Building Rwanda’s Digital Future: Reskilling to Close the Technology Gap

A critical moment in Emmanuel’s journey was his participation in the UNITAR “Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa” programme. Run from November 2023 to February 2024 in three phases, the programme aimed to enhance the employability and competitiveness of African women and youth with digital skills for a digital-driven world. It was offered free thanks to the support of the Government and People of Japan. Emmanuel quickly saw the programme’s potential to enhance his approach to digital transformation and expand his network across Africa and applied.

In the programme, participants chose a track with Microsoft or IBM and completed self-paced learning, a self-led project, a boot camp, webinar or hackathon and a community and sustainability workshop. Emmanuel chose the Microsoft track, which focused on using cloud-based tools to improve digital skills.

After the online training phase, Emmanuel applied what he learned by organizing a digital literacy bootcamp for his community. He also developed his concept for an app that would facilitate responsible resale of second-hand electronics. It would reduce digital waste and foster sustainability, community engagement and digital inclusion.

Emmanuel valued the UNITAR programme’s emphasis on combining creativity and technical skills to inspire positive change and plans to apply these lessons so his digital literacy programmes. He also enjoyed working and networking with participants from over 20 countries across the continent, an experience that broadened his view of Africa’s innovation landscape and opened new collaboration opportunities.

The UNITAR programme taught me that digital innovation encompasses more than technology. It focuses on developing sustainable solutions that benefit communities.” —Emmanuel Mutabazi, founder of a digital training foundation and digital skills advocate, Rwanda