Empowering Tanzanian Youth: Bridging the Digital Divide with African Child Projects

In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, digital literacy and internet access are critical for sustainable development. African Child Projects, a youth-led NGO in Tanzania, is at the forefront of bridging the digital divide and empowering communities through technology, education, research, and policy development. By equipping young people with essential digital skills, together Cisco and African Child Projects aim to unlock endless opportunities and drive sustainable development across the region.

Empowering Education through Cisco Networking Academy 

African Child Projects is dedicated to reaching as many students as possible across Tanzania through their partnership with Cisco Networking Academy. Their robust Instructor Training Center (ITC) aims to empower teachers and instructors by qualifying them as NetAcad instructors, enabling them to offer NetAcad classes and courses in their own schools and community centers.  

The Africa Child Projects Cisco Networking Academy also provides students with activities focused on data science, networking, cybersecurity, and programming, offering courses at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Further, they ensure that students participate in simulations and career days, helping to bridge the gap between education and the job market. 

Through the African Child Projects and Cisco partnership, we are unlocking the power of digital skills—turning dreams into reality, online engagement into real-world impact, and Africa’s youth into the innovators of tomorrow. Together, we are building a future where technology becomes a bridge to equality.”
– Catherine Kimambo, Executive Director African Child Projects 

Cohort Success Stories 

Recent activities at African Child Projects include the successful completion of three new student cohorts – totaling more than 600 student graduates across several programs, including Programming, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Computer Hardware/Software, and Digital Literacy. Participants hailed from the main academy and telecenters across Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, such as Mwera, Tunguu, Mahonda, Kiembe, and Mkokotoni. The organization also extended its reach to digital clubs at secondary schools across rural Tanzania, providing hands-on experience to younger learners through simulations. 

Below are some highlights from our Networking Academy partnership: 

• International Youth Day Celebration: With the theme “From Click to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” African Child Projects brought together young participants for engaging activities, including cybersecurity hackathons, live demonstrations, and a panel discussion on digital innovation and leadership. The organization partnered with five other groups to amplify its impact and highlight the importance of youth empowerment.
• ACP “Wired for Success” bootcamp: The Wired for Success bootcamp was a three-day event designed to equip candidates with Cisco Networking devices, allowing participants to implement the knowledge they had acquired by using Cisco simulation software. The bootcamp covered topics such as VLAN, DHCP, AAA, NAT, DNS and WAP configuration. Extracurricular activities such as leadership, networking and soft skills were also part of the bootcamp.
• Simulation workshops: Simulation workshops aimed to provide participants with a practical and immersive experience in their courses, supporting them in applying theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. For these workshops, presenters provided live demonstrations of wireless routing configuration, VLAN configuration, network design, and more. 
• Career Day: This event showcased ICT-related careers and featured sessions from industry experts, including Dinah Mdollo, co-founder of Cyber-shield Tanzania; Peter Mnubi, Senior Network Engineer within Onanet Solutions Corporation Ltd.; Seth Wilson, Web Application Developer, Android Developer and Software Engineer; and Asya Haji, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineer. By facilitating connection between attendees and industry experts, the event helped participants understand industry trends and educated attendees about essential skills, certifications, and qualifications.
• Cisco Summer Camp: Cisco Summer Camp offered students courses in Cybersecurity, AI, Data Science, and more, supporting students interested in learning Python, Ethical Hacking, Network Security, and AI fundamentals. There was almost 50 course completions over the duration of the Summer Camp.
• African Child Projects Instructor Training: Through the Cisco Networking Academy’s Academy Support Center at Open University, African Child Projects instructors received training on relevant topics – Cyber Ops, Networking Security, and Development Network –and successfully obtained corresponding accreditation. As a final achievement, the ACP Academy instructors were added as Instructor and Staff in the Instructor Training Centre to help other instructors gain the accreditation needed to teach such courses. 

Future Plans and Challenges 

Looking ahead, African Child Projects has exciting plans in their strategic plan for 2025 – 2028, including: 

1. Increasing employability in ICT-related fields among 3,000 youth and those underrepresented in technology by equipping them with advanced digital skills to help close the existing digital skills gap. To do so, the African Child Projects team will develop a targeted skills gap research and analysis, map skills to the targeted groups, and develop industry aligned certifications. They are also planning to set up technology podcasts in the local Kiswahili language, helping to educate the general public.
2. Growing to 45 Academies and mentoring the existing Academies across Tanzania, deepening the Cisco Academy presence across Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. They have designed a series of capacity building for existing Academies to assist them on how best to implement their activities and plan to create an online Academy Support Center (ASC) platform, where all the learners can be further connected. 
3. Establishing 10 ICT centers across Tanzania to reach more communities and move from digital- to place-based learning. Currently, African Child Projects face supply challenges, including lack of switches and routers, ICT equipment, computers, projectors, and meeting recording software to help aid learning. African Child Projects has called on partners and stakeholders to support, and by donating the technology, it will be able to better equip its students for the future. 

Join the Mission 

At Cisco, we believe the digital and data divide can be narrowed when industry and communities join together to address community challenges and fulfill our Purpose: to Power an Inclusive Future for All.  

African Child Projects is committed to creating a brighter future for Tanzanian youth and invites others to join in this mission, whether through partnerships, donations, or spreading the word about its programs. Together, they can empower the next generation of digital leaders and drive sustainable development in Tanzania. 

For more information, visit their website at www.africanchildprojects.com or contact info@africanchildprojects.org. 

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