#DOTYouth | DOT | Digital Opportunity Trust

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#DOTYouth

#DOTYouth is a global movement of daring social innovators. Read about how some of these digital champions, community leaders, and entrepreneurs are creating opportunities and transforming their communities.

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Ethiopia
Kenya
Rwanda
Jordan
Tanzania
Lebanon
Uganda

Tsege - Ethiopia

Creating communities of women entrepreneurs

Women in Ethiopia face many barriers to becoming entrepreneurs. They often have less education than men, can face discrimination, and are less likely to own assets...

Jasmine - Jordan

Blending engineering, gender, and photography as a social entrepreneur

When 24-year-old Jasmine Majeed graduated from university with a degree in chemical engineering, she was looking for a job, but also thinking about launching her own business. She had her own dreams and aspirations, ...

Cultivating a network of agribusiness entrepreneurs

With KES 500 (about $4.80 USD), two acres of his family’s land, and a passion for agriculture, Peter Nyoike started Muthoni Agrobiz, a horticultural business in Murang’a County. Peter was happy to be making a living ...

Mariam - Lebanon

Inspiring children with technology, one robot at a time

Mariam Haidar has always been passionate about education and technology, especially for girls. She grew up in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, where schools’ lack of resources made it difficult for children...

Laetitia - Rwanda

Economic change through agricultural innovation

When Laetitia Umubyeyi first got involved with DOT Rwanda in 2016, she didn’t think of herself as a social entrepreneur. She didn’t even have a business idea. She had a background...

George - Tanzania

Bringing locally relevant learning material to Tanzanian students

Growing up in Arusha, George saw the challenges of an education system with unequal opportunities between public and private schools. He studied at a public high school, where it was hard to access learning ...

Starting where you are, with what you have

“Start where you are, with what you have.” This is advice Paul Tinkaman often gives to youth he meets in his work through his youth-led development agency, Tinkasoft International.

Paul knows the wisdom of this ...

Kalkidan - Ethiopia

Tuning women in to entrepreneurship

Kalkidan Lakew knows it’s not easy for women in Ethiopia to pursue entrepreneurship.

“Business in Ethiopia is dominated by men, especially business that requires risk-taking. Startup businesses are left to men ...

Dargie - Ethiopia

Producing affordable tiles from beverage waste in Ethiopia

When Dargie Haile Molla was in the final year of his chemical engineering studies at Bahir Dar University of Technology, his teacher set a challenge for him and his classmates: create a business project that could ...

Tsege - Ethiopia

Creating communities of women entrepreneurs

Women in Ethiopia face many barriers to becoming entrepreneurs. They often have less education than men, can face discrimination, and are less likely to own assets...

Benyam - Ethiopia

Turning trash into treasure to create jobs and opportunity

Benyam Lalago knows it is all too easy for trash to pile up. Papers become clutter, old clothes are stashed in the back of closets, plastic refuse takes over space....

Bikyalech - Ethiopia

Started a training and empowerment center for women in the beauty industry

Like many Ethiopians, Bikyalech Ermias moved from a small village to the city in search of a better future. She received...

Mohammad - Jordan

From engineer to community leader

Mohammad Shishani was working as a civil engineer when he learned of DOT Jordan’s Social Innovation Journey program. He thought it was a good opportunity to develop digital skills, but he didn’t know it would also ...

Creating opportunities for girls through fashion

Dana Al Fayez has always loved fashion. She loves it more now that she sees how it can support and transform her community.

Dana’s journey as a social innovator began when she participated in a DOT Jordan ...

Jasmine - Jordan

Blending engineering, gender, and photography as a social entrepreneur

When 24-year-old Jasmine Majeed graduated from university with a degree in chemical engineering, she was looking for a job, but also thinking about launching her own business. She had her own dreams and aspirations, ...

Transforming Mombasa’s tech industry

Even with a degree in information technology, Ajra Adullatif Mohamed had trouble finding a job when she graduated from university. She felt trapped; the job market was bad and finding work was difficult....

Douglas - Kenya

An oasis of digital learning in the Mathare slums

Douglas Mwangi struggled with the education system in Kenya. He grew up in the Mathare slums in Nairobi, the youngest of eight children in his family. For Douglas, quality schools were unaffordable, and affordable ...

