DDF Fellowship Summary

DDF Project Title: Technology Training and Business Development
DDF Fellow Reference Number: DDF63
Fellow's Diaspora Country: United States of America (USA)
Partner in The Gambia: Women in STEM
Geographical Coverage: Rural & Urban
Initial Project Period: April 2026 – July 2026
Main Project Results: To be updated

Challenges and Opportunities

The project faced a notable challenge in its inability to include students from rural Gambia. This was primarily due to a lack of access to computers, which made it impossible for these students to participate in the online training sessions.

The project also sees potential to expand beyond the Greater Banjul Area into provincial regions, to include more boys from under-served backgrounds in future cohorts, and to arrange physical training sessions that allow students to interact directly with tutors.

Jainaba Trawally

DDF63

About The Project

This project delivered digital skills training to students from tertiary institutions in the Greater Banjul Area of The Gambia. The training was structured around four core components: IT Essentials, Computer Networking, Introduction to Cyber Security, and Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Each training track concluded with an examination, and successful candidates were awarded certificates to recognise their achievement. A particular focus of the project was addressing the needs of nursing students who had limited or no prior exposure to digital tools. By the end of the training, these students had acquired foundational skills in the digital ecosystem, enabling them to navigate essential online platforms such as student portals and email accounts without requiring external support. This represented a significant step toward digital inclusion for a group that had previously been left behind by the rapid digitisation of education and healthcare systems.

DDF Results and Impact

The project achieved a mix of quantitative and qualitative outcomes across its four training components. In the Networking track, 80 candidates enrolled, with 60 successfully completing the programme and receiving certificates, while 20 dropped out. The Cyber Security training enrolled 46 students, with 40 expected to complete. The IT Essentials course enrolled 49 students, with 30 expected to complete. The specialised IT Essentials training for Nurses enrolled 52 students, with 20 expected to complete. These figures reflect both the reach of the programme and the varying levels of retention across different tracks. In qualitative terms, the impact was particularly pronounced among nursing students, who entered the programme with limited or no digital skills. By the end of their training, these students had developed basic competencies in the digital ecosystem, including the ability to independently access their academic portals and email accounts. This shift not only improved their academic experience but also better prepared them for a healthcare environment that is increasingly reliant on digital tools and systems