#DOTYouth is a movement of daring young people all over the world who are creating opportunities and transforming their communities as social innovators, digital ambassadors, and community leaders.
We believe that communities can be shaped by youth who create sustainable initiatives inspired by community needs.
#DOTYouth are entrepreneurs, changemakers, innovators, interested in the world around them – passionate young people who want to make impactful change in their communities.
#DOTYouth is all about supporting you with the skills, knowledge and networks you need to create a business or initiative that has a positive impact in your own community – while also creating job opportunities for you and others.
Read about how some of these digital champions, community leaders, and social innovators are creating opportunities and transforming their communities.
Giving new life to old tires
When we think of the impact cars have on the environment, we often consider the gas they guzzle and the emissions they create. But these modern forms of transportation also produce another environmental toll: old ...
Momen Al-Hamid is an ambitious and talented young man, who graduated from the University of Jordan. During his studies, Momen's passion for ornament led him to an entrepreneurial idea, which was to create a platform ...
Giving new life to old tires
When we think of the impact cars have on the environment, we often consider the gas they guzzle and the emissions they create. But these modern forms of transportation also produce another environmental toll: old ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 like a house or land, so it can be harder for them ...
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.
When Benyam looks at trash, he sees something ...
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...
A diverse future with a common core—community building
From volunteering in his community to delivering digital skills training for Syrian refugees to educating his peers about violence against women and girls, Rezek Abazid has leveraged his experiences with DOT Jordan ...
Connecting Syrian refugees with educational opportunities and skills development
As a Syrian refugee, Mohammad Shehadat knows what it feels like to have his life put on hold. His online organization, Expatriate Student Affairs, has supported 5,000 young refugees in an effort to avoid that ...
No one can succeed or remain successful without cooperating with others
Rahma Qur’an is one of the participants in the Impact Sourcing for Apprenticeship Opportunities project.
Rahma participated in the training because she was looking for practical experience.
By participating in ...
Momen Al-Hamid is an ambitious and talented young man, who graduated from the University of Jordan. During his studies, Momen's passion for ornament led him to an entrepreneurial idea, which was to create a platform ...
Making blood sugar monitoring accessible in Jordan
Lujain Asem Abusohyon’s life changed when she was 17-years-old. “I felt tired but I did not know why. My eyes were blurred. It was exams at school and I did not understand why I could not focus,” Lujain, now 20, ...
Bridging the gap between teachers and parents
Banan has always been passionate about coding and technology. She graduated from the University of Jordan with a degree in Computer and Information Systems and chose to explore opportunities aligned with the digital ...
Samer, a student from Mo’tah university, Karak, utilized a digital pathway to bridge the social gap between students residing in the community and new out-of-area students. He is currently developing a network ...
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 ...
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, ...
Martha Kamande: A Community Leader Impacting Youth and Women in Mombasa
A study shows that every year Kenyan universities release approximately 50,000 graduates into the job market. In January 2021, Martha was ...
MashLav Foods: a Thriving Social Enterprise Founded by a Young, Daring Innovator
Growing up in one of Kenya’s biggest cities, Mombasa, Lavender made an observation that very few people practised agriculture. Those who tried, only cultivated what was barely enough for their families. This made ...
Roak, a Rock for Youth and Women in Mombasa, Kenya
More than half of Kenya’s population is below the age of 35, according to 2019’s Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data. Out of this population, 13.7 million people are aged between 18-34 and over five million ...
Dear young people, Dare to pay the cost for accessing a purposeful life.
“What is my purpose in life?” This was a question Harun Mwadena Muyesi struggled with when he finally completed the YALI online courses he was doing after his Secondary School education. He shared with us his story ...
“ If you are willing to be a self-learner you will develop yourself” ~ Lailah Gifty.
The willingness to self-learn has enabled Kelvin Gwuma to develop holistically and achieve his dreams. This story of how he ...
Creating resilient and future-proof skill sets with digital and business training for youth
As a young social innovator from rural Kenya, Henry Mkare knows first-hand the importance of community support.
Henry grew up in Bamba, a small village in the country’s southeast Kilifi County. When he dropped ...
Empowering young girls in Kenya to innovate with STEM
Studying ICT at the Technical University of Mombasa, Aisha Abdulkadir and Ruth Kaveke made up 50% of the program’s female population. At graduation, they decided to do something about that.
Aisha and Ruth are the ...
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....
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 ...
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....
Meet the #DOTYouth who has created an English-to-sign language mobile app
Being able to communicate with others is crucially important, and is something Hiba Al-Shami has never taken for granted. Hiba was diagnosed with a hearing impairment when she was five-years-old. Today, she’s the ...
Preventing bullying with innovative technology and emotional intelligence
Empathy and kindness for one another and for ourselves has never been more important than in the midst of a global pandemic. Fostering these emotional intelligence skills are at the core of The Red Bee, an ...
Showcasing traditional cooking techniques on YouTube
At Digital Opportunity Trust’s 2018 Youth Innovation Summit, Joanne Raad’s table attracted a crowd. The young Lebanese social innovator carefully spread za’atar — a blend of thyme, sesame, and other spices — onto ...
Reducing electronic waste with Wasteless: an app for recycling
Technology is great — until we decide we do not need it anymore and it ends up in the trash. These trashed phones, laptops, and tablets are called electronic waste, and it is a major issue worldwide. That includes ...
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...
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...
The call to empower teen mothers
Marie Clarisse was driving to get fuel from a nearby gas/petrol station when she met a young girl, around 16 years of age roaming the petrol station, begging those passing by to help her with a coin quoting “ I am ...
