DIGICON ACADEMY AND PARADIGM INITIATIVE PARTNER TO SKILL UP 3,000,000 UNDERSERVED AFRICAN YOUTH BY 2030.

On the African continent an average of 60 million youth actively use the Internet, with a growth of over 1.5 million new Internet users in 2022 thus far. It is clear that youth empowerment in digital related skills is vital to the development of African communities. DigiCon Academy, the education arm of Blu Flamingo Digital Africa and Paradigm Initiative have partnered to create an avenue that will provide fundamental skills to over 50,000 youth; in the fields of ICT and entrepreneurship within the first year and up to 3,000,000 youth across the African continent by 2030 through the L.I.F.E Program.

The Life skills, ICT, Financial readiness and Entrepreneurship (L.I.F.E) program was designed by Paradigm Initiative and has been running in at least five African countries namely; Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, D.R. Congo for the past 10 years. Digicon Academy is honoured to come alongside Paradigm Initiative as an implementation partner of the L.I.F.E program starting in Uganda and later expanding to Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, all countries in which Blu Flamingo Digital Africa operates. 

The L.I.F.E program is designed to offer African youth with the right tools and opportunities, needed to compete favourably in the digital space. 70% of the youth to be enrolled in the program are to come from underserved rural communities and 30% from urban areas. 

The L.I.F.E program mainly focuses on training and mentorship. The program operates in a two part system of training and activities. To be carried out in an integrated manner combining both online and in person training. This is to ensure the youth enrolled achieve the maximum benefit of being in the program. 

The L.I.F.E program will enable the trained youth to gain access to mentors and channels that can help them start, grow and set up their own businesses. 

As we roll out in Uganda, the program runs in major towns; Kampala, Jinja, Mbale and Gulu. We aim to reduce unemployment, increase access to job opportunities and secure gainful employment to the youth within six months of completing their training.