US$100k for scaling Skills Hub platform, US$100k worth of devices from HP[Ed: Headline corrected. An earlier version gave the wrong name for the foundation.]
“SOLS Foundation’s model of delivering digital literacy to underserved and marginalized youth is an example for leaders around the world working to close digital divides. The potential for scaling their program, the quality of their services, and the depth of their knowledge impressed our team, and we are excited to welcome them into the 2023 Digital Equity Accelerator cohort,” said Hazami Barmada, Director of the Digital Equity Accelerator at the Aspen Institute.
“We had to send all our students back and close all our centers. We didn't know what to do with the teachers because they couldn't teach, so within the span of around two months we set up the online Skills Hub platform,” Danutcha recounted. For mentorship, they will receive technical expert consultations while for capacity building, they will receive an unrestricted grant of US$100,000 for scaling up Skills Hub. Danutcha plans to do this in two ways - to create a repository of recorded content for students whenever they want, and, to support different programs like workshops.
, executive director of SOLS. “Realistically, until we meet and sit down with each community, we don't fully understand their needs,” Daniela says. This interaction helps the mobile teaching unit programs to be tailored to individual needs, community by community. According to Daniela, the impact of their work is measured by a Sustained Impact approach that measures employment, businesses launched and the number of students who go on for further education.