Cultivating a network of agribusiness entrepreneurs

With KES 500 (about $4.80 USD), two acres of his family’s land, and a passion for agriculture, Peter Nyoike started Muthoni Agrobiz, a horticultural business in Murang’a County. Peter was happy to be making a living ...

Euniver - Kenya

An entrepreneur supporting entrepreneurs

When Euniver Njeri joined DOT Kenya in 2012 to offer entrepreneurship training to community members in Eldoret, she was known for two things: her outspoken nature and her soft spot for young entrepreneurs....

Mustafa - Lebanon

Learning about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon

Mustafa Dasuki’s is passionate about education. “Education is the key to a better future, and should be given to everyone in the world. But education is not just about building a career, it’s about opening your...

Championing technology in classrooms

Mira Hatoum finished her biology degree not knowing what was next. She was interested in technology and education, and had developed strong pedagogical skills at university, but didn’t know how to apply these skills ...

Mariam - Lebanon

Inspiring children with technology, one robot at a time

Mariam Haidar has always been passionate about education and technology, especially for girls. She grew up in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, where schools’ lack of resources made it difficult for children...

Baking up community change

Olive Tuyizeye started her journey as an entrepreneur with a small shop, but had never been able to generate enough income to sustain her family. It was a difficult way to make a living in rural western Rwanda, and ...

Laetitia - Rwanda

Economic change through agricultural innovation

When Laetitia Umubyeyi first got involved with DOT Rwanda in 2016, she didn’t think of herself as a social entrepreneur. She didn’t even have a business idea. She had a background...

Francois - Rwanda

Tackling youth unemployment through vocational training

While many Rwandans value a university education above all else, 26-year-old Francois Nkurunziza knew many unemployed young people in Gatore Sector,...

Lulu - Tanzania

Digital opportunities for low-resource schools

When Shaat Lulu King'ori participated in a DOT Tanzania social enterprise competition in 2016, her idea immediately stood out. She was enthusiastic and had a clear understanding of a need in her community and how ...

George - Tanzania

Bringing locally relevant learning material to Tanzanian students

Growing up in Arusha, George saw the challenges of an education system with unequal opportunities between public and private schools. He studied at a public high school, where it was hard to access learning ...

Carolyn - Tanzania

Mtu ni watu: a person is people

Carolyn Kandusi embodies the proverb mtu ni watu: a person is people. No man is an island. We must support each other in order to succeed.

When she began considering the idea of how to create a community to ...

Walter - Uganda

Creating networks for agriculture businesses

Walter Rubangakene never thought he would run his own business. Now he’s a successful agricultural entrepreneur who mentors others in launching their businesses.

Growing up in Gulu in northern Uganda, life was ...

Cedrick and Vivian - Uganda

Community change out of a commercial enterprise

Growing up in the Kasokoso slum in Kampala, brother and sister Cedrick and Vivian Karibwende were affected by the challenges they saw around them on a daily basis. Many families couldn’t afford to send their ...

Starting where you are, with what you have

“Start where you are, with what you have.” This is advice Paul Tinkaman often gives to youth he meets in his work through his youth-led development agency, Tinkasoft International.

Paul knows the wisdom of this ...

Engaging youth in community development

For young people to be involved in social and economic issues, they must first have the knowledge and information to contribute to the conversation.

That’s Ali Kaviri’s philosophy. Ali is a young Ugandan man who ...

Creating networks for agriculture businesses

Walter Rubangakene never thought he would run his own business. Now he’s a successful agricultural entrepreneur who mentors others in launching their businesses.

Growing up in Gulu in northern Uganda, life was ...

Digital opportunities for low-resource schools

When Shaat Lulu King’ori participated in a DOT Tanzania social enterprise competition in 2016, her idea immediately stood out. She was enthusiastic and had a clear understanding of a need in her community and how ...

Tuning women in to entrepreneurship

Kalkidan Lakew knows it’s not easy for women in Ethiopia to pursue entrepreneurship.

“Business in Ethiopia is dominated by men, especially business that requires risk-taking. Startup businesses are left to men ...

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