Introduction

Problems

1. High potential under-resourced students across Africa do not have access to the resources, both knowledge and infrastructure, to seize the opportunity presented by the shortage of IT professionals in the West.

2. Philanthropic donors seeking to support these under-resourced students don't know how much of it actually reaches the intended beneficiary and how much was lost to corrupt middlemen.

3. It takes a lot to succeed as a remote software engineer - talent, dedication and resources. For some, this opportunity will be transformational, but for most, it won't. Failing to identify those who would make the best use of this support leads to a waste of resources.

4. Even beyond completing their training, students need to be able to prove their learning credentials. In the status quo, the value of credentials diminishes in the eyes of employers due to how easy it would be to fake these certifications.

5. Even if students are successful, charities often fail to be economically sustainable because they are unable to recapture the value they produce for their beneficiaries.

Solution

The Rocketship

We call our 3-part programme "the Rocketship". The ship has a broad base of students symbolising how we give everyone a chance. However, not every part of the rocket is destined for space. In other words, we give all students a chance, and then gradually invest more of our resources into the students for whom a career in professional software development is suitable. You can learn more about the details of what students are taught here.

Access Scholarships

Our programme is free to attend for students at partner institutions who meet our merit-based intake threshold. But not all families have laptops, WiFi or the economic means to pay for tutors. The Access Scholarships ensure that all students, regardless of family background, can participate by providing them with the economic resources they need to partake.

Eligibility to Access Scholarships is determined through a multi-faceted process. We consider factors such as family income, number of parents, number of older and younger siblings, current living situation, and the existence of alternative means to access the necessary infrastructure needed to participate in our course. Applicants must also obtain a signature from a local religious leader, village chief or person of similar standing to verify the authenticity of the claims made. We rank-order students by neediness and distribute scholarships to students in accordance with this.

The vast majority of the Access Scholarship go to the purchase of laptops and WiFi router which our scholars are allowed to borrow as long as they are part of the programme.

As an extra layer of assurance, parents and students sign a laptop and wifi lending agreement at the alma mater of the student (high school partner), after which the devices are handed over to the students.