to be transported from regions several hours away. Most of its population still follow traditional pastoral living habits in relatively poor conditions. Local businesses include basket weaving, mechanical repairs and small kiosks, however none of these scale to provide widespread employment opportunities or meaningful wages. The youth are the most directly affected, having little opportunity to find a job and move beyond subsistence livelihoods in their home region. And yet, with around 1 million inhabitants Turkana holds an untapped potential of human talent with the great opportunity of internet access even in some of the most remote areas.
What is your solution?
At Learning Lions, we tackle youth unemployment by providing an integrated training and job creation program that empowers talented young individuals, even those with no prior IT experience or tertiary education.
We start from scratch, equipping youth in remote areas with human-capital-intensive and creative skills that offer not only sustainable career opportunities but also fulfilling and future-proof professions. Our approach prioritizes quality over quantity, ensuring that each participant undergoes a transformative journey with real economic impact.
Our sustainable business model further enhances long-term success: graduates contribute to the ecosystem, and our digital nomad program helps cross-finance educational costs.
By fostering digital skills and remote work opportunities, we enable young talents to break the cycle of unemployment and build thriving careers, no matter where they are.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The target group of the Learning Lions Campus consists of underprivileged youth from remote and underserved regions, primarily in Turkana, Kenya. These young individuals typically face limited access to education, infrastructure, and job opportunities, making economic advancement challenging.
Key characteristics of the target group:
- Aged 18-35, eager to learn and build sustainable careers.
- No prior IT training or tertiary education but high motivation and talent.
- Limited local job prospects, as traditional industries (such as agriculture and small-scale trade) offer minimal employment opportunities.
- High potential for digital work, given their adaptability and access to internet-based learning.
By providing free, high-quality digital training in fields like graphic design, software development, and digital marketing, Learning Lions empowers these young individuals with the skills needed to work remotely, generate sustainable income, and break the cycle of poverty.
