Friday April 19, 2024: Dozens of youth in the Greater Accra region in Ghana are currently benefiting from a life-transforming initiative aimed at equipping them with Entrepreneurial, Life, and ICT skills in readiness for the job market and supporting them in securing employment opportunities.

This follows the launch of Life Skills, ICTs, Financial Readiness and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Legacy programme by pan-African non-governmental organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) together with its partner, Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter . The initiative, the first in the country, is currently running in Manhean, Greater Accra.. 

Launching LIFE Legacy in Ghana marks the beginning of a transformative journey for the youth, offering them a chance to embrace the digital age and unlock their potential. 

The programme, which is currently being implemented in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe has impacted the lives of more than 150,000 young Africans on the continent. 

Speaking during the launch, Ihueze Nwobilor, PIN’s Senior Programmes Officer, said tManhean was selected after a baseline survey that assessed the needs of eight different communities. “This training is going to equip young people in the Manhean community with skills that can help them take advantage of opportunities that are within their community and even outside the community,” he added. 

Focusing on digitally under-served youth who have minimal access to skills and opportunities, the 10-week programme prioritises those with limited or no access to computers and connectivity. “After these ten weeks anyone who partakes in the course should be well equipped and ready for the market,” Mr Francis Acquah, President of ISOC – Ghana Chapter said.

The programme targets young individuals from less privileged backgrounds in under-served communities who do not have the financial capacity to acquire relevant education and skills that can enable them to compete economically in the digital age. The initiative started in 2007 in a small cybercafé named Stadnet in the heart of Ajegunle in Lagos, Nigeria, with the aim of equipping young people with relevant digital skills and connecting them to opportunities in the digital economy. 

Paradigm Initiative has impacted, and continues to  young individuals between the ages of 14 and 24 years.

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About PIN

Paradigm Initiative has worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust, and an organisational culture that positions us as a leading social enterprise in ICT for Development and Digital Rights on the continent.

Across our regional offices in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and beyond, we have impacted youth with improved livelihoods through our digital inclusion and digital rights programs. The organisation’s programs include Life Skills. ICT. Financial Readiness. Entrepreneurship (LIFE) training program, and life at school club program.

PIN has also built online platforms that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations. These mediums, in the form of reports, short films, and educational online platforms, include Ayeta, Londa, and Ripoti.

The organisation is also the convener of the annual Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, a platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, policy directions debated, and partnerships forged for action.