entrepreneurship and digital job creation
for remote Africa
Startup Lions is a digital empowerment program in IT education, Fair Trade job creation and entrepreneurship.
our mission
Startup Lions is a digital empowerment program, providing opportunities to learn, earn and innovate for young adults in rural Kenya.
We provide opportunities for young adults in rural Kenya to learn, earn and innovate. Since 2015, we’ve been working in remote Turkana County, Northern Kenya, where the semi-arid environment and poor infrastructure severely limit sources of income. So we built a first-of-its-kind ICT campus at the shores of the region’s vast lake. If this digital education model can work here, then it can work anywhere. Our vision is to bring the same opportunities to the talent of other remote communities.
a wholistic path to digital opportunity
Talented youth
Donations
Donations - Talented youth
LEARNING LIONS
Learning Lions offers a 1-year digital training program for Africa’s rural youth. The programs are split into 3 Levels. All starts with “Mobile LEAP”, a 6-week intensive peer-led digital literacy bootcamp which introduces youths to technology while emphasizing personal and professional development skills needed for the digital age. Level 2 is an 8 weeks follow-up program and consists of 3 separate tracks: tech, creative and business. Finally, Level 3 is an 8-month autodidactic training to specialise in a track, bring students up to a professional level, and connect them to volunteer mentors from the industry.
Work in an agency ∨
Work in an agency ∨
Digital Lions
To support access to international markets for the graduates from our training program, Digital Lions was founded as a digital outsourcing agency. Digital Lions is the world’s first Fair Trade verified digital agency, offering a wide range of creative services from websites, logos, image editing, flyers and brochures to videos and 2D animation. The team is assisted and mentored by a team of high-profile international professionals remotely and on-site.
Startup ∨ - Freelancer ∨
Freelancer ∨
Startup ∨
Startup Lions
In 2020 the solar-powered and eco-friendly Startup Lions ICT Campus, designed by Africa’s leading architect and Pritzker price winner Francis Kéré, opened its doors right at the shores of Lake Turkana. It offers housing, coworking space, entrepreneurship training, and more. The campus can host up to 300 lions and is also open to international digital nomads and entrepreneurs who want to develop projects and build startups or outsourcing teams with our Lions.
International Clientele
Volunteers
JOAN OBUNGE
Font-end developer & Training Co-Lead
Hi, I am Joan Obunge, born in Kisumu but raised in Lodwar. Growing up, I always wanted to be a nurse, but one day my dream changed when I started to develop an interest in computers and how I could change the world using the device. When I got the opportunity of joining Learning Lions, I was very excited. I learned both technical and soft skills. Now I want to be among the best designers in the world. From a shy girl to a confident lady, I thank Learning Lions and Tech Dada – the Girls empowerment program at Learning Lions. Thank you for the opportunity!
the training: from basic to advanced
Mobile Leap
MOBILE LEAP
At the Loropio campus as well as for other organisations at their facilities, Learning Lions offers a 6-week bootcamp called Mobile LEAP - Learning Earning and Problem-solving. Mobile LEAP empowers young people to leap into the future of work by harnessing the power of tools and resources available via smartphones. Trainees are introduced to coding, website creation, design, audio, video, photography, etc. Additionally, personal and professional development skills are emphasized such as growth mindset, communication, teamwork and time management. This training is led by experienced peer trainers. Mobile LEAP lays the foundations for the Level 2 and 3 training, which 10 to 20% of those that complete it will be invited to attend.
Advanced Training
ADVANCED TRAINING
The greatest talents and performers of the Mobile LEAP training are invited to stay on campus to join the 2nd level of training for 8 weeks. They will now specialize in a specific area of technology: tech, creative or business.In the third and final level, trainees for 8-months learn in an assisted-autodidact learning approach on a set of curriculum modules that go into deeper specifics for their area of specialization. This will help them acquire concrete skills with high demand on global IT markets. Trainees work on a final ‘gig’ similar to what they would encounter on freelancing platforms and will give a final pitch and demonstration of their work to their peers and mentors.
want to become a lion?
our impact
0
+
graduates from our training program
0
X
income increase for our graduates
0
%
gained new job opportunities through Learning Lions
0
%
of graduates recommend the program
Our dedicated Financial and Impact Report can be found here.
assek membership
Startup Lions has been vetted and approved as an eligible member of the Association of Startup and SMEs Enablers of Kenya (ASSEK). This is a significant achievement that attests to the quality of services provided by Startup Lions, and we are excited about the opportunities this membership will bring.
how to support
Spend between two and six months in one of the most remote areas of Eastern Africa mentoring our young talents on their way to become entrepreneurs on the global digital market. We are mainly looking for coders, designers and other creatives and techies, but can also need support in a wide range of other fields ranging from project management up to construction and maintenance.
our partners