By Lemuella Tarawalllie
Twenty young people have been certified as Digital Champions by UNICEF Sierra Leone after completing the first Digital Champion Bootcamp, designed to equip youth with leadership, digital, and life skills to drive positive change within their communities.
The graduation of the first cohort marks a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s efforts to position young people at the centre of the country’s digital transformation and youth empowerment initiatives.
During an online presentation titled Framing the Learning Moment, Bootcamp Champion Sumaiya Iqbal explained that the Digital Champion initiative was created to bridge the gap between communities and the digital learning opportunities provided by UNICEF and its implementing partners.
According to her, a Digital Champion is a young leader who uses their voice and skills to help other young people grow and develop within their communities.
“A Digital Champion is a young person who supports others to learn, grow, and create positive change. They help expand access to learning opportunities in digital learning hubs and encourage young people to develop skills that prepare them for the future,” she said.
She noted that the champions will promote key future skills including digital literacy, life skills, climate awareness, and civic education, while encouraging young people to identify problems affecting their communities and work collectively to find solutions.
“We want them to inspire other young people through peer-to-peer learning and community action,” she added.
The bootcamp training involved two phases, beginning with an initial group of nine participants who later helped train additional youth using a peer learning approach that allows knowledge to be shared easily among young people.
The programme focused on building leadership foundations, communication skills, emotional intelligence, resilience, and problem-solving abilities.
“We explain to young people that leadership is not defined by titles or positions. Leadership begins with simple actions such as listening to others, respecting different perspectives, and practising empathy,” Iqbal explained.
UNICEF Country Representative Rudolf Schwenk described the graduation as a major step toward creating a more inclusive and digitally empowered future for young people in Sierra Leone.
“This graduation marks a very important milestone not only for you as individuals but also for Sierra Leone’s growing efforts to place young people at the centre of digital transformation,” he added.
Schwenk encouraged the graduates to use their knowledge to empower other youth.
“The future is digital. Take this knowledge back to your schools and communities. Open the doors for others and ensure that learning opportunities become accessible to everyone,” he urged graduands.
Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation Salima Bah emphasised the importance of designing technological solutions that respond directly to the needs of citizens.
She explained that several digital initiatives in the country, including digital learning hubs and online learning platforms, were developed through human-centred design approaches that consider the realities faced by ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
“If we want solutions to work for everyone, we must build with the human in mind. We must understand who we are building for and the challenges they face,” she stated.
Project Officer for the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation Digital Champion Bootcamp Ahmed Turay highlighted the importance of empowering young people with both digital knowledge and leadership capacity.
He noted that the programme aims to ensure that young people are not only trained in technology but are also equipped to use those skills to influence positive change within their communities.
Facilitator Monica Jackson encouraged the graduates to live up to the responsibility of being Digital Champions.
She stated that being a Digital Champion is more than a title. “It comes with responsibility. Be the change you want to see and inspire others through your actions.”
Beneficiaries also shared testimonies about how the bootcamp had transformed their thinking and confidence.
Participant and beneficiary Isata Blessing Sesay said the training helped her move from simply having ideas to developing practical solutions for community challenges.
“Before the bootcamp, I had ideas, but I did not have the structure and skills to bring them to life. Now I see challenges as opportunities, and I feel confident in my ability to create solutions,” she said.
With their certification completed, the new Digital Champions are expected to support learning within digital hubs, mentor other young people, and help expand digital knowledge across communities in Sierra Leone.
