Pathway to Sustainability

TVL’s rural economic development model includes a social impact business that will eventually drive enough revenue to support local on-going programs and operations. In just 1.5 years of operation, our center’s are already supplementing center operational expenses and on way to break even. Our Center’s offer local communities in-demand business services that aren’t locally available.

 
 

Pathway to Sustainability

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Setting up revenue channels

Throughout the project lifecycle, working closely with stakeholders and a detailed needs assessment it was determined the economic opportunity was in providing business services. Clients range from University professors, students, primary school administrators and government offices.

  • Printing

  • Photocopying

  • Scanning

  • Laminating

  • Passport / Photo Printing

  • Cell Phone Top-up

  • Solar Charging

  • Stationary supplies

  • Binding

  • Internet Cafe

Take a look inside our most recent Center, in Gerihun, where we transformed an unused building into a full service business services hub offering educational and vocational training.

Baoma Chiefdom's Paramount Chief Demby generously gifted TVL a building that was not being used to transform into a second full-service community resource center. This Center is central to 15 rural villages in a major transportation hub junction, increasing TVL's reach exponentially.
 
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Vocational training

One of the keys to succeeding long term impact is setting up both a physical and process driven infrastructure that supports human capacity development. TVL has made a significant financial investment in both physical and operational infrastructure over the past 7 years, reaching nearly $500,000 USD.

When our local vocational training partner, TrainingSol and tech company SBTS Group came to us with the idea of developing a custom rural vocational training program geared towards the initial group of digital literacy participants we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate further. This project has potential to provide nationally recognized standard of training for rural people to become certified to work remotely. Participants that pass the course and successfully finish a 3 month internship will be certified to take paid outsourced work from Freetown and beyond. We are working towards developing a digitally skilled workforce that can perform all the functions as if they were in Freetown but without the need to migrate to the overcrowded city. This opportunity will provide jobs and a new set of skills for people living in the most underserved communities. It will discourage brain drain from the rural communities to the capital, Freetown and it will stimulate economy in the southern province.

 
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Leverage existing industry and resources

Southern Sierra Leone is a very agriculturally rich part of the world. Most of the families in Baoma Chiefdom survive purely off subsistence farming with little to no economic transactions. Farming in Baoma Chiefdom is still done using primitive tools and traditional methods. We're exploring partnerships and blockchain technology as a way to develop sales distribution channels for agriculture products from the southern province to the more populated cities in country and one day internationally.

Make sure to sign up for our newsletter and to follow us on social media to stay up to date on this project and others. As we develop our plan and learn more about how to best leverage technology to advance the agriculture industry in Baoma Chiefdom we will update our friends and donors.

 

Digital Literacy Programs

 
 

Today's global economy provides a lot of economic opportunity for rural underserved communities across the globe. With the right training and education the people in these communities could eventually work remotely through online outsource work. The goal of our digital literacy programs is to build a strong foundation of digital literacy in the rural regions, eventually working our way up to paid online outsource jobs.

Initially our digital literacy programs will provide exposure to computers, internet and the benefits that this technology can play in the rural communities. After a basic to intermediate digital literacy knowledge base is established we will begin our rural online vocational training program. 

 
 
 

On-going Programs

 

digital literacy Education

Since 2015 TVL has offered digital literacy classes to children, youth, women farmers and adults in Baoma Chiefdom. These classes provide the basic knowledge of computers, Microsoft Office, Google products, intro to coding, IOT (Internet of Things) and more.  

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Digital library

Leveraging local innovations is one of the ways we are solving local problems. In 2015 TVL installed a digital library. This digital library solution was designed and developed by our local tech partner, LamTech Technologies, to be used in areas where access to education is scarce. Students and teachers have access to a full library of information and online education. Patrons of our Center’s can access Sierra Leone's national primary school curriculum in additional to other educational resources. Teachers can use digital content as a way to provide tutoring outside the classroom.

Completed Programs

 

Girls coding

In late 2015, we partnered with local Sierra Leone non-profit, Sierra Leone Rising and World Vision, to launch an all girls intro to coding course in the rural village of Bumpe. The 7 week course was developed by a Salesforce.come coding engineer from Silicon Valley, taught remotely via Skype and was offered to 15 female highschool students coming from Bumpe and Golu.  To learn more about this program and to see more pictures click below.

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Teacher training: Basics of Computing

Throughout 2015 we ran our first series of digital literacy classes in Golu. During the year we brought in outside digital literacy instructors to teach the teachers and health professionals about the basics of computers and the internet. Each class consisted of 10 - 12 adults and ran 4 weeks at a time. In 2015 we ran 4 sessions during the year. 

Why Invest In Women?

"When more women work, economies grow. An increase in female labour force participation—or a reduction in the gap between women’s and men’s labour force participation—results in faster economic growth." - UN Women

 
 

"Evidence from a range of countries shows that increasing the share of household income controlled by women, either through their own earnings or cash transfers, changes spending in ways that benefit children." - UN Women

Mariam participated in TVL's entrepreneurial mentorship program. Today she has her own used clothing store. She also purchases palm oil from local farmers in Golu to resell in the Bo market. She's passionate about business and feels proud to be able…

Mariam participated in TVL's entrepreneurial mentorship program. Today she has her own used clothing store. She also purchases palm oil from local farmers in Golu to resell in the Bo market. She's passionate about business and feels proud to be able to help support her family.

"It is calculated that women could increase their income globally by up to 76 per cent if the employment participation gap and the wage gap between women and men were closed. This is calculated to have a global value of USD 17 trillion." - UN Women

In an effort to improve rural economic development, we are expanding our digital literacy program to include a female only class taught by a female. This program will give women the opportunity to learn in a safe, empowering and encouraging environm…

In an effort to improve rural economic development, we are expanding our digital literacy program to include a female only class taught by a female. This program will give women the opportunity to learn in a safe, empowering and encouraging environment.

Hassanatu Fillie, female micro-financing recipient on her way to the market.

Hassanatu Fillie, female micro-financing recipient on her way to the market.

Women's Micro-financing

Pilot Program

In 2016, TVL conducted a pilot program for micro-financing within a select group of women in the village of Golu. The result yielded more impact than expected. 

Hassanatu Fillie is one of the recipients of our micro-financing pilot program and we're delighted to report that our $60 investment has successfully turned into a small business. Each week Hassanatu makes and sells soap and popular street desserts called "King Driver" cakes at the local market. Each week she is able to make enough to feed herself and family. Owning her own small business makes her feel independent and happier knowing that she can not only provide for her family but she doesn't have to rely on anyone else to help her family gain access to basic needs.

 
 
 

Sponsor a woman

Are you interested in sponsoring a woman or young girl in Golu? If so, get in touch with us and we'll let you know how.