What is the name of your organization?
PASSERELLES NUMERIQUES (PN)
What is the name of your solution?
Bridging the Digital Divide
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Free tech & soft skills training for underprivileged youth—50% young women—in SE Asia & Madagascar to break the cycle of poverty.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Phnom Penh, Cambodge
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Cambodia
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
In Southeast Asia and Madagascar, millions of young people face systemic barriers to education and employment. In Cambodia, over 14% of workers lived on less than $1.90 a day in 2022, and 17.8% were below the national poverty line in 2019. In Vietnam, 1 in 5 live under the $5.50/day economic security line. In the Philippines, 18.1% of the population lived in poverty in 2021 (Asian Development Bank). Madagascar ranks among the five poorest countries globally, with 80.2% living below the extreme poverty line. While digital transformation is creating new opportunities, access to quality education remains out of reach for many. In Madagascar, 480,000 youths enter the job market annually, yet only 40,000 jobs are created. Higher education enrollment drops to just 13%. In SE Asia, structural inequalities and a lagging education system make it difficult for young people to access quality education. In 2021, USAID estimated that 12.1% of Filipino teenagers were not in education. This contributes to the vicious circle of poverty.
What is your solution?
PN selects beneficiaries based on their extremely precarious economic conditions. In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, IT education offers a powerful path out of poverty, opening doors to long-term, well-paid careers.
At PN, students receive comprehensive support, including food, housing, medical care, and socio-educational guidance. They gain essential technical skills—such as programming, web development, app testing, and English—as well as soft skills like public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Our curriculum is updated annually in collaboration with partner IT companies to ensure alignment with industry needs. Practical experience is central to the program, with 30% of training delivered through internships and real-world projects.
Graduates earn a state-recognized diploma and go on to secure quality jobs in the fast-growing IT sector. This employment empowers them to lift themselves and their families out of poverty, often enabling younger siblings to pursue education in turn. A video on how our selection team finds students (dates from 2 years ago) = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWhGFyWoLlY
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our beneficiaries are selected based on their precarious economic situations. Within four months of graduation, 100% of our alumni (from the last three graduating classes) have secured qualified jobs, with 97% working in the IT sector. In Cambodia, alumni’s entry-level salary is around USD 305, compared to a household income of just USD 50 before joining PN. In the Philippines, it’s USD 555, compared to a family income per worker of USD 164. In Vietnam, it’s USD 340, compared to USD 53.
Our alumni contribute around 30% of their salary to their families, significantly improving living conditions and enabling their siblings to access education.
PN students come from marginalized backgrounds, often lacking access to quality education and stable career paths. Vocational training is scarce and often too expensive for them. Without PN’s support, they would never have had the opportunity to gain the skills and education needed for a brighter future.
