Dec 06, 2017 | Project
Empowering Youth and Women through digital skills development
In Cameroon, 70% of population is under 30 and young people account for more than 2/3 of the population but almost 60% of all unemployed. The potential is however enormous, young people are motivated but without fields of action.
Our commitment is to guide these young people and women on the way of digital entrepreneurship, because digital and new technologies have endless opportunities for decent and sustainable jobs, but above all the possibility for these young people and women to use technology to innovate and build business to creatively solve social problems.
Our Approach
- Hosting digital startups and offering them a full coaching and mentoring service
- Proposing an innovative training course to digital trades
- Organizing events to encourage young entrepreneurs
- A FabLab equipped with machines such as : 3D Printer, CNC milling machine, laser cut, Arduino cards, ... where will be offered initiation workshops to the electronic do-it-yourself and computer coding for the children from 6 to 16 of age, and training workshops for the digital manufacturing trades for Youth and women
Specific Activities
- Assist project leaders (full coaching and mentoring service)
- Training Youth and Women to digital trades and entrepreneurial skills
- Training Youth and Women to the most advanced technologies (3D printing, Internet of Objects, Drone, Robotics, ...) And their uses in the fields of crafts, carpentry, electronics, energy, environment, health, education, agriculture ...
- Organizing Tech events and co-creative workshops
Key Results
- 4 projects and the incubation stage
- More 300 people trained
- More than 30 events organized
- One International Award Won.
Lessons Learnt (Success Factors & Challenges)
- Youth and Women need to acquire strong skills in the digital trades in order to improve their employabilit
- The development of mobile applications is the most sought-after skills among students and Jobless Youth
- Youth and Women who aspire to entrepreneurship in the digital economy need adapted support structures
- Frequenting co working spaces is the factor that would encourage students and young people without jobs to move toward entrepreneurship
- Investors are vital if we want to build a solid and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem
Which elements/tools are most suitable for replication / scalability?
- Incubator and accelerator programs for startups
- Digital and Entrepreneurial training program
- Tech events
- Economic model