It all started in a college class. The Youth for Technology Foundation’s (YTF) founder Njideka Harry found herself pulling out a pen and piece of paper, while her peers were all opening laptops. Fast forward years later, through a jumpstart career at Microsoft, and we find Harry at the helm of an organization that leverages technology to tackle everything from sustainable agriculture to mobile banking.
How did we get to this point? How did YTF go from an idea sparked in a college class to an organization so diverse, much of our work dovetails with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals?
Flexibility. YTF is an adaptable organization, developed over time by astute observation of an individual’s needs. A student can’t thrive in YTF Academy because their mother can’t help support them? Let’s start programming to create opportunities for the mothers too. A mother can’t thrive in her business because she lacks the skills to grow? Let’s start programming on technology solutions for women entrepreneurs across the board. And so on, and so on.
Instead of a full-scale organization with laser focus on one issue, we chose to ramp up programs as needs arise, addressing core issues we saw in geographic locations where we already work. In other words, we aren’t providing water for the world, but we are working to provide a better life and better opportunities for underserved populations in places like Lagos, Nigeria or Soacha, Colombia.
Wondering what this looks like? Here’s a snapshot of our work:
Individuals
- Education: In order to improve the education system and allow more people to lead prosperous lives – especially girls – a transformation is needed within the ‘education ecosystem.’ As with any YTF project, technology is a key ingredient to this change. YTF Academy gives young people the foundation necessary to live, learn, and work in a global, digital age, compete with their global peers, and be the next generation of innovators and change leaders.
- Gender equality: Researchers and experts in STEM education agree that boosting the number of women in STEM fields would expand the world’s pool of innovators for the future, bring a new dimension to the work, and potentially tackle problems that have been overlooked in the past. Introducing girls to 3D printing is an engaging activity that inspires them to choose STEM and engineering careers. YTF’s 3D Africa engages girls in technology through natural interests of making, creating, and inventing.
Entrepreneurship
- YTF empowers women entrepreneurs through business, financial capabilities, and mobile technology skill training for women entrepreneurs throughout Nigeria. With Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs Mobile Value Added Services, women are trained to profitably expand their existing business, broaden their access to financial services, integrate the use of mobile technologies, and gain business development skills from industry tours, “Power Hour” business networking, and mentorship from other women entrepreneurs.
Communities
- Mobile banking: For many parts of the world, women and youth are excluded from such financial services as checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, loans, and access to financing for business development. A new federal program to increase access to financial services is an opportunity for YTF to make a difference in the financial sector. This program is aimed at recruiting and training 2,500 women entrepreneurs as mobile banking agents, who will offer branches banking and mobile financial services to Nigerians using the FirstMonie mobile banking platform.
- Libraries: Libraries provide a neutral, safe place to access knowledge and information, helping to level the playing field in a community. YTF’s Project LLP leverages libraries to help students train for higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship by providing digital literacy skills, allowing participants to grow as informed and empowered citizens.
Fabric of Society
- Democracy and Civil Society: YTF, and many of its local partners, realize that young people’s participation is fundamental to the success of a democratic society. PeaceOpoly is a social accountability initiative, currently being piloted in Nigeria, designed to improve governance and transparency that provides an avenue for youth and women to be active in the nation’s democracy, civic affairs, and political issues.
When people ask you about YTF, let them know that we focus on people. And technology empowering youth. And women. And education. And entrepreneurship. Indeed, we have so much to celebrate and share.
Our path has never been clearer. Let the next phase of our journey begin.
