Our Urgency:
Millions of young Africans without a career perspective
There are good reasons why in 2015 the United Nations decided that decent work and economic growth (SD goal 8) as well as quality education (SD goal 5) deserved to be put on the political agenda of sustainable development goals. On the continent of Africa we see that now most young people go to school. Primary education is mandatory and affordable for most families. But there are still huge challenges.
African population is growing rapidly, and increasingly people move from rural to urban areas. As a result we see large metropolitan areas with a very young population: millions of young Africans that are educated but have no career perspective. First, because the quality of their vocational training not always matches the needs of the job market. Second, because the jobs are not there. This is particularly true for those, who do not have the social network to be introduced in the corporate world or government. Helping these young people take charge of their future is one of the big challenges of the 21st century.
Our Potential:
Equipping and employing young professionals in quality jobs
We see a huge potential when we give young people in Africa the opportunity to be trained for the job market of the 21st century. This implies having the right technical skills on a vocational level, not only on a theoretical level, but also through practical training and internships. But there is more. Soft skills are almost equally important, and usually not part of the curriculum of African schools. Young people need skills like time management, project management, team work and cross cultural communication.
And last but not least: they are in big need of the self-confidence that they can actually do it, and do not have to be afraid; they are in need of the conviction that they are responsible for their own career and personal development. At Trinity, we believe in this type of capacity building to get young professionals to the job market. We are actively involved in the training of our own staff, and collaborate with partners like the Maxim Nyansa IT Solutions.
Our Story:
From Ghanaian village boy to IT-graduate to social entrepreneur
When we first met as freshmen at the campus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to study computer science, we probably became friends because we had so much in common. All three of us grew up in a small village, and most of the time, our biological parents were not in the position to take care of us. So we were actually very lucky to make it to Senior High School and later to the University.
As students, we started our small, informal software development company to help us to survive financially and gain practical experience. Since 2016, we have professionalized our company and are currently scaling up with the ambition to create quality employment for young IT-professionals in Ghana and other countries in the ECOWAS region.
Our Vision:
Simple and affordable software to improve life for ordinary people
We are strongly dedicated to develop new software, specially made for the African market. Simple, affordable solutions to help institutions like schools, hospitals and micro-credit cooperatives to take their first steps into digitalization. We have no legacy but we are totally up to date with the newest computer languages, frameworks and development approaches like SCRUM.
We are convinced that our solutions are going to help ordinary people in West-Africa to improve the quality of their lives by the introduction of information technology. In 2018 we helped a Ghanaian hospital to digitalize their work processes out of a completely non-digital work environment. We also proudly launched our first pure African SAAS solution: SKUUNI
Odwadini, an accountancy app for informal traders, Tree of Life, an app for crop advice for African farmers and the Maxim Nyansa digital library with free educational content for African youth are very close to our heart.
Our Impact Booster:
Working for the European market as Fair Trade company
The economy of West-Africa is developing with a high pace and we are confident that the IT-sector is going to be a great engine for this growth in the coming years. At the same time, working for European customers is of great help for IT companies in Africa. First of all, because it creates turnover and jobs, and gives young people the opportunity to gain work experience.
But more important is the possibility for our programmers to work together with Europeans on IT-projects in more developed countries. These projects boost their level of knowledge and experience, and we are therefore an affiliate and strong supporter of the FAIR TRADE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION. We comply with the FAIR TRADE SOFTWARE requirements that can be found HERE. These projects increase their knowledge and experience level and they are a “booster” for their personal development. We have a growing number of scrum teams in our office in Kumasi, working for Dutch software companies.