DOT | Digital Opportunity Trust

Premium Article

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and the Mastercard Foundation are proud to reveal the six new partner organizations named to the “Going Beyond – Partnering for a Youth-Led Future” project. As the first partners, Hakizetu, Her Initiative, MHub, Mzuzu eHub, Sheria Kiganjani and Songambele will expand the reach and impact of the Going Beyond project in Africa.

Over the next several years, DOT will work with youth-serving organizations in four African countries to train 300,000 young people in technology and business skills critical to their livelihoods. The partner organizations in Malawi and Tanzania that were announced Friday have established operations in these countries and have already impacted tens of thousands of individuals to date.

Each of these organizations shares the core mission of Going Beyond, which is to help young people in Africa access dignified jobs and live purposeful lives by equipping them with 21st century skills for entrepreneurship and employment. Two of these organizations – Sheria Kiganjani and Hakizetu – focus specifically on the economic and social empowerment of young women, and one – Songambele – works to create economically independent lives for young people with disabilities. These organizations will help Going Beyond reach a diverse range of participants, scaling up the possible impact of the program and ensuring that no young person is left behind because of circumstances or stereotypes. 

“These first partner organizations are setting the tone for the skill, enthusiasm, and passion for change that we want to see in all the organizations we partner with. Together, we are co-creating a new future for young people in Africa,” says Violette Uwamutara, DOT’s Vice President, Sub-Saharan Africa. 

“It is like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle snapping together,” says Elijah Lumbani Mkandawire, the CEO of MHub, a tech hub and entrepreneurship support organization in Malawi that is among the first partners. “What DOT and the Mastercard Foundation are doing goes straight to the heart of our own work.” 

The partners are already leaders in transforming the lives of African youth through technological and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring that everyone is included and has the opportunity to learn and thrive.

“People with disabilities are often left out of technology-related projects because there are stereotypes that say we don’t need or want these skills,” says Faustina Urassa, the Founder and Executive Director of Songambele, a partner organization that provides health and wellness services to young people with disabilities in Tanzania, and promotes their social and economic inclusion.  “With this project, we are going to show the true meaning of equality and inclusion.”  

The partners’ existing skills, and visions, are essential to Going Beyond, which seeks to go beyond conventional models for development work that engage external expertise over local knowledge and creativity, and instead empower young people to lead their own - and their community’s development. That is why the partner organizations have co-designed the project’s curriculum, and determined how Going Beyond will be carried out in their countries.

“The entire project is collaborative, it’s inclusive, it’s a discussion,” says Lydia Charles, Founder and Executive of Her Initiative. “That’s a beautiful and unique experience.” 

As part of this partnership, the organizations in Malawi and Tanzania will also receive technical support and resources to improve their own operations. 

“It’s very rare to see a funder this passionate about leaving the organization better off than it found them,” says Wangiwe Joanna Kambuzi, the Managing Director and Founder of Mzuzu eHub. 

This, in turn, points to Going Beyond’s strategy to outlive itself and sustain its impact. The project will foster communities where young people have the skills to build enriching, financially independent lives over the long term. It will also create an ecosystem of ambitious youth-led and youth-serving organizations that will continue to serve their communities for decades to come. 

“Our goal is for the project to live forever in the hearts of the people, and our hearts as an organization,” says Lydia James Ibrahim, the M&E Manager at Hakizetu, a partner organization in Tanzania focused on economically empowering women and girls and promoting their sexual and reproductive health rights. 

“I see us leaving behind a huge mindset shift in our communities,” adds Neema Magimba, Co-founder of Sheria Kiganjani, which connects low-income Tanzanians to legal services via a mobile app. 

For DOT, these partnerships mark a transformation in the organization’s history of building the entrepreneurial and digital skills of young people. In subsequent years, Going Beyond will welcome 14 additional partner organizations in Malawi and Tanzania, as well as 20 organizations in Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire. 

The six Going Beyond Partner organizations announced include:

• Hakizetu (Tanzania), an organization focused on economically empowering women and girls and promoting their sexual and reproductive health rights. 
• Her Initiative (Tanzania), an organization dedicated to fostering economic empowerment for women and girls through technology. 
• MHub (Malawi), a technology hub and business support organization working closely with young people.
• Mzuzu eHub (Malawi), an organization promoting youth business development in Malawi through incubation, investment support, digital skills training, and other support services. 
• Sheria Kiganjani (Tanzania), a youth-focused organization using digital tools to connect low- and middle-income Tanzanians to legal services. 
• Songambele (Tanzania), an organization working for the rights and economic empowerment of women and girls with disabilities. 

Read more about the Going Beyond Project, Partnering for Youth-led Future.