DOT | Digital Opportunity Trust

What is International Development week?

International Development Week (IDW) has arrived. A Canadian tradition since 1988, IDW is a day to draw attention to the efforts of international development. It is a time to spotlight the important contributions that Canadians make across the globe that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, like eradicating poverty and building a more peaceful, inclusive, more prosperous world.

Canada’s international development efforts have contributed to thousands of projects and millions of lives. In the last two years, this contribution has surmounted unprecedented challenges because of the pandemic. But the pandemic has meant that international development efforts are more important than ever. 

 This year #IDW2022 will take place from February 6 to 12 and has the theme of Go For The Goals, calling Canadians to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a more prosperous, inclusive and fairer world that champions people and the environment. 

Global Reach. Local Impact. Support DOT this #IDW2022

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) mobilizes and inspires all underserved and disadvantaged young people with digital literacy, 21st-century skills and the self-confidence that will enable them to thrive in an inclusive digital economy. DOT’s unique approach leverages a youth-led peer-to-peer model which has impacted more than 3 million young women and men across the globe since 2002.  DOT’s model has been embraced by the world’s largest generation of young people – young women and men who are eager to seize the opportunities that the digital world of work is offering.

DOT, through its projects, is working towards the following goals:

• Goal 1: No Poverty
• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 5: Gender Equality
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goals

DOT empowers youth to give back to their communities and support other youth in their journey of development and upskilling through digital champions and initiatives that focus on building trust, creating opportunities and scaling impact. Our work spans the globe, but our impact is rooted in local. Operating in the Middle East and Africa, our projects have

• Equipped thousands of young, digitally skilled, University and College graduates with knowledge, skills and support to  deliver economic empowerment and digital skills programming to community members across Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. 
• Inspired 95,000 young women and men with business, digital, and entrepreneurship skills (60% young women) and provided 11,000 businesses owners (65% women) with Business Development Services in Ethiopia 
• Engaged 1,200 youth across 9 countries as Digital Champions, delivering digital literacy and 21st-century skills to youth community members , reaching 70% young women) through Daring to Shift. 

When you support DOT, you are supporting our network to provide locally-relevant leadership, entrepreneurial, and digital skills for jobs and business. DOT mobilizes and inspires all underserved and disadvantaged young people with digital literacy, 21st-century skills and the self-confidence that will enable them to thrive in an inclusive digital economy.

There are several ways to support DOT this International Development Week or every other day of the year.

1. Join our Commitment. This year, DOT joined the EDISON Alliance, 1 Billion Lives Challenge, to empower 1 million youth by 2025 to lead their communities into an inclusive digital economy.  Under the leadership of the World Economic Forum, the EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives  Challenge is a global movement of over 45 champions from the public and private sectors that are committed to prioritizing digital inclusion as foundational to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Join us and support us in our mission to reach and empower 1 million youth by 2025 to lead their communities into an inclusive digital economy.

2. Sponsor a Street Team Cohort. #DOTYouth Street Team supports   the impact and reach of youth-led grassroots initiatives by providing youth with customized learning and partnership opportunities, training in gender equality, connections to peer groups, and seed funding for their initiatives – all reinforced by 1-on-1 virtual coaching with a trained coach. The impact of the DOT Street Team model is impressive: In the first two cohorts alone, our initial cohorts of 107 youth supported 530,000 community members through their initiatives, and our Street Team members want to do more.
   
   In June, DOT and ITU partnered to deliver the #GirlsinICT Street Team, a youth-led response to the gender digital divide. Through the #GirlsinICT Street Team, DOT supported the impact and reach of 46 youth-led, grassroots initiatives in Africa and the Middle East that are creating opportunities for young women and girls in technology. DOT’s network of youth are reaching the most vulnerable in their communities and are demonstrating the powerful impact of youth-led action. When we empower young minds, a ripple effect occurs – as they empower and support their community members, creating webs of connected individuals leading change that extends beyond communities.

3. Make a Donation. You can donate to DOT as an individual through our CanadaHelps, Just Giving  and  Charitable Impact profiles. 

4. Explore your organization’s social responsibility activities. DOT is also active on Benevity; ask your colleagues about Employee Giving, Gift Matching and any Charitable Giving campaigns your organization participates in, that you can join and support through Benevity.

5. Share this blog on social media. Please share this blog and our charitable donation accounts to your networks; Tag @DigitalOppTrust and #DOTYouth in your posts! 

About Digital Opportunity Trust

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) is rooted in digital and powered by youth. DOT works with youth, the private sector, governments, and community-based organizations towards a collaborative vision of communities around the world shaped by daring social innovators. As a global non-profit social enterprise with locally-managed offices in Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Rwanda, and Tanzania, DOT has worked as development innovators and catalysts since being founded in 2001.  As an organization committed to digital inclusion, women’s empowerment and the potential of young people as leaders of change, Digital Opportunity Trust, and its network of thousands of young leaders, has reached over 3 million people globally. DOT commits to deliver digital literacy and 21st-century skills in the marginalized communities and schools of Africa and the Middle East, to reach an additional 1 million people by 2025. Learn more about DOT at https://dotrust.org.