Empowering Rwandan women and youth to become visual storytellers
#DOTYouth Street Team member Phabiola Mukundente was in secondary school when she recognized both a passion and a problem. Her passion was for photography—she loved snapping photos of her friends. The problem? A ...
Defying COVID-19 odds and leveraging technology to help students secure internship opportunities
A 2015 graduate of the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology, formerly known as Kigali Institute of Science and Technology( KIST ), Jean Claude Manirafasha started his enterprise, Bright Future ...
Combating teenage pregnancy through education and skills training
In the time of COVID-19, we all know the importance of soap and hand-washing to prevent the spread of the virus. But for Benithe Isingizwe, a #DOTYouth Street Team member and social innovator from Rwanda, soap is ...
Supporting young women, single mothers and pregnant women in the wake COVID-19
Social innovators are resilient and creative in the face of challenge and change. Those qualities can certainly be used to describe Rachel Uwizerwa, a #DOTYouth from Rwanda who became a first-time community leader ...
Designing an online platform to ease healthcare delivery in Rwanda
Rwanda is continuing to go digital, and Jeanne Bovine Ishemaryayo plans to be there every step of the way. According to the government’s Vision 2020 plan, Rwanda will be a cashless economy by 2024. That is good news ...
Amina's digital solution for lessening teen pregnancy
Adolescent pregnancy is not only a health issue but also a human rights and development issue. Pregnancy undermines a girl’s ability to exercise her rights to education, health and autonomy. To help resolve this, ...
Eliminating electric shocks and short circuiting
How Israel is creating a safe, efficient solution for electronic charging
After conducting research on using electricity in Rwanda, Israel Nishimwe found out that most community members face issues of short ...
Lighting up rural Rwanda with 3D printed solar products
Before Ariane Umuringa was a social innovator, she was a student in a district in Rubavu, Western Rwanda.
Studying mathematics and physics in high school, Ariane found herself challenged — not as much by the ...
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 ...
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...
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,...
Creating a sustainable livelihood for Hanang Women
Glory believes in the power of going all the way, that when you set your focus on one goal you need to give your all to see it to the end.
Before she became a social entrepreneur Glory was working on her other ...
Bridging the gap between skilled handymen in the informal sector and customers
Paulo has made it his objective to live a full, meaningful life that will help elevate youth livelihoods, especially in his community. It is with this drive that he continues forging an impactful career in building ...
Ewang'an: Light for vulnerable Maasai Women
Nang’idare is a Maasai young social entrepreneur from Longido who founded Ewang’an Maasai Foundation to help young women and girls in her community gain economic independence through the tourism industry. She ...
Creating digital wallets for small-scale farmers
More than 75% of Tanzania’s population makes its livelihood from small-scale farming — it was only a matter of time until there was a mobile money application designed specifically for them.
That mobile platform ...
Opening the digital economy to more Tanzanian youth
Gerald Mukama remembers the first time he built a website: “I was so amazed that I could use computers to do what I wanted to do—change the colours, add the content and the animation. I am the type of guy who is ...
Making healthy food accessible and connecting farmers to digital opportunities
Accessing healthy food is not always easy when living in a large city like Dar es Salaam. You might know the location of markets and grocery stores, but traffic and a lack of time make it impossible to get to them. ...
Revolutionizing renting: helping women safely find homes through their phones
Dorina Mathayo’s friend was looking for a new home. Unsure of where to start, Dorina’s friend was told to seek the assistance of an agent who could show her houses in Dar es Salaam – but she still couldn’t find a ...
Empowering girls in ICT: Tackling the digital gender divide in Tanzania
On Girls in ICT Day, Catherine participated in a live video chat with our partners at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to discuss her social enterprise, Girls Awareness in IT-Profession, and the importance of empowering ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Helping Ugandan women create revenue with handcrafts
Nsubuga Kigongo was raised by his grandmother, and growing up he was taught to work as hard as possible in order to provide for his family. He held a variety of jobs as a young man, including selling milk and ...
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 ...
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 ...
Digital opportunities for low-resource schools
Inspiring Youth to better their communities
DOTYouth Tairu Kujabi founded YES Africa Foundation. With the help of a local board, Tairu set up YES Africa in memory of his father, a remarkable Gambian, Salifu ...
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 ...
Making healthy food accessible and connecting farmers to digital opportunities
Accessing healthy food is not always easy when living in a large city like Dar es Salaam. You might know the location of markets and grocery stores, but traffic and a lack of time makes it impossible to get to them. ...
Developing digital creativity labs in Amman
Have you ever heard of a mindscape? Social innovator Lina Halaseh describes it as a place where you can be innovative, and stimulate your mind and ideas. This was the idea that Lina had — and her recent social ...
Youth-led financial solutions that work for Rwandans
Rwanda is continuing to go digital, and Jeanne Bovine Ishemaryayo plans to be there at every step of the way. According to the government’s Vision 2020 plan, Rwanda will be a cashless economy by 2024. That is good ...
Inspiring aspiring artists in South Africa
Byron Noble has spent the past decade pursuing his passion for music and the arts. With his new social enterprise, he wants to make it easier for other youth to do the same....
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#DOTYouth are entrepreneurs, changemakers, innovators, interested in the world around them – passionate young people who want to make impactful change in their communities.
#DOTYouth is all about supporting you with the skills, knowledge and networks you need to create a business or initiative that has a positive impact in your own community – while also creating job opportunities for you and others.
Read about how some of these digital champions, community leaders, and social innovators are creating opportunities and transforming their communities.
